To feel totally fed up cooking different meals.

[Sophisticatedsarcasm]

Basically at least 3 nights in a week I can cook up to 4 different meals.
My Nan has cealiac disease so she’s gluten free which requires no cross contamination. I know that’s not her fault it’s just really fraustrating. Then I have my sister who only eats about 10 things. My daughter eats most stuff give or take a few things and my son aswell.
My DP can’t eat much spicy because he has IBS.
Take tonight for instance.
Me and the DD are having chicken pasta, my DS hates pasta, never has liked it so he’s got Pie and mash and my sister has got pizza.
When I was younger it was eat what your given and I always thought I’d be the same. But I just can’t bare to see them hungry if I make them try and eat something they don’t like.
My DC are pretty open and always try new stuff. If they don’t like then fine they’ve tried it so I don’t mind, some stuff they thought would be disgusting they’ve really liked.
It’s just very exhausting especially after working, school run and housework then cooking 4 different meals not to mention the shit loads of washing up after 😭 anyone else feel the same.

How old are these people and can they do their own meals.

Make them do the washing up!

You shouldn't make separate meals for fussy eaters, that's their tough luck tbh I understand the medical ones are unavoidable

I’d do one meal and the person that doesn’t like it has toast. Maybe beans on toast if I’m feeling generous.

If DS doesn’t like pasta, he could have rice with the chicken. Add spicy stuff at the last minute. Broaden your sister’s horizons by dishing her up the pasta dish and if she refuses she can make herself toast.

Easy for me to say though as we have no allergies and kids will eat most things. But might be worth a try?

Why are you cooking separately for your sister and nan? If they aren’t going to eat what you’re making (there will be gluten free meals that everyone can eat), maybe they should cook for themselves.

What meals will you and your children all eat (even if the children will leave some parts)?

Is there a reason you cook for your sister and nan that often? Are they not capable of cooking their own meals?

My DS is 10, he does actually help me. His dad is a chef so he has an interest in cooking.
My DD is 5 so naturally wouldn’t trust her near an oven 😂 my Sister is 13 but is totally useless. Unless it’s sport she sucks at everything else.
Just out of respect I do it for my Nan.
My DP does help me if he’s home but I’m usually cooking whilst he’s a5 work so he gets in just as it’s ready. He’s at work till late tonight so thankfully that one less mouth to feed.

I might add we all live together but have a smallish kitchen will not allow for 3 people all trying to cook at one time.

GF pasta with chicken covers 3 of you. Your sister can cook her own pizza and your son could have had pizza too maybe. You don't need to be a martyr to those who are choosing to be picky. Tell them to sort their own food or go hungry.

Meal planning is your friend in this. Nan is the exception and I’d say continue feeding her but the kids are a different story.

Sit the three of them down and help come up with meals they will all eat.

Eg last night.
Chicken pasta? You and DD
DS doesn’t want pasta? You call him in and he can cook rice and have chicken in sauce and rice.
Sister wants pizza? We’re having pizza on Saturday night so you can have pasta tonight and pizza then.

Be firm. If they temper tantrum or sulk they will just go hungry. They aren’t babies by any means but this is the meal tonight; it’s all agreed upon by us as a family and we won’t be deviating.

Make sure to include a meal each child chose so they know their favourite is coming but tonight is Mum’s night.

If you could I’d also get them in to help. I couldn’t make so much as a jacket potato when I moved out and I wish my mum had taught me to cook!

Meal plan stuff everyone can eat. Could everyone not had pie and mash?

Do one gluten-free meal and have a second option that is low-effort like sandwiches. You dont need to do 3 or 4 full catered meals every night.

It sounds like you are caring for a lot of people.

Make 1 meal from now on (gluten free). Anyone craving carbs with gluten can make themselves toast or crumpets later on.

That sounds like hard work.

Can you come up with any meals that all of you eat - even if its once a week we always have chicken and chips and salad on a Friday.

Then come up with as many nights that you 'only' need to make 2 meals and try and double up portions and freeze them.

Then if you get ahead of yourself a bit on the frozen meals you can start doing things like tonight I am cooking gluten free lasagne - putting 8 portions by, and out the freezer comes the shepherds pie for me, ds and dd, and DH and something easy for sister?

Also remember that eggs on toast, beans on toast, cheese on toast, omelette etc are a perfectly good meal if you need a night off.

I think ready meals could be handy a few times a week. You can get gluten free ones too. Just cook a load of veg to go on the side.
It's not ideal but it gives you a break from the crazy.

yes too ready meals!

I see you works as well.
YOu need a break poor love.

Do a little plan so you can see a couple of nights a week that aren't cooking 4 meals and cleaning up.

OK. Well people are going to have to compromise a bit.

Your sister is either going to have to eat what’s for dinner or make her own. She’s 13. Put up a meal plan and tell her to let you know which meals she’ll be joining you for. Otherwise she can do her own pizza or whatever is in her limited diet.

Other meals, you could try having them be a bit self assembly. So something like tacos or fajitas, for example, where people can choose from the options about what to put in their own. Corn tortillas should be GF.

Similarly, you can give everyone a bowl of rice and offer a range of toppings that they can choose what they like from. There are loads of possible combinations for this - if you fancy it, I’ll suggest some recipes/combos.

Or serving bowls of potatoes (various kinds), veg, and some sort of main (have a separate sauce if sauce is an issue for anyone.

And relax about what the children choose from the options. You might find that over time they’re encouraged to try new things from the available options.

Yesterday was fine 4 of us had one chicken main and and 2 had another. We all had rice and veg so was pretty stress free. Like I’ve said I struggle thinking they might be hungry. Generally me, my mum and my DC has mostly the same stuff. Like on Saturday we will all have Chinese before we got out in the evening.
And Sunday is a roast which everyone has. It’s just certain nights 😒

Just cook one thing that suits the genuine allergies and all eat that

Also gets tricky as my Nan doesn’t eat spicy food nor pasta, so she’s just as fussy. She’s set in her ways which is fine. But it doesn’t leave much options without us having the same meals week in week out and I don’t want the kids getting bored of foods because they’ve had too much.

Cook something that suits DP and Nan (actual medical requirements) and the rest can like it or lump it.

I can't abide fussiness. And if everyone knows you're already catering for two genuine medical requirements, they'd be pretty fucking cheeky to expect further separate meals just to accommodate their fussiness. (I suppose I really mean your sister here; it sounds as though she's the real problem).

Well your nan is also going to have to compromise a bit (obviously not on the allergy, but on the ‘being set in her ways’) or cook for herself.

I think it might also be useful for you to stop worrying that people will be hungry. They won’t. If your DS eats chicken in sauce with a slice of bread, it’s not going to do him any harm (for example).

If you’ll all eat Chinese, then there are lots of really easy and quick to make at home things that can be served with rice or rice noodles that are roughly pan-Asian-for-unadventurous-British-palates.

my mum has spent all her life cooking 4 different things every single day for 4 of us.
when I was a teenager I realised this wasn't fair on her and cooked my own food or just ate something even if I didn't like it.

I told her I would never do what she did and she laughed and said wait til you have children and you'll be cooking them all whatever they ask for.

well guess what, I cook one thing a night and we all have it, yes there's fussing and whinging from time to time but they all know there's no other choice.

I take my kids out to taste all types of cuisines because I don't want them to be close minded and fussy with food.

The only thing I sometimes do is make the kids food serve it then add spice for me and hubbby.

If I were you I'd cater for your Nan, as her issues are medical. Everyone else gets served what you are cooking and if they dont like it they go without.

That is what happens here and no one has starved to death yet. It will be quite hard to set it into practice initially as obviously everyone has been used to getting their own way so far but the sooner you do it the better. Just persevere. You need to make your life easier, not harder catering for all those people!

Apart from the cealiac meal, you only need to make one other (non spicy) thing. If they don't like it, they go hungry. I'm a believer people are fussy eaters because they are allowed to be. They eat whatever was in front of them if they were truly hungry.

x post SweetMoon!