Meal Planning - how do you do it?

darkblue_2

A thermos may work, but appeal for your right to a microwave! It's a pretty basic necessity in an office.

doelani

I have been on diet for 4 weeks but really struggling to meal plan due to being very plain eater.

Meals seem to be limited to:

xxxxxx and boiled potato
xxxxxx and baked potato
Lasange
Bolognaise and pasta
Chicken curry.........not to often
Beef Casserole
Salad.............now to often

xxxxx can be steak , chicken or pork.

The meat part is not the biggest problem is is the potato's. Have made home made chunky oven chips a few times. I am not fussy on pasta. Rice is ok but have never had it with anything except Curry.

I AM SICK OF POTATOES !!!!! I have spent hours trawling internet looking for ideas but nothing is jumping out at me and saying " make me " lol

What do others have instead of potatoes?

Pink.

Hi doelani,

If I get tired of potatoes I make meals with bread, pasta, barley, lentils, rice and couscous instead. These threads may give you some inspiration:

How many things can you do with potatoes.

Anyone got any rice recipes?

Pasta Bake Recipes

What exciting things can I do with couscous?

And this thread may help with meal planning:

Meal Planning - how do you do it?

I'll add your thread to that one once you've had more suggestions.

There are also lots of ideas for cheap meals on these threads that may give you some inspiration:

Cheapest recipes???

Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

Feed 6 for £1.62

Cheapest meal

Your Cheapest Evening Meal.

cheap, easy family meals



Pink

doelani

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi doelani,

If I get tired of potatoes I make meals with bread, pasta, rice and couscous instead. These threads may give you some inspiration:

thanks

I have never tried couscous, not fussy on pasta apart from lasange, I know makes no sense lol will have a read through

funkymonkey849

You seem to be eating a lot of meat. Maybe you can eat veggie for a few meals, for a change and it's far healthier as well. Here are a few of my staples:

Veggie risotto - I add a teaspoon of pesto for extra flavour. Use light cream cheese instead of parmasan to make it healthier. Leeks, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers and frozen peas work well.

Stuffed peppers - stuff with rice and vegetables, or leftover risotto, with a sprinkle of cheese on top and bake. Serve with green veg.

Do you eat fish? I like salmon with curried lentils. What I do is saute half an onion, then add a tsp of curry paste or powder. Add a can of green lentils and some spinach (and a squirt of tomato puree if I have it ) and heat through. Stir in a blob of cream cheese or greek yoghurt and serve with the salmon on top and a slice of lemon. Voila

There's all manner of vegetarian burgers and bakes which are usually very cheap, I like the cauliflower cheese ones or the mexican bean burgers. Serve in a bun with some salad, or with baked beans and wedges/mash, or with rice, veg and a tomato based sauce.

Beans on toast - ah so cheap! And healthy

Lentil soup - great for the winter with homemade bread and butter yummmm

Homemade pizza. This is especially good if you have a breadmaker which will do all the work for you yipee! Add a homemade tomato sauce and as many veggies as you dare to put on and you'll find you won't need nearly as much cheese as you thought. I do this to save money. I use half mozzerella and half cheddar

Veggie curry - easy and very useful for disguising old or cheap veg. I saute some onion and garlic and then add whatever random veg I'm using, chuck in some pataks curry paste, chopped tomatoes and some water. Quantities very vague sorry! Simmer until veg is cooked and curry has thickened. Take off the heat and stir in some greek yoghurt. Serve with naan breads if you don't fancy rice.

Hope this helps

jaxx46

How about doing your mince a la cottage pie or even bolognese and using a crumble topping? I do ours with a crumble made with flour, butter/marg and oats. Very nice and the oats are good for keeping you feeling full. Also nice with some grated cheese mixed into the crumble and I add a tin of baked beans into the cottage pie mix to pad it out. Nomnomnom think I'll be doing that tomorrow now. HTH

doelani

funkymonkey849 wrote: »

You seem to be eating a lot of meat. Maybe you can eat veggie for a few meals, for a change and it's far healthier as well. Here are a few of my staples:

I guess we do eat meat or chicken most days, guess back to the meat and 2 veg for dinner every night in my mind. I do like veg like carrots, cauli, cabbage and would fill plate with it and only have a little potato. I use loads of onions and peppers when making casseroles etc.

I do make soups but would have it for lunch rather than main meal at might, same with beans and toast etc. I usually make enough soup for a few days , leek adn potato, lentil , tomatoe and basil.

The only fish I eat, and I know this is silly, is cod in breadcrumbs , frozen and bdone in oven. Also Cod fish fingers. I have tried making fish a few times but just did not work. I love fish from chippy but obviously that is not an option now :rotfl:

Tish_P

Ditch the diet! Find something else that works for you instead (or even, gasp, pack in dieting altogether). If you hate this way of eating, it won't work long term.

doelani

Tish_P wrote: »

Ditch the diet! Find something else that works for you instead (or even, gasp, pack in dieting altogether). If you hate this way of eating, it won't work long term.

lol wish I could but cannot dish the diet, well say diet but just different way of eating.

Rebekah24

I get pretty bored with food, I pretty much eat soup majority of the time, simple and easy to get down without too much fuss!

Ideas I thought of
Green veg - spinach or other greens
Gnocci
Rice - could do spicey style
Noodles (rice, normal or even 0 calorie!)
Any roast vegetables could go in place

Hope that helps some