To ask what a 7 day week dinner menu looks like for you?

[postivity]

New year new ideas please!

Ours had got to the stage of something like this...:

1. burger and chips
2. pork loin steaks veg and potatoes
3. sausage, mash, peas and gravy
4. curry and rice
5. pizza and chips
6. take away or eat out
7. roast

I need to mix it up, eat less meat and more veg.

Would you mind sharing what an average week of dinners may look like to you?

1. Omelette and salad
2. Vegetarian stir fry
3. Tomato soup with garlic baguette
4. Cheese and tomato pasta
5. Often go to the chip shop on a Friday
6. Pizza
7. Sausages, potatoes and veg

significant shift towards eating less meat for health and environmental reasons
It's an interesting discussion point. Personally I have concerns about a meat free diet.

Its bloody hard to eat enough protein without using meat substitutes like soy or using nuts like almond. The increase in demand for both soy and almond is leading to farming practices that are problematic.

Even if I'm buying cheap supermarket meat, all my meat is from the uk. Therefore I am contributing to the uk economy and farming standards which arent diabolical. Also no air miles.

DS needs full fat milk for medical reasons. And we all notice in a bad way the smell and texture of lentils in bolognese/chilli etc

But we have cut down the amount eg 83g of mince per person. 10 years back it was 250g!!

Roast chicken or beef
Ramen with leftover roast, miso, chilli and shredded veg
Salmon pesto with spiralised veg fries (beetroot, sweet potato, carrot etc) and asparagus
Pork and apple burgers with apple slaw and wedges
Chilli with beans and butternut noodles or roasted butternut
Courgette, chilli, lemon and mint salad with goats cheese
Lemony pesto carbonara with rocket

We did a few recipe boxes with DS was born and kept about a dozen of the recipes on rotation. If you choose well they can be very veg heavy. Chicken with plums and hoisin, pork on french lentils etc.

@caramellatteplease

It's not hard to get protein on a vegan diet people eat too much

We do eat alot of tofu which is soy but worldwide its the soy being fed to cattle that causes the problems

Everything has protein in it and if you eat enough calories and make sure you get plenty beans lentils and pulses

My DD has a nut allergy so we tend to avoid nuts in the house the odd jar of peanut butter for my DH never almond milk which we know is bad for the environment anyway

I'm single so tend to repeat meals/ingredients a lot as many things are for 2+ people! Here's what I had and have planned for this week. This is pretty typical

Monday: Steak with stir fry veg (bok choy, peppers etc) and kimchi

Tuesday: Spicy cauliflower & lentil? soup (The deliciously ella one - I'm can't remember what it's called)

Wednesday: Salmon with stir fry veg and kimchi

Thursday: "buddha bowl" with beans, kale, butternut squash

Friday: Salmon with roasted veg (broccoli, green beans)

Saturday/ Sunday: No sure? Might make a veg chilli or curry.

This week is:

1. cod loin with lemon and capers with salad and garlic potatoes.
2. veggie meatballs with ratatouille and rice
3. lemon risotto
4. lentil ragú lasagne with a green salad
5. pesto crusted salmon with puy lentils and green veg
6. veggie Buddha bowl (chilli, homemade natchos, salsa, salad and crushed avocado with lime and chilli)
7. veggie sausage toad in the hole with roast potatoes and vegetables.

@Caramellatteplease you might be interested in the book Proteinaholic by Garth Davis. It talks about our obsession with protein and how much we actually need (a lot less than most people eat).

Proteinaholic by Garth Davis. Its interesting but I'm not sure some of his tenets are correct.
You dont need a plant diet to reverse prediabetes. There are studies that suggest reducing your waist line to below 30 however you do it will have the same impact as long as you also reduce your body fat component (dont end up skinny fat). I'm with him as a fully paid up member of the carbs are not the enemy especially wholewheat carbs. But with a diabetic sister, I do know they are important.
You certainly dont need to be a vegetarian to lose weight. I lost 5+ stone of weight I also reduced my body fat percentage so I know from the effects I had a pretty good handle on how much protein i needed. I did conclude the most sustainable diet was the one you enjoy eating and make work nutritionally for you.

If you have the money and resources to do vegan properly and you enjoy eating vegan I have no doubt it works. But on a (very) low budget I'm not convinced. Milk is pretty awesome stuff.

Broccoli pasta
Cauliflower tandoori and rice
Spanakopita and roast tomatoes
Baked potatoes and bean chilli
Aubergine chermoula and bulgar wheat
Summer rolls
Pumpkin curry and rice

Mon: Jacket potatoes, veggie sausages (the kids like the Richmond veggie sausages!! Before those they wouldn't eat veggie ones) and baked beans
Tues: Roasted tomatoes with chilli & garlic and spaghetti
Weds: Teriyaki salmon with stir fried rice and broccoli & french beans
Thurs: Take away night :) :) :)
Fri: Ramen with egg, tofu, veg
Sat: Chilli paneer / chicken stripper wraps with nachos, guac and salsa
Sun: Spatchcock chicken, roast baby pots, veg

We’re still on holiday so here’s our menu for two meals a day. It’s in a mix of English and Italian.
Verdure= vegetables.
Ceci = chickpeas
Polpettone = meatloaf
Luganega= sausage.
Main shopping delivered last Sunday. One small midweek shop and baking day (vegetable pie and peppery cheesy rice pie, lots of leftovers) on Wednesday. Frozen food such as pizza and salmon fillets.

In no particular order ours might be:

Mash, kale, sweetcorn sausages, gravy
Mash, kale, peas, cauliflower cheese, gravy
Pasta with tomato and veg sauce
Chinese veg curry and rice (sometimes with tofu)
Bean and veg chilli, rice and pitta/mini wrap
Asian noodle broth bowl
Veg/chickpea curry, rice, pitta/mini wrap

We are vegan.

Tuesday: Steak with green veg and a Diane sauce
Wednesday: Mushroom Pasanda and Rice (Hello Fresh from today until Sunday)
Thursday: Sea Bream and lime coriander rice with Bok Choy and sugar snaps
Friday: Warm Roasted Tomato and Lentil Salad
Saturday: Herby Parsley Chicken and sticky Veg
Sunday: Fragrant Chicken Laksa
Monday: fridge and freezer dive for food

@Caramellatteplease

I don't think it's difficult to get enough protein but I do find it's harder to keep up iron levels.

Fish, cheese, eggs are all great sources of protein.

Monday: chicken enchiladas
Tuesday: pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce & baked potato cubes with onions & bacon
Wednesday: kedgeree (curried rice, smoked haddock & hard-boiled eggs)
Thursday: lamb tagine with couscous
Friday: chilli con carne with rice or tortilla chips
Saturday: chicken, bacon & leek pie with veg
Sunday: small roast
To reduce meat consumption I have been cutting down on the quantity of meat and replacing it with extra vegetables - nobody has noticed😂

This week we're having:
Baked Tomato and feta pasta
Veggie Laksa
Beetroot Risotto
Pasta bake
Pizza
Baked lemon rice with chicken thighs
Fajitas

Last night was 2x G&Ts

Night before was a G&T and a tube of Pringles.

Having the staycation of my life !

M- pasta with tomato sauce, bacon and mozzarella ( usually would be veggie but using up the end of some bacon)
T- pork chops with worcester sauce cream and handful of chips
W - home made beef goulash soup
T - rye bread with homemade guacamole and roasted red onions and red peppers.
F - aubergine ratatouille, 1/4 flatbread
S- enchiladas, use up the guacamole alongside
S- roasted peppers stuffed with herbed goats cheese and pine nuts, asparagus alongside.

More meat than I'd like & clumped all together on the menu this week due to some annoying activity timings & using up after Christmas. We rotate through a few different homemade soups, home made pizzas and a couple of different fish recipes (eggless kedgeree and pinch of nom fush cakes) too, and often have left overs for lunch- make meals for 4 or 6 to repeat feed us 2- or slot soups in over a few days.

@Sgtmajormummy

We’re still on holiday so here’s our menu for two meals a day. It’s in a mix of English and Italian. Verdure= vegetables. Ceci = chickpeas Polpettone = meatloaf Luganega= sausage. Main shopping delivered last Sunday. One small midweek shop and baking day (vegetable pie and peppery cheesy rice pie, lots of leftovers) on Wednesday. Frozen food such as pizza and salmon fillets.

I'd love to know more about peppery cheese rice pie!

It’s basically an eggy risotto pie, but you have to be generous with the pepper and nutmeg. It’s best lukewarm or cold and a staple for picnics.
In Liguria they love their carbs, so thick doughy pizza or chickpea pancakes in focaccia bread are also popular street food.
I make it like this but without the top layer of pastry, just a generous fold over.

You could maybe change your menu to be slightly healthier.

burger and chips/ burger and salad
pork loin steaks veg and sweet potatoes
sausage, sweet mash, peas

curry and rice (hard to make healthy but I love a curry too!)
Just pizza
Replace with cooking

roast with one yorky and one potato

Today I had tuna and pasta, I cook the tuna in tomato, onion, garlic, celery, olive with pasta.
Yesterday I had prawn pasta which was tomato, basil, onion, garlic.

Usually I eat some sort of meat, so salmon, chicken, with rice, salad, coleslaw that’s my go to meal

Occasionally will be spag Bol.

S- homemade Buffalo chicken nuggets, coleslaw
S- black bean and rice enchilada
M- Pasta with sausages and peppers
T- pierogi and salad
W- fried rice with chicken, veg, kimchi
T- Turkey breast, baked potato, veg
F- Homemade curry or take out

We cook on a weekend but use Gousto during the week to help working days.
This referral link gets 65% off your first Gousto box so 4 delicious and highly recommended meals for 2 cost only £12.25! You can pause boxes or cancel anytime :)

cook.gousto.co.uk/raf/promo_code=KELLY42401604&utm_source=weblink

Lentils, chickpeas, tofu, different types of tinned beans, tinned tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, brocoli, Peppers, mushrooms, onions, spinach, rice, pasta and bread. Used in various combinations with store cupboard herbs and spices to make curry, thai curry, stir fry, chilli, soup, humous and roast veg wraps and pasta dishes, as we feel like on the day. Most things can be on the table within 30 minutes as no meat to faff with.