Someone please help with a meal plan before I spontaneously combust

[ifeelitall]

I've just started to try and put together a meal planner - ideally I'd like a 3 week plan that I can rotate. Not identical every time, but so that I know it's always pasta on that night, soup on another etc.

Just looking at it made me depressed! All those meals to be cooked. I like cooking and I love it when ds enjoys what I cook, but it just feels like this endless mountain to climb. Dh is usually not home for dinner, so I'm cooking for 4yo and me, while dealing with wriggly 10mo at the same time.

On a good day I try to cook something in the morning when db sleeps, so I can just warm it up in the evening. Otherwise I need to cook something superfast when we're all home at 5pm - again, while keeping 10mo entertained.

I just feel like my whole day is taken up with thinking about food - thinking about it, shopping for it, cooking it, and it makes me want to scream. Can anyone help me with a plan for healthy, simple meals? I want nights off inbetween! i.e. one night eating leftover soup instead of making something new.

4yo ds is very allergic to fish, so that's out. We live in Austria where the supermarkets are quite basic (not much in the way of international ingredients), and 99% of cooking is done from scratch.

Would be very grateful for any ideas, thank you!

First thing I would do is invest in a slow cooker if you haven't got one already then look at the slow cooker recipe thread on General Housekeeping.

Best thing is you can chuck all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning then come 5pm you can all just help yourself when you want which will be good with your Dh not eating the same time as you.

You can make curries, stews, casseroles, ccook whole chickens and lots lots more!

Jamies Ministry of food cook book is great, and has a fab Bolognese recipe that you can double up on and make into a lasagne later in the week, or a chilli, or whatever.

I don't meal plan as such but make sure at least twice a week I have no effort meals like omlette, jacket potato or beans on toast.

I make a batch of tomato/veggie sauce and freeze it in portions - it goes with everything, pasta, cous cous, rice, thin it a bit and its a nice soup. DD won't eat meat but this actually makes meals quite easy - just add some carbs and veg (frozen v quick if you're pressed for time) and some cheese or lentils for protein. If all else fails I scramble an egg.
Have you looked at Annabel Karmels book? She does some meal plans?

I did a days of the week plan as I was always getting stuck for ideaa. After about 2 years we had to change for variety but it was good while it lasted.

Monday rice + curry or chinese (jar sauce, vary other ingredients)
Tuesday pie'n' mash or sausage 'n'mash
Wednesday something like chilli or a casserole
Thursday easy pasta eg mac cheese or bolognese
Friday fish n chips or say baked salmon
Saturday pizza, omelette or fajitas
Sunday - casserole or roast if keen

Quite a lot of these can be made double and frozen and others are easy to throw together. you can get decent quality pies/sausages/home made pizza so not to junky. Add as many veg on the side as you like.

Basically choose a "theme" for each day and a couple of variations then shop for the basic storecupboard/freezer ingredients.

Sorry should have read your OP a bit better about Austria and fish allergy

Hi, thanks for you replies. Slow cooker is a good idea - am going to investigate! I have Ministry of Food, which is great, and I often (
too often) do pasta w. bolognese sauce one night, then cottage pie the next. I guess I'm trying to cut down the amount of evenings I'm chopping veg etc when home with the boys, it's just too stressful.

Weekends are fine, as dh is home too, it's really just Mon-Fri that does my head in.

I am in the same boat. 4yo but a 23mo too. Absent DH most weekdays and living in Germany so struggling with variety.

Shall be watching this thread as I am tired of batches of bolognese or chilli or homemade chicken nuggets, and the boys are tired of them too.

On your own with two also means such precious little time to yourself that you don't want to be slaving o er the cooker either.

I hope we get some easy kid friendly ideas!

There is a meal planner on MN (look at the top of this page).

Found another planner HERE

Hello abroad - yes, exactly! And I hope so too

Hello ifeelitall. Am shattered and KIndergarten run beckns so I'll watch this thread. Maybe we can put our heads together and work out meals based on the supermarkets our way.

Good idea. Let's keep each other posted.