to cook one meal and if they don't like it, tough.

[TubGirl]

For the last 17 years DH has done the cooking. His hours at work have changed do now I have to.

I cannot be arsed with all this chopping and changing.

Dd2 only eats chicken, roast potatoes and chips.

Dd1 is veggie and won't eat potatoes in any form.

Dh likes meat.

I'm veggie. I like one pot lentilly stuff. Nobody else does.

This evening we have cauliflower cheese with roast potatoes and green beans. There is cold chicken for Dd2 and Dh.

Except Dd1 doesn't do potatoes and isn't mad keen on cauliflower.

Bollocks to them all. Picky bastards.

I plan on putting it on the table. If they won't eat it they can bloody well go hungry. Or eat toast. Or something.

I have introduced this since September. Dcs are 9 and 6. Was so sick of cooking 2 meals every night. Everybody gets their favourite sometimes. DH and I probably eat less spicy food than we might like, but the children's repetiore has increased.

OP, I think yanbu to be cross, but yabu in your proposed solution.

How about cooking batches of meals once every few weeks and freezing them in serve-sized portions? It would save time. Your husband could do his own.

YANBU take it or leave it, my DS cooks about four shite different meals. Dh dosnt like ANY veg,kids are mega picky and ALL get catered for. The only thing they have in common is the love of crap junk food.

My mum used to hide cauliflower in my mash as if i wouldnt be able to tell! either way i had to eat a big portion of my tea and if i let it i had to wait for supper, which was toast or something.

One house, one family, one meal!
Eat it or don't.
I would never cook more than one thing.

I think its reasonable for a person to have 1 or 2 things they really don't like, and for that to be catered for.

Beyond that it's 'Take it or fill up on fruit' round here.

But OP, if you are veggie, do you cook meat? If so, then surely you will need an alternative?

Difficult to do one meal if half the family are veggie, or even one person....

YANBU.
In our house, I cook one meal and that's it. They can eat it or leave it, but there's nothing else.
However, I do try and take everyone's input on board when doing the weeks meal plan.
Also ds is fairly picky with veg (only really eats carrots, peas and sweetcorn - will grudgingly try a bite of some other types but point blank refuses to taste others). So in the interests of keeping him healthy, I do try and include a veg he will eat with a meal, as well as other types of veg - so if he won't try the others I know he's getting some goodness.

My other caveat is that they can have porridge or whole meal toast or a banana before bed, this is offered anyway - so on a picky day I know they will get something later.

I have 2 ds's. They eat just about everything. Ds1 not keen on salad, ds2 not keen on eggs.
I have only ever cooked one meal. I will never change. They both eat the as me and dh, chiilli, curry, all veg, all meals.
I have no idea how I would cope if like Op I liked meat, dh vegetarian, and the kids only liked one or two things. Nightmare.

our house has always been a one-option house. if someone didn't like it, there was always fruit, yoghurt, toast or cereal. my mum only cooked separate meals for me when i was vegetarian for four years (by separate, i mean cooking some food for me without meat in, and maybe adding some quorn or tofu instead).

Op, there are many many threads , people who have fusy eaters. I am sure it is not an easy road. But these people atleast try. Don't you have to try somethign 10 times, or something, before the body gets used to it? something like that.
Ds1 is aspergers and eats everything but salad. So, whilst I appreciate that your dd has AS too, lets not blame that for everything.
The fact your dd only eats chicken and 2 forms of potaotes, is nothing short of preposterous, ridiculous. I mean have you herad yourself say that? It's mad.
You really must try to establish variety.
I bet its hard. But this is crazy. Surely, you must do somethign here.

We all eat different stuff in our house as none of us like the same foods.

I am always on a diet
DH is a very plain eater
DS is very fussy and yes, I do pander to him

I am in the kitchen anyway doing my dinner so it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have no desire to make DS something I know he won't eat - the wrinkled nose drives me mad!!

Horses for courses :)

To people who only cook one meal, what would you do if someone was veggie?

Dancer, I'd cook veggie ? we eat a lot of meat-free stuff in our house despite no one being vegetarian.

Or I'd alternate between making inviting the veggie person to cook for everyone if it was appropriate e.g. an older DC or DP, and making 'picky' meals with things in separate dishes ? salads, pasta/couscous, cheese, meat or fish for those who wanted it.

What every day? So no meat at all? Ever?

To people who only cook one meal, what would you do if someone was veggie?

you can leave meat out of most dishes - take out a portion to cook seperately and add meat to the rest.

But things like shepherds pie, spaghetti Bol, meatballs, casseroles etc... Its not so easy is it? Surely that would involve making a second meal?

No, I said I might alternate cooking veggie with cooking meals with a few separate elements, including meat, so people could have meat if they wanted. Plus perhaps anyone who wasn't veggie could buy or ask for meat products to be bought for them to eat as snacks or if they were eating separately. And obviously people would eat whatever they wanted away from the house.

Although I don't think no meat ever is that horrifying a prospect really.

I only cook one meal, though I do avoid stuff I know they hate. I don't like fish so if I cook them fish I either just have veg or do myself some chicken or something. If I do them paella I add the seafood to theirs at the end.

DD doesn't like potatoes or cabbage, she still gets given them but is only expected to eat a tiny bit of them.

DS doesn't like beetroot, as long as he tries a bit he doesnt have to eat much.

I sometimes apply this rule to myself too by forcing myself to try a bit of their fish

Dancer girl - I'd alternate. On days where I was cooking a meat dish I'd make 2 meals but the veggie meal would be as close to the meat meal as poss so minimising preparing different things.

Well, as they say, Oblomov, 'If you've met one child with Asperger's, you've met one child with Asperger's.'

On the other hand, OP, your DD2 sounds a perfect match food-wise for my Aspie DS1. can we get them together though he might steal her chicken?

Sensory issues here too, making it more 'can't eat' than 'won't eat'. I still bitterly remember the battle we had to get DS1 to eat potatoes in the first place, by starting with a single crisp and moving on gently through salted chips to overdone beasties...

Beasties?? Roasties (DYAC)

'beasties'. Cute!

Do you think your DH is partly to blame for providing variations for so long? (Not including the AS issues)

We are generally a one meal house too, but ATM just go for stuff we know the DCs will eat. Some nights DH and I eat later (generally eat at 5 as DCs' bedtime is 7) and we will save the more adventurous stuff for those evenings.

Well, if dinner has to suit two veggies, one general carnivore and an Aspie, I'd say that the minimum you could get away with is two meals.

When we go to visit veggie friends there is often nothing at all that DS1 can/will eat except the bread.

Loving the shock at not having meat cooked for you, ever!

I don't eat beasties and I won't cook beasties either. Not being awkward, I just hate the feel and smell of it If DH wants to cook meat for himself and DS he knows where the kitchen is, but he likes my food and has yet to bother. They somehow manage to cope with just eating meat outside the house, though even then DS, who is 2, doesn't really like it that much.

As for shepherds pie, spag Bol etc veggie mince is a good substitute - again, no complaints from DH, and both those meals are among DS's faves.