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 !

Thank you for this! I feel guilty a lot of the time that I'm not cooking from scratch more often for the kids. Seeing that others are giving similar foods is reassuring that I'm not letting the side down. Especially with all the ultra processed food news. Feels like another stick to beat mums with.

Bloody hell the take always you are describing must be costing you about £40 a time at least it’s not even cheap naff takeaways, I’d be physically sick if I was spending that amount of money on takeaways

How can you honestly not have the time to cook up as one pasta and throw a jar of sauce in

your kids don’t need to be eating A la Carte meals on a daily basis you know they will survive on normal food not dishes from Leon 🤣🤣

its difficult to find the motivation sometimes but you definitely can’t carry on the way you are

Haha this made me chuckle ? Have you ever eaten from Leon.
now I defo spend far too much money on take outs I won’t deny it
but did made me laugh that it was Leon classed as a La carte
it’s one of the cheapest and feeds both kids for around 10 pound.
why is not classed as normal food ?

Theres a lot of snobbery on this thread

Snobbery about spending money on takeaways, it doesnt matter if the person can afford it
Snobbery about takeaways themselves
Snobbery about 'home cooked junk food' theres nothing wrong with sausage and mash and fish fingers, these are traditional evening meal dishes, when did they come with a side of arsenic?
Snobbery about not cooking meals yourself, not everything has to be home made.

I don’t think anyone meant to be snobbery regarding sausages / chicken nuggets etc
it was in relation to the person saying healthy take outs would cause adhd and obesity but then suggested chicken nuggets / sausages etc
i have no issue with my kids eating those things on occasions.
my Eldest loves McDonalds.

Hello there,

I work full time and also do all the cooking.
My husband works long hours and rarely eats with us. So whilst I am not a single parent I understand having to take care of everything solo in the evening. In fact, we don't get in till 6pm most days so I have to sort homework, food, bath, etc in a very short timeframe.

I stick to simple meals. There are the odd fish fingers but I generally cook fresh, simple, healthy meals every evening. I work from home 2 days a week and those days are generally easier.
Simple meals can include some of the following.

Pasta pesto
Bagels with smoked salmon and smashed avocado
Fish fillets / chicken breast or thighs with coucous and veg
Fish fingers or sausages are ok for one meal a week too.
And then try a "bang in the slow cooker" meal. Google some. There are many online but all you do is throw everything in, in the morning / night before and let it cook all day. It's ready when you get home. No need to stir. No need to check on it. NOTHING. I made an amazing spagbol the other day in the slow cooker - https://www.tamingtwins.com/slow-cooker-bolognese/#wprm-recipe-container-13811

Couscous is the easiest carb to add to any meal. You pour some in a bowl. Add salt, or whatever flavouring you'd like. Boil the kettle. Pour hot water over it. Cover. Let sit till water absorbed. Done. Mine will devour this with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.
Couscous is your friend!

If you are very short on time - cucumber, tomatoes etc are the easiest veg to add in. We often make sweet corn, grean beans, petit pois, brocoli. These are all easy too.

Smoked salmon is the simplest thing on the planet as there's nothing to do but fish fillets are cooked in a matter of minutes.

You can do this!

It’s so easy to get stuck in a cycle, particularly when you’ve been through such a difficult time. Maybe start slow- it can seem overwhelming to shop and cook for the whole week. So maybe set a target for just doing Monday and Tuesday initially. That’s 28% better than takeaways every night 🤷‍♀️. Once comfortable, you can build up from there?
Also, it doesn’t need to be perfect. JPs, scrambled eggs, beans on toast are all in the menu mid week at our house.

We do make it home sometimes before eating but middle DC especially just jumps straight in 😂

I'm still really confused as to how eating in the car works when its things like salmon/vegetables...are they eating these with their fingers?? How have you got suitable knives and forks/plates...I'm so confused!

Not the point of the thread I know but the curiosity is killing me 😂

😂😂 you can get cutlery
its not fancy cutlery. If it’s something particularly hard to eat then we will wait.
tbf he usually finishes his before I’ve even had time to sort baby out in the car haha
car is not necessarily moving x

i should go back to work now 😭
hopefully I can stick to the new plan tonight

have a nice day everyone.

I think trying to take the emotion out of the situation take away 7 days a week is probably unsustainable longer term.

When I said your post wasn't just about food I mean that superficially it is, but theres a lot going on. Loss of your partner and loss of his input around meals. Its hardly suprising this has become a focus.

Personally, I'm ot convinced by gadgets and meals delivery schemes. I'd be trying a few basics and get the family on board.

Keep Going OP!

Golly, you poor thing. You definitely have your hands full!
Firstly, don’t beat yourself up. Secondly, I’m sure others have mentioned, but meals don’t always have to be cooked- cold platters of cheese, bread, olives, nuts, fruit, salad veg - all fresh and healthy and require minimal effort.
Alternatively, might be cheaper to hire a home chef/help a couple of days than spend on takeout.? They could batch cook for you, just while your life is so hectic.
Good luck

I’m sorry for your loss op, and a year later back at work with three young kids, you’re doing great!

im with all the batch cooking suggestions here, maybe batch cook one meal every Sunday then that means within two months you’ll have a meal for each day sitting waiting for you to defrost in the freezer.

the thing with take aways every night is that they will be full of stuff that won’t be helping any of you get a good rest or give you energy. I’m not sure if you can access this where you live but these guys cook good food & send it to you So you just have to heat it up. It’s definitely more expensive than cooking yourself, but I think it would be better value than takeaways & would definitely be more nutritious

https://www.cookfood.net/menu/main-meals/value-cook-nights?utm_source=Weekly+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MAY+(12th)+24+-+Options+Galore&utm_term=b83ae57e-6982-4fcf-a2ba-c9743695fd53

My GC love going out to our local cafe where they do all the usual fried food and breakfasts but also really nice (and cheap!) skewered kebabs with lamb, pork or chicken, pitta bread and salads with chips for the hungry ones. We usually eat in there but they also do takeaways and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them.
Kebabs are also something you can do really easily and quickly in the magical air fryer, you can even get them on sticks ready to cook in supermarkets if you're stuck for time.

Hope you're getting on well with the air fryer?

I think you’re doing amazingly well keeping everything together. I understand completely the exhaustion/cooking dilemma. I would second hello fresh/Gousto etc….try them all ( you get deals when you’re a new customer) and find which one you like. If it’s less daunting maybe aim for two home cooked meals and the rest ready meals or take away and slowly cut out the take aways over the next couple of weeks. You’ve got a lot on your plate at the moment and you need to manage what you can, when you can.

Im a fan of those tagliatelle packs that take 3 minutes on the boil! I add some frozen broccoli to the pan then put a sauce on it.

When I havent time to cook I always go to a takeout place who do home cooked food ie mince and dumplings, curries , corned beef pie etc. They are always healthy. I know its still takeouts but at least it's hone cooking without extra additives etc. Yes also expensive but until you get yourself back into a routine it's a better option?

OP I'm sorry for your loss and I think you are doing an incredible job.

I second the suggestion early on in the thread to start the cooking before you sit down. Get baby in a safe spot then start. Primary school ones can "help"- maybe cut up cucumbers and tomatoes with a toddler knife or wash lettuce for a salad or maybe just entertain the baby. I liked cooking with my little ones in the kitchen with me- nice bonding time, satisfies their need to be close to Mum after school and they learn some life skills. Pan on with water for pasta. No need to heat a jarred sauce- just pour it on and heat in the pan with the cooked drained pasta. I second the bags of frozen veggies- just as nutritious if not more so than fresh and much easier. Get frozen chopped onions and garlic and you can sautee them in minutes- great base for lots of dishes. You'll find it's actually faster than going through the takeaway. For now use paper plates and shove the pots in the dishwasher. Clean as you go as much as possible.

I'd avoid Hello Fresh. I use them but the recipes are complicated and it takes me and my DD about 30 minutes to make them (DD is 14 and very helpful)

I think she’s probably hungry! Once you can smell it it’s all over when you’re ready for food!

I'm going to sound really sad here but as a single mum & teacher I had a system which involved making a spreadsheet (I know, I know) with 3 weeks worth of meals planned on it with a balance of nutrition etc across each week and eg the use of a whole box of eggs across the week to reduce waste. Then I had a ready made shopping list (saving money) and never had to think and could prepare as much as possible in advance without getting sick of eating the same thing constantly. I had a summer version and a winter version too. Took a bit of preparation but worked for me :)

Also there's a lady on the net somewhere does slow cooker prep where you get "bags" of food ready on a Sunday and each day, freeze them, get them out the night before the slap the bag in the slow cooker before you go to work, delicious meal ready when you get home. Easy peasy.

Quick meals - quesadillas, one pot things like tomato sauce for pasta, pesto, omelettes, you can roast a chicken in a slow cooker all day on low (I do one for the cat each week!), fajitas, things rolled up in a pancake (cheese, ham, spinach, mushrooms), fried eggs, mushrooms on toast.

I'm veggie and often make a veggie bolognaise or smoky aubergine ragu and eat it for days - with pasta, next day with rice, next day on a potato or toast or in an omelette etc

Can you do big cook little cook and get the kids involved?

Update on how my Monday went
no take out although not cooked either 😂
they had a graze board of cheeses / meats / veg / bread / and Fruit.

and I even managed to see the bottom of the laundry pile ( this won’t last or happened once a year at most ) 😂😂😂

Perfect

brilliant- well done.

OP I'm not sure whether anyone has mentioned this yet, but a "healthy" ready meal might provide a better balance of convenience and nutrition than nuggets etc

E.g. this is a nice brand
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=bol

Or this brand
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/313961011

Or something like
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-rice-quinoa-vegetable-stir-fry/762708-550255-550256

Or the pots of soup that you keep in the fridge (rather than tins)

These all have whole ingredients and lots of fresh veg, and will maybe help to produce the curries and stir fried which your husband was good at

big love xx

Well done!!

I recommend having a day (like Sunday or whatever is your most free day) for meal prep. Prep for the week. As someone suggested making a big batch of favorite dish and freezing any extra that will not stay fresh for the week. Slow cookers are great, as well. Sorry for your loss. Soups and sauces are great to make in bulk and freeze.

I don’t recommend hello fresh actually it’s just not realistic with 3 children. You are still cooking the food it is just a lot more packaging and much less value.