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

We usually eat pretty similarly to @idontlikealdi
This week has been a using up week so we’ve had
Chicken casserole/veg and bean casserole
Pork steaks with mash, carrots, broccoli peas (veggie had cheesy mash)
Pizza
boeuf bourguignon/mushroom bourguignon with crusty bread and kale
chicken ximxim/sweet potato ximxim with rice, broccoli and green beans
chilli (meat/bean) with rice
sausage casserole (meat/veg)

Sausage and chicken casseroles have contained onion, celery, carrots, leeks, potatoes, swede. I pressure cook the veg in the instant pot before taking out a portion for the vegetarian and adding in the meat. Makes it easier than cooking two entirely separately.

I’m so bored of cooking and thinking of what to cook and people moaning about what I cook…

This is delicious

https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/rukmini-iyers-whole-roasted-cauliflower-with-ras-el-hanout-pearl-barley-and-pomegranate/

The Roasting Tin books are great for a bit of inspiration, a lot of it is online.

Our regular go to meals are:

Honey & Soy marinated salmon bites with rice and long stem broccoli.

Garlic Butter Steak with mash.

Sweet potato cottage pie with salad.

Pork/Lamb chops with sweet potato mash & veg.

Courgette and aubergine lasagna.

Quinoa stuffed peppers

• Baked salmon with roasted new potatoes, roasted sweet peppers and red onions with steamed asparagus tips
• exotic fruit salad (mangoes, papaya, pineapple, strawberries and blueberries with cream or plain set Greek yoghurt
• mint, ginger and turmeric tea to finish

I feel exactly the same. Same reactions sometimes from DS etc etc. I always say on here that Simply Cook really helps with the rut. They are four spice/paste kits for £10 and you buy the ingredients. They are mostly really healthy, quick to cook. The curry's especially are divine. I love them. Honestly just a recommendation from a fellow stuck in a rutter . You can get a free box with that code below. The spices and things are the correct amount for a family meal even though it says either ingredients for either two or four.

smply.in/PW18VE

@idontlikealdi How do you make your pho? There’s a Vietnamese lady near me who makes and sells it and it’s amazing but she does it properly over 48 hours and I know I can’t make anything comparable… would love a cheat recipe though if you have one.

salmon stirfry with BBC sauce
smoked mackerel stirfry
fish wraps (fish finger or breaded fish or cooked white fish) - shredded cabbage, sour cream, cheese, salad, jalapenos.
fajitas (prawn or chicken)
sausage pasta
meatballs
breakfast for dinner
home cooked ham egg and chips
roasted veg with couscous and goats cheese or halloumi and chickpeas
salmon in the oven with chilli sauce, served with little jacket potatoes and spicy coleslaw (oil not mayo dressing - with lime juice and coriander)
tray bakes of all kinds - I've gone off sausages which is a shame as they were easy traybakes.

curry - the M&S jars when I can't be arsed to do my own.
omelette.

Use microwave rice pouches a lot.

Haggis neeps tatties

It always seems so unfair that women commonly get stuck with always having to think/do with meals. (Not here thankfully)Can whole family come up with their three fave meals each and be responsible for cooking them or too young DC? We started getting DC to cook meals from secondary sort of age did have to put up with things like fish fingers, baked potatoes and raw carrot but it was so nice not to be responsible.
Re them moaning give them more choice eg can you do regular baked potato night with different fillings and DH or DC make one each. Build your own pizza, just provide a load of toppings. Pasta with different sauces and toppings. Chilli with lots of accompaniments like mango salsa, cucumber, sour cream, tom salsa, guacamole, doritos, lettuce.

Have been making this for a while

www.tamingtwins.com/veggie-enchiladas-slow-cooker/

My carnivores really enjoyed it. This website is good for lots of ideas which are quick and easy!

Definitely up for that tonight.

Taming Twins do lots of fairly healthy ish recipes and I have made a few.

www.tamingtwins.com

I've recently come across orzo (it's not new I've just never heard of it before 🙈) and found lots of recipes with it. Throw in some chicken, spinach, tinned toms, herbs, stock cube. It's similar to a risotto without being time consuming and is pasta not rice. Lovely and creamy 😋

Flatbreads with chicken, halloumi and salad (like a gyros) can omit the halloumi if you want it super healthy.

Flatbread made into pizza

Slow cooker sausage casserole, lots of veggies.

To more traditional recipes like spag bol, chilli etc.

Aldi have started doing beef brisket which takes 30 mins or so.... I love it. Stick it with some mash or carrots and swede.

Homemade chips are our thing at the minute, a lot healthier than oven chips and throw on garlic and herbs.

I hear ya! The ones I regularly cook:

• breaded turkey (homemade) with pesto pasta and tomato salad
• lamb kofte with crispy chickpeas (bbc good food)
• orrechiette wit veal and capers (waitrose recipe)

-stuffed chicken breastd (spinach, tomatoes, onions, some kind of cheese) with gnocchin

• fake nandos
• chorizo and seafood soup

-lamb and feta meatballs -chicken caesar salad -curry (of any description!) -fish tacos -hoisin chicken pancakes (cheaper than duck!) -bahn mi -nasi goreng

@toastandtwo there is nothing authentic about these! The really easy one:

By the Itsu ready made broth, heat it up, add some straight to wok noodles and what ever veg / protein you are using, job done. My kids love it.

Slightly more involved:

Beef stock, I make a couple of litres for 4 of us
Add soy, fish sauce, some chunky pieces of ginger, chillies if you like spice, test the seasoning and add salt if you need it. You can add anything you like at this stage, star anise etc.
Simmer it for around an hour.

We usually have steak or pork mince so cook that while simmering, it will cook more in the stock so for the steak I just sear it for colour.

Drain the stock into a pan not down the sink thinking you are draining vegetables put it back on the heat, add udon noodles (or whatever noodles you like) and vegetables.

Once cooked ladle the noodles and broth into bowls, add you protien, and garnish. I use bean sprouts, chillies, spring onion and a bunch of herbs, mint and coriander.

I think I might have it for dinner now!

I hear you op! Some weeks even meal plans are too much effort!
Some quick ones I have done recently:

Salmon & veg in tin foil parcel adding marinade of choice eg soy sauce, honey, mustard

Tray bake - either chicken thighs or sausage, usually chorizo also & veg of choice, paprika, orange wedges - there's a Nigella recipe somewhere!

Aubergine chilli - bbc food website- it's gorgeous

Lamb mince curry - recipe I use from 'This Muslim Girl Bakes' blog

Baked potato and topping of choice, with salad

We’re trying to eat less meat. We have:

Thai red curry with prawns
Veggie shepherds pie
Bean and Halloumi stew
Dahl with homemade flatbreads
Aubergine Parmigiana
Oven baked risottto
Egg fried rice with stir fried veggies & crispy onions
Vietnamese Pho

Lots of ideas I hadn't thought of, so thanks. I've downloaded cherrypick, have subscribed to Victoria foulger, and I'm going to look at simply cook.

Thanks @idontlikealdi , sounds excellent!

We eat lots of pulses

Dhal
Split pea and frankfurter soup - Nigella
Butter beans in a tomato sauce (soffrito, tinned toms, Tom purée etc, cook down, breadcrumbs and drizzle with oo, grill until brown

Roast veg, add chickpeas and or halloumi for last 10 mins. Serve with rice or quinoa, and maybe a Harissa dressing

Lentil bake - red lentils cook with stock, onion carrots, leeks. Marmite ! Oven dish, grated cheese, grill

Chickpea , cauliflower and spinach curry

Minestrone soup with cannellini beans or borlotti beans, lots of veg, bacon, pasta . Top with lots of fresh Parmesan

Another butter beans in tomato sauce on stove with chorizo and spinach

If there’s six of you, there has to be the understanding between everyone that not every dinner will be their favourite and it’s impossible to cook a dinner that everyone all likes. Maybe get everyone involved in meal planning so they can understand how difficult it is. If someone doesn’t like the main part of the meal, then have a veg they all eat along with potato or rice or pasta.

Chicken fajitas are popular with everyone here - serve with wraps, salsa, mixed leaves, cucumbers, sliced toasted peppers, sour cream, grated cheese etc. Let everyone make up their own wraps.

Shepards /cottage pie.

Egg fried rice with peas, chorizo or whatever you want to add to it.

Home-made pizza.

I always put everything into serving bowls on the table and let everyone serve themselves and decide themselves how much to eat.

We get through loads of wraps

Buy the seeded ones as they’re much nicer

Apart from the obv steak or chicken fajitas, a big fave is chipotle salmon tacos (RecipeTinEats) with taco slaw and mango salsa. Doesn’t take long to cook and all love. Switch it up sometimes with chicken but it’s much nicer with salmon.

Also baja fish tacos.
Burritos.
Minced beef tacos with tomato salsa, guacamole etc.

Blitz up basil, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan to nake pesto. Spread in on white fish fillets and bake. Chop potato into chunks (don't bother peeling them) and roast, serve with broccoli and cauliflower. Is a really low effort but healthy meal.

Also meals we all like (which is tricky) and are quick https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spicy-black-bean-tacos

https://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/a/apple-pecan-bluecheesesalad.html

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pan-cooked-feta-beetroot-salsa-bean-mash