Cooking and meal planning

[Cherrybakewellll]

Am I the only one who gets utterly fed up of meal planning and cooking?

I ironically trained as a chef when I left school and I do like cooking but I'm on maternity leave and it's just become a pain in the arse to think of dinners every night. I do meal plan but even thinking up those ideas is tedious to me.

I'm probably just having a pointless rant.

My DH works long hours and would like to cook, but realistically he's a bit slow at it so if he starts cooking at 7.30pm when he gets home we won't eat until about 9.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who finds the whole thing tedious?

Me and if I ask ds (nearly 4) he says fish fingers and beans and if I ask dh the answer is fish and mash and beans.

I think maybe I've made a rod for my own back because I've always made everything from scratch so it's not like I can think 'sod it, tonight we'll throw a ready meal in'. Also no take seats deliver where we are, rich while great for my waistline, would be convenient every now and then

I know the solution is batch cooking and freezing but meh

This is the one thing that really gets to me, it's like mental torture. I don't know why but the thinking of the meals, shopping for them, making sure I've got everything and then cleaning really gets to me. I wish there was a service that did it all and delivered the shopping. I don't mind cooking and like yourself I've worked as a chef but at least in work you were told what to cook.

@its2019ffs exactly, at work it's more of a prep up and then service kicks in and you don't have to think too much it's just natural.

I used to love doing the prep, lots of mindless chopping, grating, mixing, etc. It was so therapeutic, now I don't find anything therapeutic. One meal for four people who all want it different, if you do it all the same then guaranteed someone won't eat it.
We don't get any delivery services here either, it would be nice just once a week to have a meal I don't have to think about.

Yes, and although my husband does cook 2 or 3 times a week the meal planning is down to me.

Have a takeaway once a week to have a break? Batch cook and freeze portions so that you sometimes have an easy meal that you can just take out of the freezer? (Tonight's dinner is frozen bolognese sauce, just need to reheat and cook some pasta).

It drains me too. But it’s why we signed up for Gousto so four nights a week I don’t need to plan/think about dinner AND DH will crack on with dinner without asking me every night what we’re having like I’m the only one who can make a decision. Sanity saver and we spend less in the supermarket to account for the cost.

I think maybe I've made a rod for my own back because I've always made everything from scratch so it's not like I can think 'sod it, tonight we'll throw a ready meal in'.

you are looking at it the wrong way! This is EXACTLY why you can throw a ready meal in from time to time! You could feel guilty if you were feeding your family crap food. The beauty of healthy and home-cooked meals is that there's space for ready meals once in awhile.

You know that lazy food is fine, omelettes, pizzas...

I found that sticking to a vague weekly routine helps: fish x 2, chicken/turkey x2, red meat x 2, quiche/pancakes/pizza once a week... and work around that. It makes my life easier.

I honestly do not understand how people can NOT meal-plan. It's not a criticism, I genuinely do not get how you can shop and cook if you haven't planned in advance. I wish I knew actually.

Oh I'm with you in that @SantaClaritaDiet if I didn't meal plan we would be spending stupid amounts and even more stressed, which is why I feel I HAVE to do it.

I think maybe I'm a bit uptight too because I'm a bit of a good hitler in terms of I think my standards are too high and I annoy myself.

I've just got a packet of burgers and some rolls from the freezer, chopped some potatoes into fries and thought fuck it, tonight is burger and chips.

You are definitely not alone! I am currently constructing a 6-8 wk meal plan so that I can just pick a week and not put so much thought into thinking of meals when it comes to food shopping! I'm finding it painful to be honest, but when it's done I can just (hopefully) take a break from meal planning. It will be like a holiday

I've just got a packet of burgers and some rolls from the freezer, chopped some potatoes into fries and thought fuck it, tonight is burger and chips.

what's wrong with that? you can always chop off bit of lettuce, a few tomatoes/cucumber etc... if you need a healthy side salad

DH generally cooks at the weekends. I've lost count of the number of times I've told him not to ask me what he should cook for dinner. I don't mind cooking - I've cooked meals from scratch for the last 25 years - it's the deciding what to cook that does my head in - especially when DS is home as it always has to have meat in it, so a lot of my regular meals end up being off the menu. If I need to decide what to cook at the weekend as well then I may as well cook it myself!

@hellswelshy how do you work out a 6-8 meal plan do you do it on an app/spreadsheet.

I currently live with my 20 yr old and we do fine, however me and OH are moving in together in a few weeks then there will be four/five of us so I'm already thinking/worrying about the meal situ?

See, I’m the other way. I start off with good intentions on a Saturday when we meal plan before shopping and I like to look up some nice recipes, however by Wednesday or Thursday I just can’t be bothered with cooking fancy meals anymore. I think we need to start planning a few more easy/less faffy meals during the week

I think it sounds like you need to give yourself a bit of a break by making simpler meals and repeating them.

We cook from scratch 3-4 times a week and the other nights are easier options - things like pizza and salad or pasta with pesto (from a jar) and green beans etc. I have set nights for certain kinds of food and a rotation of meals that fit in. Meal planning is easier because I know roughly what type of food / recipes we eat each day of the week.

Yanbu. I love cooking and would happily cook all the meals forever.

I hate thinking of the meals. Pissed me off.

it would be nice just once a week to have a meal I don't have to think about.

Iceland (no I don't work for them but they saved me during lockdown) do a roast dinner for 4 for £9.70, it's meat, pigs in blankets, veg, potatoes and pudding / cake. The meat and pigs are in foil so no washing up.

Also cook for the freezer. If you have a family of 4 then cook for 5 and plate up one for the freezer.

2me2u2u2me
I've loosely planned it around the staple meals we eat mostly in my house - there are 4 of us. So I factor in a different Sunday lunch each week, roast chicken, roast lamb, casserole, etc. Then I have included a different pasta dish each week, a rice based dish (varying from curry and rice to risotto), then one easy meal each week- something with chips or baked potato for example. I've deliberately left one day each week blank so there's some room for a treat meal or something spontaneous like a takeaway or meal deal. It's helped flicking through cookbooks and getting inspiration from Tv programmes like Jamie at the moment for quick non faffy recipes too!

I’ve started making sure there’s at least 2 easy meals a week in the meal plan, then they can be swapped to a day I don’t feel like cooking properly. Things like omelettes, chicken salad, pasta and a quick sauce etc.

I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself.

Burger in a bun with homemade chips is no where near what I would class a fuck it meal. Thats a normal, simple midweek meal.

Theres nothing wrong with having basic meals, theres a whole world of food between fully homecooked fancy dinner and ready meal.

Take shortcuts where you can. I always plan for one really cant be arsed day a week

Oh, and no app or anything, just jotted it down so far. It's subject to tweaking, lots of crossing out atm!

I am now stressing because we haven't got any little gem lettuce to put in. I'm an over thinker at best but today I think I'm actually mental

@hellswelshy some great tips there, thank you, I'm going to do a list of meal ideas as I don't want to be having to think on a daily basis what to cook then not having the ingredients :)

Just do two easy meals a week? We have pizza one night, jacket potatoes and fish the other, then I cook from scratch the rest of the time.

@Cherrybakewellll

I am now stressing because we haven't got any little gem lettuce to put in. I'm an over thinker at best but today I think I'm actually mental

😂

replace by tomato slices, or cheese, or whatever you find. You are over-thinking it!

Wait until you have to meal plan around a toddler and later plan for pack lunch AND teas at home, and keep it healthy. 4 kids and it's an absolute headache. Not worth wasting your maternity leave over it!