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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,418
Registered: ‎03-28-2010

Meal planning has always been difficult.  We're only a family of 3 but all with different tastes.  To make 2023 meal planning even more difficult, my daughter has expressed she would like to eat more vegan meals and husband is on no carb diet.  My husband has always preferred a meat (red meat) meal which my daughter would never eat.  She'll eat chicken once in a while but really likes pasta, which my husband won't eat.  Of course in the New Year I would like to eat healthier and drop some pounds.  With the cost of groceries, I need to watch my wallet.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,806
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Kind of hard to make meal planning when people in the house eat or won't eat certain foods. I would not be making 2 or 3 different meals to please everyone.

I don't meal plan. I generally eat what I'm hungry for. I have leftover bbq ribs so that's what I'm eating tonight. I want some pot roast so that's what I'm making tomorrow. I also want some chicken & a steak so those are coming this week. LOL!!!

DH wants Gumbo so he's making a pot of that today.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,985
Registered: ‎12-24-2010

OMG......plate of pasta for DD

 

You & DH,,,,,,,,,,,, a nice steak and salad 

 

And You have garlic toast

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,932
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I would have to tell the two of them, get together, come up with an agreeable plan for meals and to let you know once it's happened.  Until then it would be every one for themselves, you're not running ScrapHappy's Diner.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,075
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

I'm not too familiar with vegan or low carb diets, but I think there's probably some overlap.  Maybe try googling ideas and see if you can find 1-2 meals a week  that will work for everyone and start with that?  Then it's not so overwhelming.   I do intermittent fasting and try to eat healthy, so meal  planning really helps me stick to it and also avoid running out for fast food at the last minute.  My husband will usually go for what I make, but I always tell him this is dinner.... if you don't like it, you know where the kitchen is Smiley Happy

Valued Contributor
Posts: 932
Registered: ‎05-12-2010

I meal plan, and the best way I have discovered is to make one day a week a big prep day.  Make a lot of meals ahead of time.  Whenever you cook anything, cook in bulk and put things in the frezer.  An easy vegan meal is roasted veggies over quinoa or rice cooked in veggie broth.  If you make a huge batch you can use those ingredients for other meals where you add whatever protein your husband will like and whatever other igredients you would enjoy on the side.  Another possibility is smashed chickpeas prepared just like you would prepare a tuna salad (vegan mayo, sweet relish, salt, pepper, diced celery, mustard).  It's great on bread with tomato, sprouts, lettuce or on  crackers and can be eaten alone to avoid the carbs.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,000
Registered: ‎02-07-2011

@ScrapHappy  How old is your daughter?  I would tell her to make her own meals and I would just cook for husband and myself. As someone pointed out, you are not a diner!!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,094
Registered: ‎05-10-2010

Everyone should do their own shopping and cook their own meals.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 34,839
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@ScrapHappy wrote:

Meal planning has always been difficult.  We're only a family of 3 but all with different tastes.  To make 2023 meal planning even more difficult, my daughter has expressed she would like to eat more vegan meals and husband is on no carb diet.  My husband has always preferred a meat (red meat) meal which my daughter would never eat.  She'll eat chicken once in a while but really likes pasta, which my husband won't eat.  Of course in the New Year I would like to eat healthier and drop some pounds.  With the cost of groceries, I need to watch my wallet.  


@ScrapHappy Get a program or app that you can put in food and it tells you if you have enough protein, fiber, carbs, etc.  It's a huge help!  

 

For daughter, plain yogurt and protein powder for smoothies with protein.  Quinoa has complete protein too I believe.  Beans both for salads and as a main dish are helpful and easy to keep.  Beans, veggies and quinoa make great meals with oil and vinegar.

 

Squash, potatoes, carrots and onions are easy to roast and can be eaten hot, cold, or room temperature and kept in fridge for days.  Greens washed and dried are handy to combine with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers (the small ones are so good!) and tuna, chicken or beef for salads (taco salads are great).

 

Poach or slow cook chicken breasts in tomato juice and use for soups, salads, stir frys, or many other ways.  Ground lean turkey makes wonderful chili if used with beef broth--you won't know it isn't beef!  Keep in the freezer!  

 

Le Sueur green beans or peas canned are so good--and canned kernal corn is good to add to a lot of things and put in grain salads.  Get creative with soups to use up leftovers.  

 

Canned tuna, sardines and chicken breasts are good to have on hand.  We buy canned chicken breast meat from Costco or Sams and use it for soups and sandwiches  Keep the broth (it is very salty) and freeze it for use in soup.  Canned tomatoes are a staple that we use a lot too.

 

Good canned whole tomatoes cut up (I chop in the can using scissors) and cooked down with Italian seasoning are great for pastas (we often have pasta with sauce and top it with cottage cheese for a quick supper--or put sauce on quinoa). 

 

Use brown rice and grains like bulgar or farro for stuffed peppers (make a bunch and freeze them--use quinoa, nuts and vegan cheese as stuffing for daughter), cold salads and as side dishes.  We love grain salads with dried fruits, fresh fruits, salad veggies and sometime nuts as main dish salads. 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,075
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

If I let my husband do his own shopping and cooking, my kitchen would be a mess!  I actually don't mind cooking and accommodating others,  I enjoy it.