To hate having to think of dinner

[Lovethetimeyouhave]

I'm so fed up, I don't mind actually cooking the meal, but the thinking up of what to have for the entire week has begun to bore me! I try and do new meals and use Pinterest but I'm so fed up.

So aibu to ask for any of your ideas for the following week? I need to do the online shop so it can come tomorrow! The fridge is empty

I generally order from musclefood and plan meals around that, but thanks to a PP, have now joined gousto! Value is fab! Thanks for the tip!

How much are these things that send the meals to you? I'm seriously considering it!

Personally I use a pressure cooker and my dinner’s done in 15-30mins (depending on if I decide to make rotis or rice or side dishes). A mix of stews and soups, pilafs, and curries etc. I have a four hour commute per day to London.

gousto is a good one to try - i reviewed it for mumsnet i think it was?
There are 4 of us. We only get them when they’re on half price, and their 4 meal boxes for 4 do us 8 meals.

Otherwise i get good food mag which is great for getting us out of a rut.

It's the decision fatigue that really gets to me. Like PP I don't mind actually cooking, just the thinking. Even worse in school holidays when lunches are also required. DH helps and cooks too but he also hates the decision making. We seem to eat the same 10 meals (if that) and I'm getting so fed up. Doesn't help that I love veg but only one DC does, another will eat salad but other two won't apart from youngest who will eat cucumber but nothing else! I like to low carb but that makes it even harder.

I don't want to make 3+ meals every night so we end up eating the same few things as the DCs aren't keen on new things.

Today I got chicken legs out of the freezer but I've no idea what to do with them. Even the thought of googling recipes makes me tired!

The simply cook is £10 for 4 meal kits plus you buy the fresh stuff.
I got an introductory box for £3. Think the offer is on instagram.

AHHH! This is the bane of my life- deciding what to have for the week. I ask DH what he fancies and I just get 'pasta' or 'risotto' back- no actual ideas of what type or flavour etc.

I'm enjoying pinching some ideas from others here- so here's mine for you all to steal

*Pasta with sliced mattesons sausage and tomato sauce- lots of veg thrown in like peppers, mushrooms, courgette etc.
*Spag bol
*cottage pie and cabbage
*pork chop with mash and veg
*chicken noodle stir-fry
*chilli
*dippers- potato wedges, sliced carrots, cucumber, peppers and breaded mini fillets with a couple of dips
*king prawn linguine with lemon, garlic ginger and rocket
*irish stew
*chinese rice
*Quiche new potatoes and salad
*fish fingers chips and peas
*chicken tikka with chopped salad, raita, banjos and rice

I hate, hate, HATE it too! I've recently started a 4 week rotation meal plan. It makes it slightly less painful. The children still moan ('chicken again???') so it might need work but I can't bear to think about it any more.

I so relate to this. It makes me sad because I used to love cooking. I even envy the cat because he doesn't have to decide what to eat and cook it

there used to be a thread where we did weekly meal plans and gave ideas to each other - I was more of a lurker although I did contribute from time to time. It was great. Perhaps we could start it up again?

These are my family’s current favourites:
Tomato soup with egg sandwiches
Vegetarian lasagna
Quiche Lorraine
Pasta
Quesadillas
Vegetable casserole
Risotto
Tacos
Salad
Veggie burgers
Veggie meatballs
Pizza

ITS DESTROYING MY SOUL

I feel life leak out of me when I think 'what shall I do for dinner'

Same old shit.

I am so glad it's not just me. I tend to think everyone else is cooking amazing meals and being inventive. I just absolutely hate the whole 'what shall we have to eat.. the fridge is empty AGAIN' . I spend a fortune on food but there is never anything to eat and I absolutely hate the whole thing night after night It always falls to me as no one else can cook. I also have a bookcase full of recipe books that just sit there, and boxes and boxes of recipe magazines.

I’m so with you on this. I hate having to decide, we seem to have the same things quite often, the rest of the house complains so I ask them for suggestions and they just say I don’t know. Drives me nuts. Not to mention Have a lot of fussy eaters.

On Sunday we had steak, yesterday was a “shit from the freezer’ day and today we had pork chops, tomorrow is spaghetti Bol. Not sure about Thursday and Friday is eating out as we are travelling 😩

That's impressive @ThisIsTheFirstStep, I might give that a go, but a less hardcore version!

Shamelessly place marking

cake yeah, it seriously took us almost all weekend, but it was heaven never having to think about cooking for two months, plus we saved a lot of money by not wasting it on take outs or eating out because I was too tired to cook. We changed some of the recipes (not in the UK so not everything is available to us or it’s expensive) but that plan was basically pretty good.

All of this.

If I don't do a batch cook at the weekend I live off half hearted toast and chocolate bars.

If I do do a batch cook half of it sits in the freezer and gets thrown out 2 months later because we're bored of it.

Won't even mention the fussy toddler who throws everything on the floor and seems to subsist purely on what he apparently wolfs down at nursery. crying emoji

I've tried simply cook. The meals on offer were too weird for my clearly bland taste.

The Yum app promises to solve all my problems but somehow pisses me off. Still keep meaning to try to use it again.

Not tried Gousto. Off to look!

Same here, I spend so long each week trying to come up with new ideas and then end up doing the same things cos I know dd will turn her nose up at anything new🙄
Luckily dh will eat anything.
Will be following with interest!
Our usuals are-

Spaghetti bolognaise
Meatballs/ pasta
Meatballs/ mashed potato
Pesto pasta
Pasta bake
Tagliatelle with blended veg sauce
Chicken al a king
Fruity chicken curry
Roast chicken
Sweet pot soup with bruschetta
Chicken noodle soup
Sausage casserole ( v. Occasionally)
Mash, veg, chicken/ sausages
Pizza

I don't eat fish and unfortunately dd won't eat it either

meatballs pasta bake.
sausage peppers and bean stew.
chicken and bacon stew with herb dumplings
chicken thighs crème fraiche bacon and peas one pot.
cream of tomato soup tuna and pasta
frankfert sausages and dolmio tomato pasta
tortilin with pasta sauce or pesto
sheet of ready rolled pastry and assortment of toppings from pesto to veg to chees and tomato
blt
roast
deli chicken salad and jacket
steak and saute potatos
fish in parcels
stuffed peppers
salmon and dauphinoise and veg
fish pie
shepahrd pie
pie of any sort.
curry pasties
morrocan tomato chicken with spiced mustard mash topping
curry
slow cooker dish
sausages and mash
sliced garlic bread instead pf pastry for pies.
enchiladas
fajitas
cheese on toast
chicken and choriz with rice pasta or potatos.
whole side of salmon bakes with kung po chicken jar
chicken or veg stiry fry
baked one pot rice.
lasagne
mac and cheese
bacon tomato broccoli pasta with cheesie sauce
chicken wrapped in bacon stuffed with cream cheese
chicken thigh or pork with knorr pour over sauce
sweet and sour chicken.
toad I nth whole
chilli spag bol
chili mince with doritos and cheese on top then grilled

This week we are having/had

Beef noodle dish (recipe in wagamama cookbook)
Instant pot Mac n cheese
Butter chicken
Chicken and udon noodles (another from the cookbook)
Roast chicken and all the trimmings
Ravioli lasagne

And I always leave one day blank as we might eat out or grab some oven pizzas or just have toast and beans etc.

Buy Jamie Oliver’s 5 ingredients

I found my people! It’s so boring & takes up so much headspace. Sick of spending a fortune & still not having anything to cook or having to throw stuff away. Did Gousto & would recommend but some great ideas on this thread.