What are your go-to meals?

Qbaimee
Qbaimee Posts: 158 Member
edited June 2022 in Food and Nutrition
I have no clue what I am having for dinner tonight. usually on Sundays I meal prep and make a plan so I know exactly what I am having throughout the week. My daughters high school graduation party was this past weekend, so the meal planning didnt really happen.

the majority of the time, when something like this happens, I usually end up making a salad for dinner. Its quick and easy and I have everything I need.

That just made me curious, what do you do when you have no idea what you're having? What are your go-to meals?

Replies

  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    I usually order take out and log it. 🤷‍♀️ If I'm inclined to whip something up on the fly, it would be some sort of protein over vegetables.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    It's very rare that I don't have a dinner planned. My fridge is stocked only for the meals I've planned (except some basic staples like eggs, mustard,...) so if I have to improvise, I rely on a small stock of frozen pizzas I have for unforeseen circumstances (a selection of pizzas that are reasonable in calories). Coincidentally, that's my plan for tonight!
  • Qbaimee
    Qbaimee Posts: 158 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    It's very rare that I don't have a dinner planned. My fridge is stocked only for the meals I've planned (except some basic staples like eggs, mustard,...) so if I have to improvise, I rely on a small stock of frozen pizzas I have for unforeseen circumstances (a selection of pizzas that are reasonable in calories). Coincidentally, that's my plan for tonight!

    That reminds me, I have a frozen pizza that I could eat too. Thanks LOL
  • siberiantarragon
    siberiantarragon Posts: 265 Member
    edited June 2022
    Pasta salad: Whole-wheat pasta. Any type of canned beans (you can also substitute bacon or smoky tempeh for the beans). A dressing (olive oil or mayo with seasonings added, or bottled Italian dressing also works well). Pickled vegetables such as olives, peppers or capers. Fresh vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, or bell pepper. Sun-dried tomatoes are also a good addition.

    Vegetarian curry: Either tofu or any type of canned beans. Any type of vegetables you want -- the good thing about this is you can use either fresh or frozen vegetables (or even canned, I guess) and it's a good way to use up vegetables. Olive oil, and curry powder and seasonings obviously. Nuts (I use cashews and pistachios). You can also add plain yogurt or a plant-based milk if you want. I add the nuts and yogurt at the end and only cook them for about a minute. This can be served with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.

    Poke bowl (yes I know it's not actually a poke bowl but IDK what else to call it): Brown rice. Cooked fish such as tuna or salmon (you can either use canned or cook your own from frozen) marinated in soy/sesame/ginger dressing. Crunchy vegetables (eg. tomato, cucumber, carrot, radish, purple cabbage). Spicy mayo, avocado (optional), sesame seeds, seaweed, also crispy onions are good with this. Tofu can be used in place of fish for plant-based eaters.


  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
    I eat grits. Just two packets of instant grits and a cup of water. I eat them every day for lunch and any day for dinner that nothing sounds good.

    If I feel responsible to cook and have nothing planned we have white rice, a frozen bag of broccoli and/or cauliflower cooked on a sheet pan in the oven along with either chicken breasts or fish. I’m not a good cook. This is not gourmet or anything but it is my go to meal to feed my family.

    I can’t eat meat so I generally just eat the rice and veggies or just the veggies but my boys and husband fix up the chicken differently with different sauces and no one really complains.
  • Thewonderofitall
    Thewonderofitall Posts: 98 Member
    To make sticking to the calorie count I want, I made Dinner easy by having the same thing on each day of the week.

    Monday: 4oz of Ham Steak & individual serving can of Bush's Baked Beans
    Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Breast & Mixed Vegetables
    Wednesday: 3-Soft Boiled Eggs on Rye Toast
    Thursday: Spaghetti w/ Sauce and 3-meatballs
    Friday: 4oz. Salmon & Veggie cake
    Saturday: Grilled BBQ Pork Chop w/ Applesauce
    Sunday: 4oz. Hamburger w/ Lettuce & Tomato

    Sometimes I change things up on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but overall it does reduce the wonder of Dinner.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    Stir-frys are my go-to because they are quick to make and have endless possible variations.

    Any protein that you have...any vegetables that you have...rice or noodles if you want. A little soy sauce or fish sauce or hot sauce or curry paste.

    There are so many combinations that work, I tend to always have enough ingredients to make a stir-fry, even if I didn't specifically plan it out.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,206 Member
    i shred a few days worth of chicken in the crock pot with some salsa and chicken broth. then i make “bowls” that consist of:

    2-3 oz chicken
    half a cup black beans
    half a cup rice
    cilantro
    40 oz avocado
    2 TBSP salsa
    14 grams cheddar cheese
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,206 Member
    i also like zucchini noodles with half a cup of jarred spaghetti sauce and a cooked johnsonville sausage
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    I had dan dan noodles for the past three days. It's super quick to make and super tasty. Today I'm having a mix of Scottish leek and tattie and Groningen mustard soup that I cooked earlier. Or I make an equally quick luncheon meat, garlic and onion pasta with parmigiano.
  • azuki84
    azuki84 Posts: 212 Member
    honestly i've been rotating between jasmine rice and potatoes, throw in chicken/steak/fish, and plenty of mayo/ketchup/mustard/sriracha. so good.
  • Walkywalkerson
    Walkywalkerson Posts: 456 Member
    It depends how much time I have - I've usually got a few things already prepped ready to cook - but recently I've been getting slack.
    I'm into noodles at the moment - I made pad thai with prawns tge other night that took 10 mins - I bought the stir fry veg and the sauce pre packaged to that was my cheat - I just threw everything in a pan for about 5 mins cooked the noodles - done.
    Was lovely.

  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,365 Member
    Most nights I eat from the freezer. I keep frozen meat and vegetables in there all the time. Stuff like pre-grilled chicken, meatballs, shrimp. Sometimes rice and pasta. I just take a scoop of meat, a couple of scoops of veg, a scoop of starchy stuff if it's in the freezer. Top it with the flavor of choice - BBQ sauce, Asian sauce, Italian dressing....whatever floats your boat. Then just zap it in the microwave. Also, if rice/pasta isn't frozen, you can buy it in little bags that you put in the microwave that are usually a couple of servings. Minimal shopping, minimal planning, minimal fuss!

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