Fed up of cooking twice a day!

[Scienceisnotopinion]

Need some tips/ideas. All of us, Dh and kids, are home for lunch and dinner. Will often make soups that last for dinner too, but they eat a LOT and often there will not be enough left and will still have to cook some side dish or something.
Anyone more organised then me that can help? I try to have a balanced week, meat fish veggy dishes. Thanks!

Wraps for lunch.

Prepare evening meal early in the afternoon so you have less faffing later on after school/work day.

I find this to be least overwhelming.

One cooked meal a day is plenty these days. Sandwich for lunch.,of beans on toast or baked potato. Everyone do their own. If sandwiches are boring then let them eat out for lunch.

Cook a bigger soup?

Wraps for lunch.
😱

Jacket potatoes always go down well here.

Anything that can just be bunged in the oven.

I do also think the number of ideas rejected suggest it will have to be cooking twice a day!

@BeenThruMoreThanALilBit

Very similar here - it's a good system that ensures that leftovers are eaten up. We often cook extra rice/quinoa/potatoes for the evening meal in the holidays so that's there is some left for lunches that week.

Have a look at "The Batch Lady. She has great recipes which can be prepped or part cooked in advance and frozen, so the prep is minimised on the day.

@Scienceisnotopinion

time, sandwiches every day would upset me 😂

Soup everyday would upset me.

Some of the comments on here are quite amusing. Every family is different as are people’s tastes, not quite sure why that’s causing so much offence ;)

OP, I was raised on two hot home cooked meals a day and although I did try to replicate that it can’t be sustained with a toddler and work. I do manage it on a weekend but I’ve accepted it’s too much hassle during the week.
My top tip would be to prep part of your lunch ahead of time. I batch cook bases for curries/sauces for pasta so all I have to do is defrost or take out of the fridge, add protein and then prepare the carby element. Or if the oven is on in the evening I’ll stick some marinated chicken to cook which can then be used in a wrap or panini the day after. Or boil up some extra pasta which can go in the fridge to be added to a cold salad. Curries or stews can be served on an evening with flatbread and then some rice for lunch the day after. You can make it all in one go and then reheat.

Meal planning is absolutely your friend- sit down with your family and pick what they’d like to eat and that way you can do the prep beforehand and save yourself extra time. Plus a lot less food wastage. Your family might even be able to help with the prep. Lots of good ideas on here for things that can be made in bulk. Would recommend Pinterest and the bbc good food Facebook group for more inspo. Good luck!

well said. OP it does sound like you are making life hard for yourself but if you want to carry on. Could you do a huge bowl of couscous salad for lunch and add bits to it? Feta, chicken etc - that could do for two or days?
Poached eggs on toast?
I make a big batch of veggie pasta sauce and freeze portions, that would be a super quick lunch
Jacket potatoes?
Omelettes?
Have you tried wraps as pizzas for lunch, wrap base and then top as a normal pizza, Oven for about 8mins..

Lots of 5 minute prep lunches that don’t involve sandwiches. Would you do filled pittas?

The issue is that i was trying to not cook too much meat, and we tend to make pasta often, that doesnt heat up well. I have saved the helpful suggestions among the sneering for not eating sandwiches every day.

I know you would still be cooking but try the Instant pot 7 in 1 ( on offer with amazon this weekend) it will free you from the kitchen whilst your meals are cooking. It makes soups, stew's, curries and other one pot meals and because o the size you will have leftovers to freeze.

@Scienceisnotopinion

wasp hope you feel better now at making fun of people. Spaghetti hoops is something very much part of british food culture isnt it? Other countries/cultures don t eat them and manage to survive, without being sneered at

Well no spaghetti hoops or bleurgh depending on your view are not really British food culture. I haven't had any since I was about 5 and my kids had them rarely if at all. Are you always this mardy? As for your organisation ideas, the best one is get another/bigger freezer. You cant do that, fair enough so put simply if your ok eating the same soup twice a day then carry on with that just make it in a bigger pan?

@CatsArePeople

MN magic chicken

I can't believe it's taken so long for it to be mentioned!!!!

If people could read they would see that no where i asked for no cook ideas, more for organisational tips.

I didn't get this from your thread at all. You literally said you don't want to cook twice a day. How are we supposed to know what your after. Just make bigger soups. Easy.

I will look up the Batch lady thank you

This is one of my favourite ever threads. OP, you’re hilarious. The answer is so obvious it’s laughable: cook bigger portions of whatever you already eat (not spaghetti hoops, obvs)

5 kids and a small freezer is a no no. You need to make space for one somewhere.

It would help if we knew which country you were in as foods are regional.

@Scienceisnotopinion

The issue is that i was trying to not cook too much meat, and we tend to make pasta often, that doesnt heat up well. I have saved the helpful suggestions among the sneering for not eating sandwiches every day.

You're the one sneering at most peoples suggestions.

I LOVE my slow cooker cheap tasty cuts of meat (shin beef) and lots of veggies, just fill it to the top and leave on all day - dumplings are a winner - and filling

Frozen peanuts

@Chipsandcheese49 I wouldn't say it's causing offence. Rather amusement when I'm waiting on the kids getting ready.

The OP started the sneering at mine and other people's food choices first BTW.

@Scienceisnotopinion

I would eat salads but feel its not too filling especially for growing boys. But might give it a try

I think a salad with a decent bout of protein can be more filling in the long run than a bowl of pasta.

You don't have to meal plan exactly, but you can plan some meals that can be made for dinner and eaten for lunch the next day.

Spaghetti Bolognese can be served with salad and garlic bread or with bread rolls as a sort of 'Sloppy Joe'

Pasta bake is easy to chuck in the oven and could be served with steamed veg for dinner, or garlic bread for lunch

Cook some chicken or salmon and add to either pasta with pesto or a big salad.

Boil potateos to have with quiche and then use leftover potatoes the next day in a potato curry or leek and potato soup.

If you search some one pot meals you might find the sort of thing you're after. Basic ingredients chucked in a pot on the stove/in the oven/slow cooker that can be served with veg, bread rolls, potatoes etc.

www.taste.com.au/galleries/one-pot-one-pan-meals-you-can-freeze/k1a08bb7?page=3 you don't have to freeze these, but they might do for 2 different meals

I am failing to understand what your problem is, surely you just cook double quantities at dinner time and serve one half of it for dinner and then the other half for lunch the following day.