Meal planning help needed please

[ShitIforgothelves]

Trying to do a meal plan that can be adapted each week. So for example Sat will be curry night, Monday fish night etc.
But I can't think of enough types of meals? Any suggestions?
Thanks

Something made of mince (chilli/bolognese/cottage pie)
Pasta
Sausages, mash, lots of veg
Traybake
Pies and veg
Mexican (fajitas, enchiladas)
Stir fry

I tend to plan around what veg is seasonal (I get a veg box) and how much time we have that evening rather than particular types of meal.

Roast chicken and chips (left over chicken for sandwiches for lunch next day)
spaghetti bolognese
Chilli
pork chops and rice
stirfry
sundaybtoast

Pasta - lasagne/meatballs/pasta bake/bolognese
Sausages - toad in the hole/sausage & mash/sausage pasta (I know but the recipe i use is so delicious it counts twice!)/brunch
Stir fry
Roasts
Mexican - fajita/quesadila/burritos/tacos

Pasta
Stew/One pot
Curry
Stir-fry
Roast

Or pick a style or country - Chinese, Mexican, Italian etc

We have fish twice a week - usually a stir fry either salmon or prawns, fish tacos, prawn spaghetti, salmon risotto

Veggie twice a week - homemade soups, pasta dishes, chick pea curry, veggie risotto, veggie chilli

meat dishes - curries, casseroles, lasagne, tagine, pies, chilli, roast.

This is great thank you

Trying to do a meal plan now.

Husband doesn't eat meat and is allergic to seafood
Son is only one who likes macaroni cheese. (And me)
Daughter won't eat any sort of mince except cottage pie.
Son and husband nor keen on roasts.
son will eat bolognese but not cottage pie.
Son won't eat sausages and isn't mad keen on fish.
Neither son or daughter will eat anything like chickpeas, etc or tofu.

Honestly they can just all sort themselves out!!

Kids are teens! Drives me mad.
I will eat anything.

Oh and son will eat sausages in a breakfast but not dinner.
Son also doesn't like stews or casseroles.

I could bloody cry!

I have a master list of all meals that I make which is about 50 in total then I do a 2 weekly meal plan. We also have a range of food allergies/dislikes due to ASD and coeliac disease and are all vegetarian so that has to be factored in

I tend to have a group of meals that are slightly more indulgent that we have on Friday and Saturday that I rotate so that they fall every 2-3 weeks like Homemade Pizza, ‘cheeky Nando’s’ Curry buffet etc. Sunday dinner takes various forms which again I rotate eg veg roast, cauliflower cheese, Breaded fillets

week day meals I try for a mix of pasta, potato, rice and wraps throughout the week. I keep extra portions of curry and pizza frozen so if a meal only suits 3/4 people the 4th gets a freezer meal they like

I plan the menu, send it out , they get a couple of hours to comment or ask for a swap and then add ingredients to my online shop

it probably sounds quite regimented but I’m disabled and none of the others cook at all. Freezer meals are a great backup for days I’m not able to cook and DH can handle doing that but he’s not up to baking bread yet

50 wow! Could you share some of your list? Thanks

Your initial question is pretty easy to make suggestions for until you so your later update with all the likes and dislikes! Do you end up cooking multiple dishes? What meals do you currently all eat?

Thank you, yep i forgot all the important info!
Fish pie, roast dinner and fajitas are probably the only meals we all eat but even they have to be adapted for the vegetarian. Most nights I cook 2 separate meals

Ok, I'd start by looking for veggie meals or fish dishes that you could all eat.
Tuna pasta bake
Fishcakes
Salmon and potato tray bake.
Sweet chilli salmon with noodles and stir fried veg.
Fritata
Would the kids eat chick peas in the form of falafel? If not you could do a mix of falafel and grilled chicken with pita and salad.
Haloumi fajitas or both haloumi and chicken/steak.
Top your own pizza
Would the non mince eater eat a chilli made with steak or just veg
Loads of curry's where you could do one sauce then add meat or veg.
If you're doing something 'meat and 2 veg' then field mushrooms topped with Stilton make a super quick veggie alternative.

In your situation I'd probably work on
One pasta night (pasta bake/pasta and sauce/lasagne/ tortellini etc)
One rice based night (risotto, paella, egg fried rice, curry and rice, burritos)
One potato based night (potato topped pie/ jacket potatoes and toppings/loaded wedges or just simple dishes served with spuds, sausage and mash, fish and chips)
One vegetable based night (cauliflower cheese, cheesy leek pie, stuffed mushrooms or peppers, shakshuka, vegetable curry/chilli)
One bread based night (filled wraps/fajitas/burritos/ falafel or chicken in pitas, pizza, flat breads) I sometimes include pastry in the bread category.
One night make international and take it in turns to pick a different country each week).
7th night is chefs choice! That includes take away, eating out or fending for yourself/left overs/store cupboard stuff!

Shepherd's pie or cottage pie night.

Toad in the hole/bangers and mash/sausage traybake night

Chili/burrito/taco/enchilada night (split chicken or beef mince from another night)

Casseroles night - goulash, chicken and dumplings, sausage casserole

Baked potatoes with diffent fillings - tuna sweetcorn, beans and cheese, leftover chili etc

Pasta night - pesto and tuna, spag bol, chicken and mushroom with melted herb cream cheese, pasta bake, carbonaro, caccio e pepe etc

Rissoles with left overs, tuna fish cakes, schnitzel or chicken/fish goujons, bean burgers or fritters, felafel.

Risotto - leeks/mushroom/spinach/tomato/chicken/peas?

Curry night? Thai/Indian options.

Stirfry night - chicken in black bean sauce, beef in oyster sauce, chowmein etc etx

I don't like mac 'n' cheese, but family do, so I make cheese sauce and make one dish with pasta and one with cauliflower, broccoli or leeks.

I make a vegetable stew (veg and tinned tomatoes), thicken with a spoonful of lentils and use that as a base for shepherd's pie or I layer it with lasagne sheets and cheese sauce.

If you make a cottage pie, you could put a small amount in a separate dish and top with a piece of pastry for son.

If you make or buy pizza bases, you can make a big batch of sauce and freeze in potions (it defrosts very quickly) and toppings could be according to preference.

Fish cakes - make a batch of mash, and combine some with flaked fish. Season well.

Rest of mash - mix with some softened veg (I use chopped onion, peppers, carrots) and some frozen peas and sweetcorn. Add grated cheese and seasoning.

Form into different shapes (I do round for fish cakes and croquettes for veg ones) using flour to shape. Dip in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs and grated cheese. I freeze batches of these and cook in air fryer, but they can be baked in oven, grilled or fried.

Fantastic ideas thank you. Son doesn't like mash, fishcakes or pastry. I thought my daughter was the fussy but maybe not!!!

Have you tried feeding your children what they're given, and not allowing for so much fussiness?

Yup I regularly do!

Realise this is a bit of an old thread, but could you try giving each of your kids a night to plan and cook dinner for the family? Means they get to see how fussy they are, and takes two nights of planning off your plate, so your plan could look something like this.

Pasta Night- literally any pasta dish
Rice Night - risotto, jambalaya, biriani etc
DD Night -
Around the world night (different country each week even if it's just your favourites on rotation eg mexican, chinese, japanese, indian, thai, jamaican) - fajitas, tacos, stir fry, ramen, curry, jerk chicken/fish and rice and peas
DS Night -
Fakeaway night - loads of recipes online for making takeaway style dishes at home you could take turns picking which one you try.
Potato Night - jacket potatoes, frozen potato products, loaded chips.

You could also change it up, and just cook a protein/main, a carb and two veggies each night, and serve then up in the middle of the table so everyone helps themself to the bits they want.
Monday - Boiled Rice, sticky garlic salmon, green beans and asparagus
Tuesday - baked paprika chicken, Mediterranean roast veg, roasted baby potatoes
Wednesday - Tofu, noodles, stir fried carrots, corn and mangetout
Thursday - Pasta tossed in olive oil, chicken, cherry tomatoes, garlic bread, mixed salad
Friday - ciabatta, oil and balsamic dip, cut cheese, charcuterie meats, crudites and dip
Saturday - white fish in creamy sauce, mash, green veg
Sunday - Roast joint of meat, yorkshire puddings, roasties, carrots, parsnips and broccoli.

There's someone I follow on social media who plans her meals to consistent themes, and at the minute she does:
Monday -Grill/Griddle
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday -Soups
Thursday -Crockpot (slow cooker)
Friday - Pizza
Saturday -Breakfast for dinner
Sunday -Pasta
In the past she's also had around the world night with a different country each week.
Or will abandon the theme for a special day (eg national pie day they had pie, super bowl sunday they had traditional stuff like wings)