Give me some healthy-ish dinner ideas

[JonnyTheDogFacedBoy]

Feel like my whole lifes work is planning and choosing what we all eat every night for the rest of eternity until I die.

I'm so bored of the process that I'm fed up of eating it once it's cooked and can no longer even think of what I might fancy.

Whatever I cook invariably raises a groan of disappointment from one of the kids or dh, which is insult to injury tbh. We tend to eat the same meals on rotation and I'm utterly bored.

Hello fresh and similar ideas never really work for us as there's 6 of us so it's expensive and rarely suits all 6 tastes. My kids are pretty good at eating veg, but one specifically cannot stand cheese, butter, or anything rich and creamy, which rules out things where those are not easily separated. I'm not vegetarian (I probably would be if I had any energy or budget left to cater for myself) but definitely try to avoid processed meats (ie, I'd rather make burgers, pies, nuggets etc from scratch)

Can you give me your typical dinner ideas? I realise most of you are probably also trapped in a never ending cycle of the same boring dinners, but you never know, maybe we can give each other some inspiration.

Meals on rotation here:

Spaghetti carbonara
Lasagne
Bolognese
Chilli con carne
Sausage & mash
Roast dinners
Burgers and chips
Fish and chips
Chicken parma
Curry

On MN, there's always going to be someone coming on to say that the dish we think is healthy is actually 4000 calories a portion and ruin it for everyone but anyhooo....

Anyway, one dish that enjoy and consider pretty balanced is:
Turkey mince, sauteed with fajita seasoning (around 450g)
Throw in some cooked rice and spinach. (I used 2 of the Veetee rice portions) and a good couple handful of spinach)

Stuff into cored out bell peppers and roast in the oven for 20 mins or so.
Delicious served with a greek salad. The above mix fills 4/5 stuffed peppers.

Spaghetti carbonara Jamie Oliver's courgette carbonara is a big hit in this house.

I like a chicken tray bake now and again. Literally throw chicken thighs in a roasting pan with various chopped veg, garlic and new potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and herbs of your choice and bake for about 50 mins.

Fish in the air fryer is also good - salmon or sea bass are favs here with a side of wedges and salad

We also like duck breast sprinkled with Chinese 5 spice and cooked in the air fryer. They take about 15 mins. You could then serve with Chinese pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and hoisin sauce if you fancied an easy Peking duck style meal but I usually just have mine with a salad

For veg options I like grilled halloumi with tomato sauce (like a pasta sauce not ketchup!) and also big fan of a good paneer curry.

Fajitas?

I have a fussy child so she will just put plain chicken and cheese in hers and have cucumber on the side, then everyone else will fill up with what they want.

Good food have a nice sweet potato fajita recipe Here

I'm the same as you @JonnyTheDogFacedBoy Get so bored with trying to think about what to eat, what everyone would like to eat. I'd be happy with soup or poached eggs or baked beans on toast most nights tbh.
Anyway, two recent recipe additions have been a huge hit

Marmalade chicken

and

Chicken and leeks

The second one does have milk and sour cream (though I use dairy free milk and yoghurt) these are added towards the end, so you could portion out a bit for the non creamy eating child.

Placemarking for inspiration!

I think there are some standard family dinners that you are missing (e.g. stews, pies, fajitas, stir fries).

Also, I find slight variations are easy for me to think of and make everyone feel that we’re not on repeat. So instead of chicken pie, do a beef one. Rather than chicken curry, make a chickpea one. Have toad in the hole instead of sausage and mash.

And finally, do your family like spice? Perhaps they don’t because you only have one dish in your rotation that is spicy but if they do, there is a lot of Asia or Mexican food you could explore for new ideas.

pizza chicken- chicken covered in passata with cheese on top served with potato’s and broccoli

home made beef burgers and homemade wedges done in the oven or airfryer

pasta with homemade sauce of whatever’s in the cupboard- normally garlic, broccoli, spinach, onions, peppers, low fat cream fresh and chorizo

wrap pizzas where you put tomato puree on a wrap and put various toppings and cheese on and put it in the oven for 10 minutes

chicken, mash and roasted carrots with a quick gravy made with mushrooms, stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Chicken can be substituted with sausages but a bit less healthy!

Nando's peri peri wrap kit used with chicken and a bag of salad.
Served with homemade Nando's rice(google the recipe from the sun website)
Get the kids to make the wraps.

Chicken tray bake
Seasoned chicken with veg rice
Koftas or meatballs with tzatziki, salad and pittas
Warm salad - chicken, potatoes, warm boiled eggs and then any other shite with choice of dressings
Corned beef hash 😋
Jacket spuds

Pork steaks in peppercorn sauce with potatoes and carrots always win here too

Fajitas (I just fry chicken, peppers and onions, add Bart's fajita seasoning and serve with wraps and a mixed set of dips.
Casseroles with or without cobbles / dumplings
Risottos - BBC Good Food oven baked bacon and tomato is tasty and easy
Tray bakes - BBC Good food Chicken Amatriciana (sp!) is nice. Also the chicken, leek and bean
Curries (add plenty of veg)
Eggs - mushroom omelette, jacket pot and baked beans
Fish - salmon & stir fry veg for example. BBC Good food again has a lovely spicy salmon sag aloo tray bake with potatoes & spinach. Add extra veg (cauliflower goes well).

Nadiya Hussain's chicken shawarma looks pretty healthy to me - and you could use fat free yoghurt, and less oil, to make it healthier. Plus, if you make a double amount of the chicken, you can do something else with it another day.

Sausage meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta is nice - I use good sausages, skin them and roll them into little meatballs, then make a veg-packed tomato sauce, and fry off the meatballs before putting them in the sauce.

Chicken fajitas is good - flatten and char grill chicken breast and slice it up, and serve with sour cream, guacamole, and sauteed onions and peppers in a whole grain wrap.

Loads
Rosy rice with salmon from Jamie Oliver One (slightly modified for 4 people) I would need to type this out for you so let me know if you want it

Jamie’s easy fish pie https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/best-fish-pie/ but just use fish pie mix and I just cover in ready made mash (don’t microwave it)

jamies fish tray bake - again I would need to type out, let me know

jamies easy dahl - just have with micro rice and maybe a naan - type out, let me know

also pie and mash, sausage and mash
pasta with a fresh ready made sauce stirred through
pizza
jacket potatoes

i do three nice dinners, one easy ones, two batch cook heat up and a roast/dinner out across a 7 day week.

Marinated chicken/salmon with big salad, small portion of coleslaw/light mayo/whatever condiment and a jacket potato

marinated as in
jerk/cajun/piri piri/chimichurri etc

I do a chicken pasta soup every single week. Just onions, carrots, celery diced chicken (or leftover roast chicken) and spiral pasta. With chicken stock and topped with parsley. With garlic bread.

Also I put salmon fillets in foil, drizzle with soy, sweet chilli and thinky sliced fresh ginger and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with rice and green beans. Everyone in the family likes that.

Also- check out Victoria Foulger on youtube. Not all the meals she makes are 'healthy' but she cooks for 5- has 3 teenage boys and she makes good quality, no-nonsense family food. I really rate her and sometimes follow her weekly plans to the letter usually with good results.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/sweet-potato-chilli/
this is my kid’s favourite meal, I make a big batch and freeze. Have it with rice and sour cream, we let them have some ready salted Doritos too which they love obvs

I think most of mine have been mentioned here but another one that is ridiculously easy is a ‘salad’ of grains (couscous takes no time to cook or you could buy the microwaveable quiona type) then add feta, olives, sweet corn, avocado / whatever works for your family.

We also do a soup & sandwich night when I do a big home made soup which can then be frozen (so you don’t need to actually make the soup the following week) and everyone has their favourite sandwich fillings. Very easy!

Im definitely going to try the marmalade chicken, thanks to the PP who posted that.

Have you seen the Cherrypick app? Loads of really healthy meals and you can add recipes to your basket then check out with Sainsburys who deliver the ingredients. Saves thinking of meals. It's a very intuitive and well made app- so far I've not had any issues and it's saved me a lot of effort

Pizza chicken is genius.

There are a lot of tex-mex dishes that are popular in America that people over here don't really do much of, but that are very easy. And you can make them healthy. How about quesadillas for example? Tortillas with cheese and/or refried beans or mashed black beans sandwiched in the middle with jalapeños for those who like spice, and oven baked or dry fried. Serve with homemade salsa and guacamole - very easy. Or tacos, burritos, carnitas, enchiladas, etc.

If you want something fun that the family can do as an activity get an ooni pizza oven and everyone makes their own pizzas. But if you don't think youll get help don't do it as you don't want to get stuck making 6 pizzas on your own. Cheese-hater can have one without cheese, they're still surprisingly tasty that way.

And that brings up another point - can't some other family members take some responsibility for dinners sometimes?

Less meat, more plants.

I am so over it!

Things we have regularly

Fresh pasta and salad
Keema
Meatball curry
Thai curry
Pho
Stir fry
Bibimbap
Sausage traybake
Ragu with fennel and sausage
Fajitas
Enchilada
Nachos
Garlic chicken
Stroganoff
Stifado
Spanish chicken and rice
Paella
Jambalaya
Tortilla pizzas
Fake Nando's

I made veggie stuffed peppers last night and they were bloody lovely.

Here's enough for 6 people

6 peppers
2 red onions
2 sticks celery
1 large carrot
2 pouches or tins of precooked lentils - brown or puy or green - the kind that keep their shape. You could use black turtle beans instead if you want*
1 pack of chestnut mushrooms
2 pouches of pre-cooked brown/wild/red/basmati rice, whichever you prefer*
2 mugs of frozen peas
1 tablespoon of garlic paste or 1 heaped teaspoon dried garlic granules or 3-6 garlic cloves - depending on how strong you like it (optional)
150g flaked almonds
grated cheddar (optional)
wholemeal breadcrumbs (optional)

• you can use dried rice and lentils and cook them in advance but for quick weeknights, this might be easier.

Put the oven on to 200.
Cut red peppers in half lengthways. Scoop out any seeds and pith. Put them facing up in a large roasting tin lined with baking paper, tucked in close together, cover with foil and put into the oven

Meanwhile finely chop the red onions, celery and carrot, fry in olive (or any veg) oil on low heat until soft, then add mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms have released their juice a bit. Add the rice, lentils and peas, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Add a splash of water or wine or cider/sherry vinegar if it looks too dry. Once this is ready take the half cooked peppers out of the oven and fill with the filling. Put the tin foil back on and cook for another 20 mins. Take them out again, top with grated cheese, flaked almond, wholemeal breadcrumbs (you can just grate a thick slice of bread to make these) - Use any combination of these, that people want, like individual pizza toppings on the individual peppers.

Put them back in the oven for a final 10-15 mins until the cheese is melted and the other toppings are golden brown and crunchy. Make a big salad as accompaniment while they are finishing off.

If you want, you can brown off some beef or lamb mince and add to the mix instead of lentils to make it non-veggie.

My easy go to that I consider healthy

Egg and bacon pasta, cook spaghetti, fry bacon, whisk up a couple of eggs,...when pasta cooked throw in bacon ...then egg and stir egg cooks in low heat and heat of the pasta.

Dont have a name for this but easy....Pasta conchigli, onion, garlic,red peppers and green pesto. Cook conchigli pasta , fry chopped garlic and onion, then chop up red pepper and fry with onion and garlic, then add pesto cook all together for a few minutes, once pasta cooked add contents to pasta and sprinkle with salt...love this.

Old Rosemary Conley dish...chicken curry....chicken breast cut into pieces, onion chopped, apple chopped, curry powder, Branston pickle, tin of tomatoes, cook together ...delish. Serve with rice. Very tasty.