Fed up with not being able to cook proper meals that people will eat

[MrsMuddlePluck]

Not because I can't cook - I can.

But the family refuse to eat anything. I never get any thanks for cooking them a decent meal - all I get is criticisms of my boring meals [sausages and chips / fish and chips / steak and chips / ...].

I have recently subscribed to a service that delivers the ingredients and the recipe and all I have to do is spend half an hour cooking, to get a lovely delicious meal and all I get is - yuck, from everyone.

I don't know why I bother - do I really have to do the "I'm cooking for me' - you can join me if you want to", thing?

Are you making too many changes at once? Can you just adapt your normal meals to make them more interesting? Different veg/sauces etc?

Try adding to it

Add salad/starter/veg etc

I always do one rice one potatoes one pasta one chips one egg based meal and then vary the meat and veg

Steak mushrooms and roasts
Sausage pasta bake
Chicken curry and rice
Baked potato and tuna
Veg omelette
Saisage and mash or pie pea or sweet corn
Add salad/garlic bread/cheese/ for variety

Can you delegate menu planning?

They sound very negative. Chips and whatever is boring and lovingly crafted gets "yuk"!
Is it an age thing ?
6-10yo are very conservative in my experience and there's a lot of talk during school meals about stuff being "horrible" like cauliflower or spinach, which mine had eaten without a murmur before.
Is your partner a lover of bland British food and wary of spices or herbs?
Tell us more!

Do a two or three week menu that everyone can add their favourite into. Stick to it unless there's a special occasion, meal out etc. Do boring and more fun meals that people can help themselves to.
Do not accept rudeness or ingratitude. Any complaints then the moaner cooks the next meal (or at least helps).
Menu could be something like -

Monday. Chicken fajitas with salsa and guacamole
Tuesday Spaghetti bolognese
Wednesday cheese and tomato rissotto
Thursday Baked potatoes with filling and salad
Friday Fish and oven chips with peas and sweet corn.
Saturday Homemade pizza where they choose their own toppings
Sunday roast chicken dinner
Monday curried chicken soup, naan and samosas
Tuesday Macaroni cheese with tomato and veg
Wednesday fishcakes and veg
Thursday meatball tacos
Friday stir fry prawns with noodles
Saturday do it yourself takeaway (chicken, corn, beans, oven chips)
Sunday Roast pork meal.

You can do a different this week but two weeks means they are familiar with what's on offer and get used to knowing what's for supper. The more control you can give within a structured mealtime is beneficial.

That should be third week. I used to have set online deliveries and just had to press last order, which saved time and hassle too.

Sounds like my DCs.
Have told them when they leave home I'm not helping them lift their fat arses out because it was their choice to eat crap whilst I offered good wholesome meals that they turned their noses up at.
I have finally got to the point where if they want to choose chips and burgers over my chicken casserole, jacket potatoes and salad and cooked from scratch cauliflower cheese then that's their problem.
You know what they say...you can lead a horse to water but if they're stupid to ignore then that's their problem.

Get them involved in the meal making process.
So if they're safe to let loose in the supermarket, tell them to choose three types of meat, pasta, green veg, fruit, etc.
Then sit down together and work out what you can make for the next three days.

Little ones can help making flatbreads for soup.
Medium ones can make pasta. Good life skill.
Older ones including DP can peel veg and prepare meat.

Why should you be the drudge who gets all the complaints? Maybe after those 3 days they'll appreciate your cooking skills a bit more!

What DO they like to eat?

What do YOU like to cook?

And how old are "they"?