To hate meal planning?

[NoLeslie]

I am so bored of trying to plan meals. DH did it for a while, now it's my turn again but fuck me its BORING.

One person doesn't eat meat or fish.
One doesn't eat carbs.
One doesn't like soup or eggy stuff or quorn.
One doesn't like pastry or fried stuff.

So far my list is
Day 1 Chilli with meat and chilli with quorn.
Day 2 no idea.

Zzzzz

Here's ours for the week:

Salmon, salad, new pots
Chicken parmagiana, roasted veg
Pork chops, salad, new pots
Chicken pasta pesto
Cod in tomato sauce mash, veg

I hate meal planning.

But I hate having to think up new meals every single day more, so I try to do it week by week. And I've learnt to only cover six days, because there's always at least one day where plans have to change, so I build in a bit of flex without the faff of wasted food or not having the leftovers that were expected in order to make something else

I hate meal planning too but it doesn't help that I really struggle with imagination. Some previous posters have some fab ideas!
My husband won't eat rice, pasta or anything in sauce. He also only eats red meat.
My daughter is pretty easy she just likes her proper dinners so wouldn't eat fish fingers , beans and chips for example but will eat shepherds pie and veg, which is fab but annoying when you want something easy!
My son in autistic so we just don't go there, lol.

I’ve always done meal planning and used to enjoy it but that’s because I eat almost anything and enjoy variety.

Now I still do it because OH would never take responsibility for his share and doing it all myself was preferable to the constant foot-dragging and last-minute shopping (involving extra expense). However OH is very fussy and so are the kids, so now most of the pleasure is now gone for me.

I have to meal plan if to make the money stretch but it is so soul destroying especially now when everything costs more, so more money poorer quality.
It took me two hours yesterday to do a weeks shop but i managed it for £90 rather than the £115 it had crept up to.

I have to meal plan if to make the money stretch but it is so soul destroying especially now when everything costs more, so more money poorer quality.

But why would meal planning necessarily save money? By being more flexible, you can buy things when on offer.

Thank you @SentToTheSynByn !

I've managed to list 11 meals I can confidently cook in reasonable time after work. DP is the main chef here and has just refused to join in my interesting meal listing activity.
Sulk.

My list, in case helpful

Mac and cheese w various extras eg leek and pancetta
Cauliflower cheese
Risotto w various, eg chicken and mushroom, roast peppers, roast squash
Tuna pasta bake
Baked potatoes w fillings
Homemade curry- chicken or chick pea & spinach
Roast veg, tomato sauce, pasta
Cheese and onion pie
Leek and potato bake
Sausage and mash and veg
Lentil bolegnaise

Frozen chilli and beef ragu from when DP makes big batches sometimes.

DP can do:
Fish and roast veg
Carbonara
Mexican

These two are wins in our house- just make the lasagne with squash sheets instead of lasagne to appease the non carber

juliasalbum.com/butternut-squash-and-spinach-lasagna/

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/classic-ratatouille/

@TubeTop

I tried meal planning. I had a spreadsheet with four weeks of different meals which factored in various preferences, the low-carber, the lower-cal person and also nutritional balance and cost.

I stuck with it for about six months but it turned out to be too rigid and I got stressed if the supermarket was out of something crucial. I actually find it easier to shop most days and cook different things for different people. But I usually have at least one helper in the kitchen.

Squash sheets? Wow! Can’t do a lasagne anyway as my youngest doesn’t like tomato in any guise other than ketchup! I tell her it’s red pepper bolognese but she can blooming tell!!

Kimlek how about you make it and tell her to try it? If she doesn't like it then fair enough but it's good to keep trying things as taste buds can change over time. The amount of times my kids have sat down and looked at the food I've made and announced they don't like it, and then gone on to try it and eat the whole lot

I have some recipe books and I just flick through those until I find some meals I like the sound of-It is very rarely we eat the same things on a regular basis.
The books include Joe Wicks,Tom Kerridge and Marcus Wareing-I am trying to eat healthier so I tend to stick with these books-also look online for recipes.
I actually enjoy it!!!(sorry!!!)