To eat the same meals every week?

Jesus, you are all a lot better organised than I!

I'm a "look in the fridge and wing it" kind of person.

It does have the benefit of very little food waste (and I kind of like the challenge).

Good luck with it!

Amazing, thank you!

I have copied your list and used it to prompt myself and the rest of the family to remember dishes we've enjoyed in the past. Starting our own list now - will help break the rut we're in of too much repetition.

Will continue to use your list for inspiration!

I would be starving on Monday in your house.

^^

Hahaha 😂

There was a time in my life when I used to eat a massive plate of eggs, sausages, beans, homemade fries and one pound chocolate to beat the short of money frustration and I put on unnecessary weight and was very tired after the mere walking even though I was getting plenty of sleep during that time.

That was a very long sentence.

It's called Recipe Keeper

Can I ask what app this is please?

We've just started a 4 week rolling meal plan recently which is working fairly well. Each night is themed so it's not exactly the same each week.

I lived with a friend's parents for a while and they had this. Sunday roast lasted a few meals with different types of potatoes and veg and different meat and different fish on Fridays. Saturday night was a bit of pot luck. Friend said the routine was the same for as long as he could remember so at least 20 years.

Another friend has a 6 week plan on a spreadsheet. So they know exactly what they're having and what they need to buy in for tea on the 4th Sunday next June. Lots more variety but means they never have to think after the initial plan.

I would be starving on Monday in your house.

Ha ha, you asked for it!

These are all specific meals in recipe books so some names might not mean much in themselves. In no particular order:

Pea & Tuna Pasta
Salada frango
Moroccan Vegetable Stew
Pork fillet with Apple Sauce
Pasta & Mackerel Salad
Farmhouse Chicken
Penne al Pomodoro
Navarin of spiced Turkey
Lamb curry with mint
Lemon Chicken with Vegetables
Prawn and Vegetable Pilau
Summer Chilli
Chow Mein
Lamb Kebabs
Trout in Orange Sauce
Bacon- and Orange-wrapped chicken breasts
Fruity Lamb Curry
Lentil Soup with Crusty Bread
Penne with Tuna, Sweetcorn & Tomato
Savoury Mince with Rice
Pork & Ginger Noodles
Warm Potato and Tuna Salad
Chinese-Style Beef with noodles
Chicken salad with Honey Dressing
Maccheroni Piccanti
Chicken Fried Rice
Pork with Peppers
Spiced Country Chicken
Garlic & Thyme Tuna Steaks
Glazed Lemon Pepper Chicken
Sweet & Sour Pork
Quick Fish Risotto
Steak, pineapple and pepper stir-fry
Sticky Glazed Gammon
Turkey with Almond Sauce
Conchiglie with Tuna and Vodka
Turkey Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Tuna steaks with Sweet & Spicy Peppers
Prawns with spicy green beans
Steak with pan-fried Spinach and Peppers
Salmon Fish Fingers & spring onion mash
Lebanese Rice with Mince
Chicken Soup with Crusty Bread
Summer Veggie Pasta
Spaghetti Bolognese
Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry
Chicken with Mango & Celery salsa
Smoked Mackerel Citrus Salad
Cantonese-style Rice with Prawns
Ham & Vegetable Casserole
Lentil Chilli
Bean sprout & Green bean stir-fry
Tuna & Courgette Salad
Springtime Lamb Stew
Tagliatelle in Herb & pepper sauce
Turkey Bolognese
Marinated Steak Salad
Chicken & Pepper Stew
Smoked Salmon with Apple & Watercress Salad
Pork fillet with herbs
Coq au vin
Fish Mornay
Pasta, cucumber & Radish Salad
Lemon & Oregano Pork
Cumin-spiced Gammon
Vegetable Kebabs
Chickpea, spinach & Courgette Salad
Pearl Spelt Paella
Mushroom, lentil and double potato jumble
Pasta with Steak & Olives
Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken kebabs
Spaghetti with Aspargus & Mustard
Pan-fried Pork with Maple & Mustard Sauce

Let me know if you try any of them!

I buy the exact same items at the supermarket every week. Me, DH & DS are all picky eaters who eat different foods. We all live off about 3 meals each.

Who said pies are processed? It is possible to cook a pie.

I have just started something like this on most weekdays - weekends I don't mind so much but with work and school can't cope with thinking about dinner as well. Batch cooked loads and plan and each day of the week is the same sort of thing, e.g. Mondays are rice and Dahl or chilli with the option of 4 different recipes so can vary it and Tuesday pasta bolognaise (meat one week, veggie the next) etc. Am loving no longer having to think about dinner so totally recommend - think it will also work out cheaper

i know someone whose family did this , literally 7 meals on repeat for their entire time they lived at the family home . Mainly just freezer to oven type foods , not cooking . There are still foods they won’t eat now because they were part of the seven day rota.

@PinkRoses1245 I don't think I have 20 different meals I like 😂

I think that sounds awful, how boring. Make a list of 20 meals and pick 5-6 each week.

Wow, that's a lot of different meals. Don't suppose you could share your list?

We have a rough rota but it’s usually by food type. We would never usually eat the same
thing more than once a month apart from pizza and sometimes on a Saturday we will
have a favourite. It means I can batch cook a lot of the meals or sauces for the midweek meals.

Monday - minced something (chilli, spag Bol, lasagne, cottage pie)
Tuesday - pasta/gnocci
Wed - something with chips (burgers, sausages, fish, omelette etc)
Thurs - chicken (Curry, stir fry)
Friday - usually pizza for the kids sometimes takeaway and something different for the grown ups.
Sat - leave it to how we feel/what the kids want
Sunday - traditional - roast, chicken or fish pie, stew etc

We have one fixed meal (jacket spuds every Wednesday) but then like another poster I have an A4 sheet (double sided) with a huge list of our family favourites so it's not a massive brain task

It makes shopping so much easier, I find doing the shopping completely overwhelming!

Fair point.

However there's evidence that a wife range of plant foods is important for gut health, and that also matters.

I'd also be concerned that children eating a limited number of foods will not develop a wide palate and grow up into people who only eat a limited range of foods, which as a reformed very picky eater myself, is a big shame for them.

I like to do what I call meal adaptations so for example make a huge pot of your spag Bol, adding beans and seasoning for chilli, adding a soft cheese for a cheesy pasta bake, lasagne or an Italian pie - do some garlic and cheesy mash for on top.

Chicken (any cut you like) with different seasonings - BBQ, Garlic and Herb, Tikka, Peri. The maggi bags are good for this. Also can stuff these with cheese, wrap with bacon and top with different sauces ie peppercorn, BBQ, pesto. Freeze pesto into servings to always have on hand.

Sausages done either fried with sides like mash, hot dogs, sausage hot pot, corn dogs, or even do a breakfast for dinner fry-up.

Different pasta bakes to use up left over meats from above. A fabulous carbonara can be made from fried pancetta/bacon, egg yolks and Parmesan with some garlic.

Vegetable bakes with some cheese sauce, left over veg can be blitzed together coated in flour and become fritters. Mashed potato can become potato scones etc.

Stir fry, egg fried rice also go great.

Instead of doing a set meal plan, I would do a set protein plan and just use seasonings/techniques to change it up, found this saves a lot of waste too as we weren’t buying specific items for specific meals🤗

I don't because its just me and DS in the house and he eats very restrictively as he's ND so I only really need to get creative with my own meals.

I tend to plan the week ahead on the Saturday but there can be some weeks I don't plan and end up going after work and picking up what I fancy.

If my boyfriend ended up moving in, or there were more kids, I would definitely plan in advance for each dinner though. Probably a 2 week schedule rotated.

I have been thinking of doing a similar thing - but thinking in terms of 1 week or 2 weeks. I think 10 days is a genius idea.