[removed]
Question for other big families — does the 'same 5 meals on repeat' thing ever wear you down, or is the actual cost the bigger daily headache? Trying to figure out what's the real pain point vs. what just gets talked about most. No agenda, genuinely curious 😅"
[removed]
I think you can have the same base meals but change them up each week with what's on sale at the shops. Pasta night, varying sauces and protein Taco night, but sometimes authentic style carnitas with cilantro and onions, sometimes chopped chicken taco salad bowls with chips to dip in, sometimes a layer dip with hard shells Ground meat night, maybe a shepherds pie or maybe sloppy joes or chilli Grilled cheese and soup night, varying the cheese, bread, soup, and veg Quiche night but vary the ingredients and cheese,maybe do tomato pies or another savory pie instead
[removed]
I’d add stir fry to this list. You can use basically any cut of meat and the veggie combinations are nearly endless. Switch the sauce and it really never gets old
[removed]
OP, are you the one cooking, or are you asking from the eating point of view? How big is your family?
[removed]
This doesn’t really answer your question, but I just texted my mom yesterday to tell her that I didn’t appreciate as a kid how much effort it takes to come up with different meals to cook for dinner all the time.
[removed]
[removed]
Repeating meals/cost were never the source of meal related headaches. The things that wore me down meal wise when my kids were younger were either the decision fatigue surrounding what to make with no helpful input from my family or the frustration of trying to rotate something new in just to have the kids respond “ew, gross” and refuse to eat it. Hence why so many families end up with the same 5 repeating meals, it’s just easier.
Been eating the EXACT same breakfast and lunch for 18 years. Different supper every day. Saves big money and is healthy.
I’m curious what is the go to breakfast and lunch?
Grilled or baked chicken thighs / pork loin and steamed veg. typically broccoli or green beans (sometimes on the grill also). Cooked for Sunday lunch or dinner then used during the week for meals with easily “cooked” carbs. Tacos, ramen or soba noodles, pasta, instant mashed potatoes etc. Or add to a salad, omelettes, homemade pizza.
[removed]
I could never eat the same five meals on repeat. That would absolutely make me hate both eating and cooking. The biggest pain point for cooking is trying to accommodate varying tastes. I no longer do this and it makes dinner fairly frictionless. I build meals around seasonal produce, whatever protein is on sale, and whole grains. I do repeat meals seasonally (ratatouille in summer, butternut squash soup in fall, tons of roast Brussels sprouts in winter, spring pea risotto, etc.). We have meals we repeat often but not on any schedule: chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, roast chicken with veggies, potato soup, and enchiladas are on a pretty heavy rotation because they’re easy and comforting. But I like to cook recipes from all around the world on weekends, and for weeknights I just throw stuff together based on what’s in the fridge/pantry without a recipe.