How do you meal plan for different diets?

WantToBeSE

I eat a vegan diet and my 2 children aren't.
I eat mainly plant based, with lots of beans/lentils and my children hate beans and lentils.

But i am sick of making 2 different meals alot of the time, and my meal plans have gone out of the window because i dont want to do 2 separate meal plans (1 for them, 1 for me).

I am trying to find an easy way around this,so am looking into meals that can easily be adjusted to be vegan, or meals that be eaten by both myself and my children.

Does anyone please have some ideas that they could share with me?

pigpen

yes, but you won't like them. haha. I can imagine it is very faffy trying to keep it all separate.

batch cooking and freezing is probably the best option.. in one day you could prepare a week or 2 worth of food for yourself and just add rice or potatoes and fresh veg each day and defrost and reheat your meal.. and do some for them so every day either you or they have a previously cooked meal with fresh stuff that day.. does that make any sense to you at all? it looks babbled.

It does require 1 day a week or fortnight cooking huge portions for you and or the children and freezing them so you would have a higher initial outlay but plastic containers could be reused.

WantToBeSE

pigpen wrote: »

yes, but you won't like them. haha. I can imagine it is very faffy trying to keep it all separate.

batch cooking and freezing is probably the best option.. in one day you could prepare a week or 2 worth of food for yourself and just add rice or potatoes and fresh veg each day and defrost and reheat your meal.. and do some for them so every day either you or they have a previously cooked meal with fresh stuff that day.. does that make any sense to you at all? it looks babbled.

It does require 1 day a week or fortnight cooking huge portions for you and or the children and freezing them so you would have a higher initial outlay but plastic containers could be reused.

Ah, thats actually a really good idea pigpen. Thanks.
I will have to look into how/can you reheat/freeze lentils and beans. I presume you can, but will have to check.

Makes perfect sense, i totally see what you mean, not babbled at all.

Off the top of my head i can think of batch cooking

-Dahl
-Curry
-Risotto (does rice freeze/reheat OK?)
-Goulash

Farway

Just use the old fashioned way, give them what you are eating, they either like it, lump it or go hungry

I am so old that pandering to children's taste was never an option, they ate it, left it or went hungry

Try, give them a fortnight and times will change

WantToBeSE

I would rather not force them into eating things that they dont like.
They already eat well enough for my liking, and have their own tastes and preferences.
I would hate it if someone forced me to eat something i didnt like, so wont do the same to my children.

missbiggles1

WantToBeSE wrote: »

I would rather not force them into eating things that they dont like.
They already eat well enough for my liking, and have their own tastes and preferences.
I would hate it if someone forced me to eat something i didnt like, so wont do the same to my children.

Nobody would be forcing them - it would be their choice.

WantToBeSE

I am NOT asking for parenting advice thanks.

cookie9

Batch cooking a good idea. Bolognese could be served with pasta for children or as a filler for stuffed vegetables while you have rice or beans with yours. Are there any meals you all like? Pesto pasta with courgette ribbons is popular in our household.

WantToBeSE

cookie9 wrote: »

Batch cooking a good idea. Bolognese could be served with pasta for children or as a filler for stuffed vegetables while you have rice or beans with yours. Are there any meals you all like? Pesto pasta with courgette ribbons is popular in our household.

We all like vegetable curry, baked potatoes, pasta with a tomato/vegetable sauce, pizza ( i make 2 separate ones, 1 without cheese for me), salad, fry ups (they happily eat vegan sausages).

I LOVE pesto pasta, so could have that while the kids have tomato pasta

The bolognaise idea is good too, thanks cookie

Nicki

How about things were meat can be added as an extra or afterthought? Like fajitas where you could have the veg and maybe some warmed up refried beans from a tin and they could add meat. Or a risotto or pilaf with some added meat or prawns when your portion has been taken out?

WantToBeSE

Nicki wrote: »

How about things were meat can be added as an extra or afterthought? Like fajitas where you could have the veg and maybe some warmed up refried beans from a tin and they could add meat. Or a risotto or pilaf with some added meat or prawns when your portion has been taken out?

Thanks Nicki, i hadnt even thought of that. Great idea.

By the way, your avatar is brilliant! Made me LOL.