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Original poster

Are my dinners rubbish?

636 replies

Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 13:38

Been told they are

Here’s an example of an average week, more or less:

Monday (I work at 6, so do something simple)

Feta & red onion salad with new potatoes & rice

Tuesday

Pasta with jar pesto (working today)

Wednesday

Dh to do omlette/eggs on toast with salad (working today)

Thursday

Salmon, salad, new potatoes

Friday

Homemade chilli with rice, nachos & dips

Saturday

Takeaway

Sunday

Roast dinner/homemade lasagne

Are they?

OP posts:
HS1990 · 10/05/2025 17:16

I'd maybe look into couple of simple curry dishes like lentils where you can chuck everything into the pot, leave it to simmer till tender then add a simple tempering.

DietQueen2023 · 10/05/2025 17:15

ChaiLarious · 10/05/2025 15:01

So the 11 secret spices on KFC chicken count then? Great thats only 18 more to go this week then because I had fries too.

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👏👏😂😂

Calliopespa · 10/05/2025 17:14

Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 17:12

Why not? What would/should they eat? My dc def does, but never been a fussy eater

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Mine would eat them all op.

Original poster
Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 17:12

faerietales · 10/05/2025 14:47

Maybe it's just me, but I can't think of many any seven year olds who would happily eat most of the meals listed there.

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Why not? What would/should they eat? My dc def does, but never been a fussy eater

OP posts:
DrPrunesqualer · 10/05/2025 17:11

DreamyPinkFox · 10/05/2025 17:01

About the pasta & pesto and everyone worried it doesn’t contain enough protein. The current obsession with protein is mostly marketing misinformation- if anything most people in the western world eat too much protein and risk overloading their kidneys. For the record, a 100g serving of pasta & pesto would have about 7g protein which is about a quarter a 7 year old’s daily requirements. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan on top & it’s 12g protein or nearly half their daily requirements.

I agree, there’s an obsession with protein these days. I wonder if it stems from shops pushing protein powders and bars. Its certainly very easy to meet the requirements

Whoistheeasterbunny · 10/05/2025 17:07

Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 13:48

Yes I add some rice as Dd asks for it, wouldn’t normally serve both

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Lots of cultures eat both rice and potatoes with their dinner so I wouldn't worry :)

Hwi · 10/05/2025 17:06

Sounds lovely!

DrPrunesqualer · 10/05/2025 17:05

Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 17:01

There is fish…? I said salmon and also usually tuna or tuna steak and cod

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@AllThatGlistensIsntCold

Its not necessary for everyone to eat fish,

Itsasmallworldafterall25 · 10/05/2025 17:04

I think they are perfectly realistic. Life is busy and we don’t all have the time or inclination to make a complex meal every night and often even these ‘quick dinner’ ideas are anything but quick. It’s also nice to have a night off from cooking every week so I see nothing wrong with a weekly takeaway.

Calliopespa · 10/05/2025 17:04

Maddy70 · 10/05/2025 16:56

Nice enough but I would say lacks some imagination perhaps do you need two carbs?

Two carbs?!

Original poster
Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 17:02

AllThatGlistensIsntCold · 10/05/2025 14:37

I'd suggest you think again.
No pulses, except the chili, no fish, little dairy, not much variety of veg.

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Read it all again

OP posts:
Calliopespa · 10/05/2025 17:02

Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 16:52

The protein?? Salmon, feta cheese, chilli beef, mince beef for lasagne…also have chicken, tuna, tuna steak, bbq burgers etc

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The proteins are absolutely fine I think op. Except the pesto dinner. Just grate on some Parmesan and bung in a few toasted nuts. .

Original poster
Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 17:01

AllThatGlistensIsntCold · 10/05/2025 14:35

Fruit available after dinner
In winter I do vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc, just changed to salads etc, not sure what else I could add?

I think it's odd you only eat salad stuff in summer.

There are zillions of veg and you can easily serve them with pasta or risotto.

Each week we always have a combo of these in the fridge or freezer

Mushrooms
sweet potatoes
mixed sweet peppers (roasted in the oven or for stir fry or veg curry.)
broccoli
spinach
kale
savoy cabbage
aubergine
butternut squash
carrots
celery
leeks
onions
potatoes
frozen green beans
frozen petit pois

You can have any of these as 'sides' with the protein.

One glaring omission @Sowhatbigdeal is NO FISH.

Ideally we should eat 3 portions a week- 2 oily fish and 1 white fish.

There is fish…? I said salmon and also usually tuna or tuna steak and cod

OP posts:
DreamyPinkFox · 10/05/2025 17:01

About the pasta & pesto and everyone worried it doesn’t contain enough protein. The current obsession with protein is mostly marketing misinformation- if anything most people in the western world eat too much protein and risk overloading their kidneys. For the record, a 100g serving of pasta & pesto would have about 7g protein which is about a quarter a 7 year old’s daily requirements. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan on top & it’s 12g protein or nearly half their daily requirements.

sussexman · 10/05/2025 17:00

faerietales · 10/05/2025 16:44

Depends on what you order.

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And indeed, what your "home-cooked food" actually is.

Nothankyov · 10/05/2025 16:57

@Sowhatbigdeal personally I wouldn’t offer eggs/beans on toast or something like that on a weekly basis, and also pasta with a sauce jar either and the Monday dinner isn’t great either in my view. The salmon seems like a good meal and roast dinner seems fine too.

Maddy70 · 10/05/2025 16:56

Nice enough but I would say lacks some imagination perhaps do you need two carbs?

DrPrunesqualer · 10/05/2025 16:55

Happilyobtuse · 10/05/2025 16:47

Monday and Tuesday are a bit rubbish. Potatoes, rice, feta and onions?! What is that?! Who eats so many carbs at one go?! And where are the vegetables and fruits?! And pasta with a jar of pesto?! I am sure you can do better. Is this on a budget? You could stop spending on the take away and eat some grilled chicken, lamb chops, halloumi etc.

I love a feta salad with new potatoes but I agree, I wonder why the need for rice as well

Have you tried a grain salad OP

Equal measures rice, barley and cracked wheat ( up to a total of a mug full for 6 people )
Herbs, lots, to taste
Bay leaves about three
3 mug fulls of hot stock ( ie 3 x the quantity of dry ingredients )
Put everything in a casserole pot, cover and bake about 40/50 mins.

If you have more time fry a couple of onions and some garlic and throw in too.
You can also add cashews, sweetcorn, peas before cooking too.

We have this grain salad a lot with lots of raw veg ( salad ) mixed through after it’s cooked
then you can have it with a poached egg, halloumi, tofu etc

Original poster
Sowhatbigdeal · 10/05/2025 16:52

GildedRage · 10/05/2025 14:22

Weird combinations where’s the protein? Where are the colors of the rainbow, where’s the texture?
I’ve never seen potatoes and rice served together, generally starches are not duplicated.
salad, rice and beef chilli
salad, baked potato and chicken breast.
Pesto pasta and salmon
egg, pan fried potatoes, ham steak and tomatoes.
DH grew up with two veg per supper meal of which potato doesn’t count. So potato + sweet corn+ beets
potatoe + carrots + peas
potato + salad is okay but that needs lots of veggies
a protein is mandatory each supper.
my kids were not salad fans till more mature late teens.

Edited

The protein?? Salmon, feta cheese, chilli beef, mince beef for lasagne…also have chicken, tuna, tuna steak, bbq burgers etc

OP posts:
doodahdayy · 10/05/2025 16:49

Unless you eat a lot of salad including spinach and other veg you won’t get much fibre from a few lettuce leaves.

Happilyobtuse · 10/05/2025 16:47

Monday and Tuesday are a bit rubbish. Potatoes, rice, feta and onions?! What is that?! Who eats so many carbs at one go?! And where are the vegetables and fruits?! And pasta with a jar of pesto?! I am sure you can do better. Is this on a budget? You could stop spending on the take away and eat some grilled chicken, lamb chops, halloumi etc.

Inthedeep · 10/05/2025 16:47

Maybe try varying the leaves in your salad, things like baby spinach, rocket, watercress, pea shoots etc, they are all a bit more nutrient dense than lettuce.

Also try adding some roasted veg and tuna to the pasta and pesto. You could bulk freeze some roasted courgettes, mushrooms, aubergines etc, reheat in the microwave and add a couple of handfuls to the pasta and pesto. That way you aren’t having to roast fresh veg each week. I also sometimes stir through spinach leaves into pasta and pesto, the heat of the pasta gently wilts the leaves but it isn’t completely cooked.

faerietales · 10/05/2025 16:44

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 10/05/2025 16:17

It may not be nuggets and fries but it’s not going to be healthy in comparison to home-cooked food.

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Depends on what you order.

DrPrunesqualer · 10/05/2025 16:39

LadyBracknellsHandbagg · 10/05/2025 16:36

It’s not bad necessarily ,but you could add some garden peas and chopped, sautéed courgette to it. It’s also really easy to make pesto and is much nicer than in a jar.

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Agree
Plus some toasted pine nuts. They are delicious over this dish

DrPrunesqualer · 10/05/2025 16:37

All sounds lovely OP
Its not that dissimilar to our meals although we are veggie so have more beans, nuts and pulses

Suggest drizzling some nuts/ tofu/paneer/halloumi over the salad for variation
Add yeast flakes to the chilli and pasta sauces for added b12
Grate fruit into the salad occasionally
Limit takeaways to max once a month.