Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do people really eat a cooked meal every single night?

611 replies

JonesyAndTheSalad · 05/04/2017 11:24

I just can't!

I have done this week as we've got guests so it seems the polite and right thing to do...to cook a meal each night.

But the endless stream of meat and potatoes is awful!

We've had pasta one night but that was also with meat...another night we had pizzas...home made...the other nights it has been curry with chicken and rice and a variety of red meat with various potatoes.

I always ask the guests "What do you fancy this evening?" and it's always meat and potatoes of some kind!

Is this usual? Tonight I just didn't fancy it so said I didn't fancy a full meal and I ate some yogurt...they were a bit Shock

Do you eat like this every night? Or do you sometimes think "Meh I'll have a sandwich" or "The kids will be happy with egg on toast and some fruit"

Or is it only me?

OP posts:
TisMeTheLadFromTheBar · 05/04/2017 13:39

We eat a cooked meal most nights and takeaway once a week at the weekend.

MotherofPearl · 05/04/2017 13:42

Cooked meal here every night too, although rarely a meat and potatoes affair. I like a proper hot dinner though, with vegetables or salad, and ideally a nice pudding too. Grin

Natsku · 05/04/2017 13:43

We cook most nights (usually I cook, sometimes OH does) but sometimes we can't be arsed and just have toast for dinner. Usually make meat and veggies, sometimes rice and sometimes potatoes. Sometimes I just make a big salad for dinner. DD has a cooked meal every week day at nursery but doesn't say no to a second hot meal!

quirkychick · 05/04/2017 13:50

Cooked meal most nights here, but 2 ravenous daughter's to cater for. However, I'm all for simplifying cooking (harder if you've got guests, I agree). We have a kind of rota to make it easier:

Monday: fish (often baked in oven + veg or salad)
Tuesday: taco night: so, chilli/fajitas/mexican-ish
Wednesday: fish/seafood
Thursday: wildcard... whatever we fancy: stir fry, sausages...
Friday: fish/seafood
Saturday: more meat & veg stuff e.g. joint in slow cooker, casserole etc.
Sunday: cooked lunch, soup etc. and often cold buffet or bits for evening

I do often bulk cook, so can sometimes get stuff from the freezer such as soup, stew or curry. I do lots of bung fish in oven and add some veg or salad (super easy and quick) I also often use leftovers as lunch for the next day eg. chicken fajitas or soup. This is harder with guests, as I think if you bulk cook it will just get eaten!

JacquelineChan · 05/04/2017 13:50

my mum and dad cooked a full meal for us every night but when i moved out i loved just having cheese on toast/ jacket spud/ soup etc most nights. probably because less washing up !

My dp is horrified by this attitude and he cooks every night , delicious and nutritious meals , which is lovely. But not necessary in my opinion

daisypond · 05/04/2017 13:51

Yes, a cooked meal every night - it wouldn't necessarily be meat and potatoes, though. It's the main meal of the day for us.

Roomster101 · 05/04/2017 13:52

Actually I guess the answer is people who do evening sports just have light meals those nights, I just would have thought the number of people in that boat would be greater, and yet so many seem to cook full on dinners every day!

We would eat after exercise (so could be quite late).

JufusMum · 05/04/2017 13:53

Yes a cooked meal every night, DD is a teenage dancer with an appetite of a navvy...she would turn her nose up at a sandwich. In fact she often has two cooked dinners a night, one before dance and one after! Despite this she is a tiny teen, wearing age 10-11 clothes!

IckyPop · 05/04/2017 13:54

corythatwas I like the sound of "a cooked vegetarian" have you got a recipe? Grin

pianomadness · 05/04/2017 13:56

A yoghurt eaten elsewhere in the house while others are eating just seems a bit unhealthy and antisocial but I guess if you'd had a big main lunch and your guests were annoying you'd, it would be understandable!

We eat a 'meal' around the table every night. I think it's important for dcs to sit with us, chat about our day, learn table manners etc.

We all have salads / sandwiches for lunches so a main meal is more needed - I wouldn't eat a main meal twice in one day.

Our 'meals' could be anything from a roast to scrambled egg and all things in between - the important bit is that it's nutritious and eaten together at the table.

Sgtmajormummy · 05/04/2017 13:57

If I have guests then I do organise a hot meal, including takeaways or a meal out (which I would wait for my guests to offer Grin) . It's part of the pleasure of having them to stay and socialising together. If I'm at work and they've been seeing the sights, even more reason to have a hot meal together at the end of the day.

IME it takes just a little forward planning and a question about allergies or strong dislikes. If they have a special diet, I just give them the freedom of the kitchen. I expect help too, with preparation, clearing away or serving. Roast chicken, baked veg and chops, a lump of roast meat can all just go in the oven and cook by themselves. Pasta isn't hard and fish is super fast. Leftovers are welcome to go in sandwiches the next day because I will already have decided the next dinner menu.

To answer your first question: on a normal day without guests there is always SOMETHING cooked for dinner every evening, but it might be just a cake! Fresh fruit, salads, cheese and ham can take the place of whatever's missing.

piddleypower · 05/04/2017 13:57

Yes we cook a meal every night. I have lunch at work so I need something to eat in the evening and I don't like ready meals (and couldn't survive on a few mouthfuls of yogurt). My DH would be a bit Shock if it was toast for dinner. We both cook so that spreads the workload.

Sometimes its a proper meal like chilli, spag bol, grilled chicken breast, stew but often it is just omelette and oven chips, salmon and steamed veg, a big salad, veggie burgers or sausages with peas and new potatoes, quorn stir fry. Takes 10-15 mins.

phoenixtherabbit · 05/04/2017 13:58

We do, but I wouldn't if I didn't have a dp and kids. I don't always fancy a 'proper dinner' especially in summer.

InvisibleKittenAttack · 05/04/2017 14:00

Doesn't everyone have a "big meal" at either lunch or dinner? I couldn't do light lunch and then sarnie tea without stuffing my face with snacks later on.

PollyPerky · 05/04/2017 14:03

Only me and DH here now but yes, cooked meal 6 out of 7 days and sometimes every day.

'Cooked' covers all sorts. If we can't be arsed - both working late maybe- we'll have cheese or mushroom omelettes, oven chips and salad. Other quick, cooked dinners are a baked salmon fillet with steamed veg or salad, a chicken roast, cold the next day, stock made from carcass for risotto, pan fried fish fillets, shepherds pie, stir fry.

None of these take more than 15-20 minutes to prepare.

If we've had a big lunch we might just have good soup, bread, cheese and fruit. Or egg on toast.

Giddyaunt18 · 05/04/2017 14:05

Cook every night, not always meat but a proper meal involving carbs, veg and protein.

hideehigh · 05/04/2017 14:06

Cooked meal every night. When I have guests I cook every night with a possible take away or night in a restaurant. Who are the guests, OP? We have some friends who stay for long periods but they will often make their own favourite dishes for us to take the pressure off. 10 days is a long time but really I couldn't say "I don't feel like cooking, sort yourself out". I would hate that if I was a guest somewhere, would feel so uncomfortable and then leave... but is that what you're aiming for? Grin as I said, 10 days is a long time. Lol

GotToGetMyFingerOut · 05/04/2017 14:06

I'd happily do that op. I can't be arsed with dinner..but my husband wants a dinner every night. I quite like it when he works away and I can just do something quick like cheesy beans on toast for the kids occassionsly or bung them something like fish fingers chips and peas.

OneWildNightWithJBJ · 05/04/2017 14:07

I'd be starving without a proper cooked meal every night. I guess people have different appetites but I couldn't just eat a yoghurt or sandwich. I still eat a full meal when I'm exercising.

bananafish81 · 05/04/2017 14:08

How on earth do you manage to eat a decent amount of veg if you just have a yoghurt or a slice of toast 

I'd ask the same of someone who has a sandwich for lunch

I have my main meal at lunch - today was a beautiful veggie thali from Borough market

And have some veg as part of my evening snack. I'll have carrots and hummus when I get in from work. And maybe a yogurt.

And lots of fruit. 5 a day easily

worriedme04 · 05/04/2017 14:08

I plan our meals in advance and really enjoy the planning and cooking.
(we are on a health kick and have several healthy style eating books-Hairy Dieters n Joe wicks etc)I make meals from these every night.
Although the kids do eat different meals sometimes-easy prepared things like fish fingers/burgers.
Myself and my OH are into cooking and food(and wine)

OftheUppahUplands · 05/04/2017 14:08

Cooked meals here too, rarely meat and potatoes though. The exception being if we've had a hot lunch, then it'd be eggs/ beans/ avocado on toast.

For us it's family time though and DS is little enough that for us the conversation and eating together are as important as the fuel iyswim

Wando1986 · 05/04/2017 14:12

Yep. 25/30 nights is a homecooked meal. The rest is a takeaway Smile

iloveeverykindofcat · 05/04/2017 14:19

Now that I'm living alone and vegan I'm really bad - I live off peanut butter, fruit and bread - but when we were younger my mum used to make a hot meal most days. Sometimes that could be an omelette or a veggie burger in a roll though.

EpoxyResin · 05/04/2017 14:22

Hurrah, another main meal eater at lunch time! High five bananafish81.