Set meals, Mon = spag bol, Tues = chops, week in, week out

[CourtneeLuv]

If you grew up in a house that had the same meals on the same days every week, what did you think? Did you get fed up with it or did you like the routine?

My friends mum did this but mine didn't and I thought it was so strange. Meal planning is one thing, but the same thing every Monday would do my head in.

Or do you do this as an adult?

The usual disclaimers of ND aside of course.

We had a 3 weekly menu and I only noticed when I was older!

I don't do this, but I have a friend who does. She swears by it! I guess it would save time and effort, but it would get boring.

Oh I had a friend who had this growing up as well and thought it was strange. As an adult I can see the attraction of never having to think what to cook but I definitely could never live this way, I struggle with any sort of routine and I live trying different foods.

We had this a bit growing up. I’m an avid meal planner, but go through my cookbooks every week to choose meals and we have a very wide variety
(WFH, no kids, quite diff from mum, so no judgement here)

I think this is normal and sensible (not that I am ordered enough to do it), but weekly really does feel like wartime.

My mother did this, it was made worse by her appalling cooking. When I started work I went to my grans every day for lunch, gran could cook.

Because I'd eaten at lunchtime, mother did me a bacon sandwich every single day for years, I told her I didn't want anymore bacon sandwich's and I'd sort myself out when I got in. Mother being mother ignored my request and they kept coming, we had an almighty bust up and she actually cancelled my wedding due to a bloody bacon sandwich.

We do it for certain days of the week and then only have to fill in the blanks. Eg Monday is always stir fry from Sundays roast, Wednesdays is always salmon of some kind, Sundays is always a roast. We are more creative on the other days of the week.

Only fishy Fridays

Not growing up no, but I did something similar for the DC. I would batch cook the meals that the nanny would reheat after fetching them from school 4 days a week. To make things simpler and so I always knew I had what was needed in the freezer, they had the same meal (Monday = chicken casserole, Tuesday = soup etc.). Even though it was only 4 days out of 7, and term time only, after a couple of years the DC moaned vigorously.

Now I meal plan but only half the week at a time (I shop twice a week). Where I live (very small island) there are frequently empty shelves so meal planning is not easy.

Ideally I'd like a 2 or 3 week meal rota. But the food shortages mean I can't do that.

My grandparents did this, they've been dead a decade but I can remember most of the menu. They were Irish and potatos featured at every meal.

M: cold meat from day before boiled potato's, salad
T: Chops, mash potatos, veg
W: Ham, egg, chips, salad
T: Turkey burgers, mash and peas
F: Fish, new potato's and pea
S: Stew, boiled potato's and dumplings
S: Fry up in am, roast dinner or sausage, mash and onion gravy

Yes and it put me off mince for a couple of decades! Food is such a source of daily pleasure. I don't get it personally.

I didn't have it as a kid and am not really organised enough to do it now, but I think I'd quite like the routine of it, particularly if it was your favourite 7 meals on a loop!
I suppose a 2/3/4 week rota would be even better, you have the routine and variety. Tbh if someone else was doing all the shopping and cooking, I'd be happy if they did the same meal everyday!

God no, but if I told my mum I liked something I'd get it 3 nights on the bounce. I learnt to say nothing.

We do this to an extent! In that DH and I have the same thing every Monday and Thursday (the latter with a bit of variation). The other two nights will be one of several things on a regular rotation (although one that changes). DCs have pretty much the same things each Mon-Thurs. Fri we rotate between a couple of things. Sat is often pizza night. I love cooking and am a bit foodie but hate having to think about what to eat on work nights and we only shop once a week so have to plan in advance. DC like the routine. And DH does the DCs’ weeknight dinners and he’s not really into cooking (or battling the DCs to try something new).

Works for us.

Ooo couldn't do the same every week but a 3 weekly menu sounds like a great idea! Although I can't even think of 3 weeks worth of meals!

yes, different meats but always the same type of meal (chips, pasta, mash and 2 veg ..) . I do it now as it works around the things we have on in the evening.

Same friend in the op, asked her mum for different sandwiches for packed lunch, or a bit of variety at least, from cheese and cucumber and got given lemon curd sandwiches (as punishment, we concluded) from that day on. She never asked to change again 😂

Reminds me of Shirley Valentine....

M: egg, chips and beans
T: pasta and pesto with halloumi and loads of veg
W: a minced beef dish
Th: baked potatoes or beany chilli
F: dahl and rice or pizza and garlic bread
S: burgers, onion rings
Su. Roast or sausage sandwiches
1st Saturday of the month: takeaway night
It stays mostly the same and suits us fine. Easy to shop and cost effective.

We do the same as a pp - certain meals on a couple of days a week. We always have roast chicken and veg on Sundays because the dc actually want it. I'd prefer something else but they'd be upset. I guess they like the food and the routine.

We have leftovers on Monday with salad, couscous or rice and veg depending on how much is left over.
Saturdays is always a curry
Friday is chips with something
Then we have a pasta day at some point
And the rest of the week is spent wishing I had something planned and muddling through.

Wednesday night was always Uncle Ben’s sweet and sour chicken because I had to cook tea that night to accommodate various clubs and what have you.

Now I’m the adult I have routines (soup for Sunday lunch, but not always the same flavour for eg), but on Fridays we take it in turns to choose what’s for tea and the kids always pick the same thing for their turns (mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza).

I can totally understand why people do this.

I am so sick of meal planning. Might try the three week thing

I am the opposite of a meal planner, I sometimes decide as I pile up the ingredients.

Today I roasted some pork medallions with roasted rosemary and garlic new potatoes, steamed three types of veg and made a leek and mushroom gravy. Then at the last minute I decided to do some stuffing in the air fryer. I also chopped up two eating apples and made some sauce.

I was going to do a stir fry but decided to use up the spuds at the last minute. My Mother was a decent English cook, my Dad was Chinese and had his own restaurant. I don’t really bake cakes though, I can but no one has a sweet tooth in this house.

My grandparents did, it was economical. I can't remember the whole week's menu but Sunday was also a roast, Monday was shepherd's pie or something else made from the leftover joint.

That's not to say they never varied it and as a standing shopping order it makes a lot of sense!

Used to have a three week rolling menu and weekends would just depend what we're doing. But as life gets busier and busier finding the variety in meals has gone down as we just struggle to find the find so any of the ones we used to have that took a while to make have been forgotten. Do get bored of it all tbh but the kids seem fine and I'm usually too tired to care🤷‍♀️