Takeaways every night !

[Lookwhostalking25]

I am sure I will be absolutely jumped on
but I just cannot get the hang of sorting dinner out 😂😂🙈
single mum of 3 ( baby and 2 primary school kids, one of which is disabled ) widowed nearly a year now.
I can juggle about everything else but food I struggled before returning back to work but wasn’t too bad but since returning I just haven’t managed it.
today was day 14 of takeouts after going back to work 2 weeks ago 😂😂
please send me tips because I’m sure the kids will come accustomed very shortly to take our lives haha !

Sorry for your loss. I actually think that the eating in the car is more of an issue than the fact it's a takeaway. It's a matter of making a change of habits. Maybe start by cutting down on takeaways to a limited number of days a week and the other days make sure you eat at the table eve if it's a prepared meal from the supermarket, then start making some yourself. Look for simple recipes that take 30 minutes to make. Have some simple meals like jacket potatoes, beans on toast, scrambled eggs, salad, carrot and celery sticks and hummus on the side. It is hard but I agree meal planning and batch cooking some things are great ideas. Good luck!

Pasta + jar sauce + frozen peas etc or lettuce
red lentil soup - red lentils on its own or with whatever veg you have

I think you’re doing g brilliantly,

I would really recommend a slow cooker - I dont cook yet I can do a mean curry in this. Chicken in , frozen o ions in, frozen peppers in and a jar of curry sauce ( when you come more proficient you could do your own - coconut milk, tinned tomatoes and curry powder)near end of cooking you could add sweetcorn, peas, spinach etc. . On low all day and serve with microwave rice or naan bread

honestly you don’t have to “cook” anything

also a shop ready made lasagna is so easy ( highly recommend Lidls (from their fridge section not frozen section). And serve with vegetables or carrot/cucumber sticks.

good luck xx

Also filled pastas ( take less than 10 mins to book) then whatever topping you want pesto, cream cheese, grated cheese. Add a bit of ham or tuna fish for more protein. Or get a ready made tub of fresh pasta sauce.

OP I think you are amazing.

There's whole category of quick and easy food that falls somewhere between ready meals/takeaways and cooking from scratch. Things like breaded fish, chicken kiev, sausages, burgers etc. DH and I used to do a lot of proper cooking but now I'm on my own I often have one of the above cooked in the air fryer, with salad / roast veg cooked in the air fryer at the same time / jacket potato in the microwave. Generally takes about 20 minutes and no prep other than opening the packet. I was a late convert to air fryers but for this sort of food they are invaluable (though I'd recommend one with shelves rather than baskets).

Jumping to say what our every single Sunday night dinner is.

herby pork meatballs (from Aldi)

I sautee carrots, onion, garlic and celery. Then pan fry pork meatballs. Add chicken stock from a container. Add pasta shapes. Cook and the serve with fresh dill. I always separate out the stock and soupy part and freeze then defrost for the next week, and cook the meatballs and pasta. Takes roughly 15 minutes once a week.

I serve with garlic bread. My entire family eat it. and once the base stock is in the freezer it takes no time.

I think you are doing amazingly well, OP. All you need is to get into a routine and routines don't happen all at once. They happen brick by brick. So work out what brick you want this week then have another brick next week. x

When I was struggling I wrote a list of meals that took a few minutes make and pretty much with one hand (difficult baby).
There is a big amount of options from cooking from scratch to takeaways. I did do ready meals a lot, but much cheaper.
Do you have freezer space for a COOK delivery?

Could you fit in a weekly shopping delivery? Add to it over the week as you have a minute spare.
Set up lists of weekly basics.

Bored of lunch slow cooker book. So easy and they have all been so good!!

Slow cooker and the bored of lunch slow cooker books - throw it in and leave it be!
tesco have a good range of foil try meat done in marinade/pastry etc. grab some pre prep veg to steam with
fresh pasta/ravioli, fresh sauce and garlic bread
pizza and salad
breaded fish and wedges from freezer
sausages, frozen mash and peas
chivken, courgette, jar curry sauce and microwave rice
old El Paso fajita kit
jackets- beans and cheese, tuna, tin chilli
salmon, new potatoes and salad

make a list- choose 7 each week and do an online shop so it’s al ready for you, dinner in under 30 mins all of them
best of luck you are doing amazing

Well done on getting back to work with three on your own after everything you've been through.

M&S ready meals aren't terrible. But they also do a lot of "cook with" things. So it's pre-prepped veg you can steam in the micro. Couscous, rice, potatoes etc. and marinated chicken, pork, fish, and so on. Bung them in the oven, micro etc and definitely get an air fryer for at least potatoes.

If you were close to me I'd do you some freezer meals x

So I fine iceland have some great in between options for when I dont have the time to cook- https://www.iceland.co.uk/p/iceland-cheesy-chicken-and-broccoli-pasta-750g/86094.html?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Iceland+%7C+Performance+Max+%7C+All+Other+Products&utm_term=&utm_content=&source=ppc&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrvyxBhAbEiwAEg_KgpMPynFEybu5va3WPWMAozX8_OYHige7BBYlqYH3YXMpcOrc3r3njhoCO4QQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This one is especially a big hit in our house. Few minutes in the microwave and at least has some vegetables in! But they have lots of similar bags for stir frys or risottos which are also good and much cheaper than takeaways!

Honestly you sound like your doing amazing!

Planning meals is the hardest part of being mum I think!

Get yourself to Iceland or get a delivery they do 10 for £10 on freezer staples like fish fingers, nuggets ect. Handy to just throw in after a long day.

I expect you were offered help from friends/family after you were widowed. Now call that favour in - ask explicitly if one of them to come over on a Sunday morning and help you batch cook. Perhaps another friend could take 1 or all of the children. Treat the cooking friend to Sunday lunch being part of what you have just made!

If you have a decent sized freezer, I would order Cook ready meals to go in there. Family sized lasagne, fish pie, pasta, curry etc. Good, fresh ingredients that taste not far off home cooked. Not cheap, but cheaper than takeaway. Some can be stuck in the microwave, some need to go in the oven. Add a couple of bags of frozen food and you’re sorted.

The other thing I would do is, if anyone ever asks how you are doing or whether they can help, say that your DP used to do all the cooking and you ared struggling. If they would ever like to bring a home-cooked meal round, that would be the best way they could help out.

Popular quickies I often make for the Gdcs are egg fried rice - rice does need to be cooked and cooled earlier, but that takes v little effort - with frozen peas/sweetcorn.

And potato wedges with fried eggs. Again, wedges need to be cut and parboiled (for 8 minutes) in advance, but then it’s just a question of shoving them in the oven and frying the eggs.

Also wanted to add that we do at least one "simple" meal a week - beans on toast, bacon and scrambled egg, jackets and tuna (and you can get frozen jackets nowadays, they're pretty good and they're quick).

We have take away quite often. Sometimes it costs about the same as if it would to make a meal!

Sorry you're struggling so much OP. I've been there too with the take aways. I saw you're waiting for therapy.

Have you looked into better help? It's £180 a month for a weekly video with a UK based therapist who you can also write to at any time. There's also support groups on there at all times of the day. I'm sure there'd be a bereavement one also. You can join one groups a week with your subscription. They do financial aid too, I applied as a single mum and received 40 percent off. It might be cheaper than take-aways and would give you the space you needed to sort your head out and get focused on cooking again. It's helped me a lot as I was getting a lot of take aways since becoming a single mum.

OP you sound like you're doing amazingly well considering everything going on in your life.

I think (low-sodium) beige food would be fine, with a more wholesome side - e.g. salads, veggies, greens etc. Anything that gets your meal time simplified and quick. There's some handy gadgets for chopping your salads and veggies quicker to cut down on prep time or you can get them pre-chopped. We keep our salads simple (olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, tarragon) but you can always throw some variety in on occasion.

Certain meats take close to no time to cook and will be cheaper and healthier overall than your takeaways (e.g. prawns or steak). Nothing fancy required, just a bit of salt and pepper, perhaps some butter/garlic/ginger if you're feeling fancy! But don't feel the need to complicate things unnecessarily, most kids have pretty bland tastes!

I think you need to cut yourself some slack, you've gone through a lot and it sounds like you've kept your sense of humour too (loved your updates!)

I was going to suggest Cook too. MIL is a great cook, however FIL is unwell so she’s caring for him, and unfortunately she’s not too well herself atm so she’s been buying these. She speaks very highly of them so they can’t be too bad.

I'm sorry for your loss and it sounds like your doing a fab job. Don't beat yourself up and perhaps introduce small changes.
What home cooked meals do you enjoy and type of takeaways do you have. Also which supermarket do you use for other shopping?

I’m really sorry about the death of your husband. My mum died when I was a young child, so I know how it turns life upside down. She was the cook in our house too. My father made a lot of stews or similar, plus a lot of potatoes, veg and fish/meat. Pretty simple food but nutritious.

I manage with young children and am intense job by often serving the same thing two days in a row eg I’m make a decent bolognaise when they go to bed or put it on while playing with them, then they get that for dinner the next two days. I also use the slowcooker a lot, and do simple meals like pan-fried seabass, boiled or roasted veg and new potatoes or air-frier sweet potatoes.

but sometimes it’s even too much to think about that level of cooking and then honestly hellofresh or similar is great. Get the 20 min or simple recipes (hellofresh is also really great at teaching you how to cook). And then at least 3-4 days a week, you know you have a good, varied meal.

Firstly, you are amazing!! Wow. I am so sorry for your loss I cannot imagine how that was. Then to have a baby in the middle of it along with 2 other children. You are standing and for that well done.

Probably mentioned on here. I have a ninja 15 in 1. I absolutely love it. There are loads of varieties of pasta/ rice meals you can do in 1 pot and have on the table in 30 minutes.

Start building a freezer stash - so if you do a curry this week double the receipe so next week you have curry in the freezer.

Most supermarkets now do a much better variety of ready meal. They are usually in foil trays that you take the wrapper off and into the oven.

A week might be:
Spag bol - from the freezer this freezes so well
Chicken curry rice - all in 1 pot in the ninja
Boiled/ baked gammon - ninja. + salad/ bread
Cajun chicken pasta - all in 1 pot in the ninja
burgers from butcher or with high meat content + buns + pre pre'd salad
Pepperoni pasta bake - ninja
Chilli (again great for batching) + frozen jacket spuds
Beef stew - all in ninja
Whole chicken - in ninja + pre pre'd salad and roll/ tiger bread
Wrap pizza
Chicken goujons/ maryland from the butcher made with whole chicken pieces.
Mac and cheese - ninja
Toad in the hole
Jambayla - ninja
Fajitas made using the kit

I have some pyrex dishes that can go straight from the freezer to the oven - although I usually defrost over night as it'd be forever. If you fill one of those with a double dinner at least once a week that is dinner for 1 night sorted nxt week

Happy to expand on any of the recipies but my post is already getting long.

You sound like an amazing woman and a fantastic mum

Honestly I’d go and grab a shedload of Marks and Sparks ready meals and just go with them for a bit. It will be cheaper and healthier for you all but still really easy. Give yourself a break!

Get yourself a slow cooker if you can afford it xx