To just want dh and I to cook our own meals each?

[NapQueen]

I started a new job 6 weeks ago which has me out of the house much more. Im home for about 6.15, dcs go to bed at 7 (they have dinner at cms and dh collects them at 5).

Id rather not spend those 45mins cooking, id rather do bathtime, playing or reading to dcs. So I cook after theyve gone to bed. Where in my last job id have time to prep stuff during the day most days, I now dont have this luxury.

As a result weve been relying on quick foods. Supermarket pizzas or their curry boxes, or pasta and meatballs etc. Im sick of eating all this shit and want to eat lighter healthier meals.

Dh isnt a great cook (so effing learn I want to say to him!!), and again he is shattered after his days at work too. I know he wouldnt feel full after a chicken salad or salmom and rice or whatever.

In an ideal world we would take turns cooking nice healthy meals and maybe relax on a weekend. But he is honestly happy just shoving convenience food in the oven and would definetly do this on "his days"

Aibu to say mon to fri you sort yourself and Ill sort me?

Im happy to cook sat and sunday, I enjoy cooking, and really miss it.

DP and I cook our own unless I am doing something that DP really likes and I cook well.

Gives you more time and wont change what your DH will do during the week anyway. Also, you may find that he tries a bit more when he gets tired of the same thing all the time.

Can you batch cook so you have stuff in the freezer?

If he is not willing to eat what you want to cook, then yes, he should make his own dinner.

Batch cooking is your friend! Stick it in portions in the freezer. DH can nuke a box and chop veg right?

Sounds reasonable to me.

Sounds a very sad existence to me.
Surely you could make a batch of nourishing stew or something on a Sunday that would at least see you through a couple of days of eating together?

Have you tried batch cooking? Another option is I would usually cooked for 2/3 days in advance so it just meant that I cooked only once during the week.

I could batch cook, yes. I never seem to be able to free up the time though. Sundays are usually spent doing homework, prepping uniforms for the week etc.

I have a slow cooker and I used to put something in about 10ish and it was ready for the kids going to bed to eat at 7. Now though I would need to turn it on at 7.30am one of us isnt home til 5/5.15 at the earliest.

It also means stews and bolognaises etc which is ok mid winter but its getting too hot for these sorts of meals.

It also means I am the one carving out half a day for batch cooking or whatever that he doesnt do, in order to feed both of us. So again it all falls to me.

We would still eat together. At the same time. But he would shove a pizza in and leave it for 15 mins and I would pan fry some salmon and chop some veg.

Why on Earth should she be the one doing all this batch cooking and freezing? He doesn't like the same foods. So he gets what he likes himself and she gets what she wants.

Thanks Expat

I was thinking that

'It also means I am the one carving out half a day for batch cooking or whatever that he doesnt do, in order to feed both of us. So again it all falls to me.'

Exactly! Leave him to it.

Me too.

Offer him options
You take turns but you don't want convenience food.
You take turns batch cooking
Or you sort yourselves out.
Then he can't moan (hopefully)

YEs, leave him to it. We're the same - I like variety and healthier meals, DP is lazy & won't always have what I have. Not going to deny myself fish, curry, risotto etc because he's not into it.

I think he needs to start thinking like a parent. That involves considering healthy eating for others, not just yourself.

I recall DH holding pre-baby views that no added sugar squash, low fat mayo etc all taste shite and he won't pander to the low fat / sugar options. Then he started considering what our children were eating and drinking.

For now, eat separately if you must. I wouldn't though. I would expect him to start considering a healthy and balanced diet, for the sake of his children and the example he shows them.

We eat separately 3n a week when kids eat at CM and I'm like you prefer lighter meals, plus we eat at very diff times. We always eat together breakfast at the weekend that's our family time. If ur all happy what's the issue.

Yanbu
Both do your own

I'm the DH in this scenario and I would love to be left alone to eat cheese on toast in the evening rather than having to eat a cooked dinner every night.

20 years, two primary aged dc, we still rarely eat a meal together, or the same meal at a different time. We have wildly different tastes and outlook on food. And he doesn't compromise. YANBU.
But, OH does have have three dishes he makes, jar and meat (curry, bolognese, chicken tonight), stew and also chips. I embrace these dishes and encourage him to make them for family meals at the weekend.

Can I just add, we would eat together. Just different foods.

I wouldnt mind at all cooking the healthier stuff for both of us, but he woild eat it because its made for him rather than any sort of wanting it. The favour wouldnt be returned when he cooks.

Yeah, in those circumstances I would be getting on and doing my own. I wouldn't be spending lots of time at the weekend batch cooking if it were all down to me.

me and dh cook/eat separately for various reasons. although he often cooks for us both on his days off. been eating separately for years. doesn't bother neither of us.

Morrisons have some nice looking stick in the oven dishes for 2 or 4 people & they have some lovely salads & prepared veg too. You could have small slice of lasagne (or whatever) & lots of salad, dh could have 2/3 of a lasagne & a token amount of salad?

DP and I have never cooked regularly for each other. I like to plan and make my own meals and so does he. We take turns cooking for DS.

It's only food, not a moral issue. Fwiw we have separate food cupboards and do our own shopping too. Works for us. I couldn't bear to have to eat what somebody else fancied half the time.