DINNER PLANNING FRUSTRATION - Page 2

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

I don’t plan meals and I don’t take a list for the grocery store. Sometimes I decide 30 minutes before dinner is due what I am going to make. My freezer and pantry is always full, so I have choices.

Low carb is easy. I do low carb often, but my DH doesn’t. Plan to make a protein like chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish or seafood. Prepare it without breadcrumbs. Next plan a vegetable that is not starchy...no beans or corn. Make a salad with greens and veggies, no carrots or tomatoes for your DH. Then make a starch if you want to satisfy you and your daughter like potatoes, noodles or rice for a,side dish.

Your DH will be eating mostly meat and low carb veggies...for fruit... berries only. So you can always make him a steak and salad... then make a baked potato for yourself and your daughter, or a combo salad with chicken, eggs, olives, low carb veggies and low carb dressing. A ham and cheese omelet with green pepper and a little onion is good and satisfying.

i can understand your frustration. Just buy plenty of protein products, veggies and fruits and have some potatoes, rice and noodles on hand. With these items you can whip up meals in a hurry. Your DH will not be eating pasta, potatoes or most bread products...they do make low carb bread and wraps.

You don’t have to have fancy meals

AuntG · ‎03-09-2010

You need a plan, so start with, "hey guys, I'm making a shopping list so what would you like for dinner next week." Once you have some ideas, prepare some menus and a grocery list. Libraries are full of low carb recipe books too.

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

I've had a weekly menu for most of my 35 years married. I can't function without it. Every Saturday morning, I sit down with my menu and list and plan our meals, then I head to the grocery store. The family likes it because they know what to expect and I never have the stress of wondering what to cook or prep ahead of time.

The best trick to this, is falling into a routine.

For example:

Saturday - burgers and oven fries (DH would revolt if I changed this)

Sunday - slow cooker, casserole, roast

Monday - fish

Tuesday - chicken

Wednesday - pasta

Thursday - soup or salad and sandwich

Friday - leftovers or once in a blue moon, take out

There's still a lot of wiggle room with a plan like that, yet it's structured enough to plan easily. I enjoy browsing Pinterest or other sites for ideas.

At the end of the month, I take a photo of the menu, so if I'm running out of ideas at anytime I can look back at previous months. I have friends who think this is all quite insane, but on the contrary, it has saved my sanity for decades.

~ house cat ~

nyc1 · ‎03-19-2010

Yep... For dinner, my Mom used to say... I'm not running a restaurant here! She was a great cook, and we ate what she cooked. My sister was really fussy, but she picked at things and never went hungry. My Mom catered to her more for breakfast and lunch.

I like the idea of planning things with the family so that they too can take some responsibility in the meal planning, if that makes you stressed. DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN... there are too many other things in this world that will do that to you and meal planning shouldn't be one of them.

Don't forget EGGS. Sometimes we have breakfast for dinner. You can make omlettes and everyone can have their own filling. Also, you can do an easy parmesan and not add breadcrumbs for your husband, if that will make a huge difference. Parmesan can be chicken ..... and you can do it very easily with a thinner white fish ... fish, sauce cheese, and spices .... in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 mins. EASY EASY EASY. Stir fry.... with tons of vegetables and a protein... also quick and easy. The prep takes all the work. On line recipes will be helpful.

USE A LIST! I even make my list in the order that the store is laid out! Good luck.

software · ‎06-08-2016

I'm a widow, live alone but back in the day my family would eat anything and plenty of it! My problem now is the grand kids. Both their parents are restaurant managers, so they eat restarant food (not fast food) almost every day. They don't like home cooked food!

They all show up on Sunday so I've learned to cook simple. Funny how it works, if I put a roast in the crock pot, kids won't eat it but if I shove the roast in a slider bun, they can't stop eating it! They will eat almost any veggie raw (with dip, Ranch dressing) but won't touch cooked veggies. I can handle that.

Why do you need to prepare a meal? Have a protein ready, fresh greens, raw veggies, let them fix their own plate the way they like it.

Assign a night to your hubby and a night to you DD. Let them be in charge of the meal.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

Your husband is on a "no" or low carb diet? Those can be very dangerous because the body can throw off keotones in the urine which is what diabetics can do. No carbs is very hard on the kidneys.

I would suggest your husband see his doctor who will give him meal plans for his body.

Please give yourself some fresh fruits and vegetables.

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

@ScrapHappy

One of the magazines I subscribed to when I was first married, had a monthly menu in it. I think it was Women's Day or Family Circle. I would follow it loosely and make changes according to our taste. I'm sure there are websites like that nowadays.

~ house cat ~

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

DH and I are also in a rut..but he is fairly easy to cook for...we generally eat out 1-2 times on the weekend, so if he wants a large meal (usually steak) he eats it then...otherwise thru the week....salads, taco salad, goulash, meatloaf, chicken, eggs....we are not big eaters.

When I was a kid the rule was your mother prepared it YOU WILL EAT IT or leave the table and nothing else until breakfast.....that was how it was done back in the day.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

Hi @ScrapHappy

I do plan meals, here’s how...

I sit down once a week and flip through recipes in a box I keep, collections online, in magazines, whatever I am in the mood for.

I list those that appeal to me in a steno book, then make a new page listing ingredients I will need from the store.

You can always google low carb recipes online and copy those you like.

I think you should cook what YOU like for awhile, taking your husband’s needs into consideration.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

wrote:
@ScrapHappy

One of the magazines I subscribed to when I was first married, had a monthly menu in it. I think it was Women's Day or Family Circle. I would follow it loosely and make changes according to our taste. I'm sure there are websites like that nowadays.

I did that, too! @house_cat I am pretty sure it was Women’s Day 😀