Are separate dinners the new thing?

cupcakechef

cupcakechef

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I know a few friends who are pretty health conscious, and they'll cook one meal for themselves and one meal for their spouse/kids, to try and make sure they're still eating to their dietary requirements.

For me, I think that's way too much effort (call me lazy, perhaps!) so I just make a meal that everyone likes, but I'll just eat a smaller portion than my husband does, for instance.

What is it like in your household? Do you prepare multiple meals to suit your own tastes and that of your family? Or do you think that entire concept is a load of nonsense?
 
In my home, people eat what they are given or they do without. when I was growing up my mother did the same thing. No way would she have cooked 2 or 3 different meals. If you didn't/don't like it, then don't eat it.

It's such a waste of food, not to mention a huge amount of time and energy to cook different meals.
 
I do not believe in cooking separate dinners for each person. This never happened in our household when I was growing up. Once a certain meal was cooked, everyone had to eat that meal. This has always been the norm in our household these days also. We are not picky eaters anyway, so once a certain meal is decided on and cooked for that day, there is no problem with it. Of course, there are certain meals which we prefer over others, but we are always thankful to at least have something to eat. Having nothing to eat is worse than eating a meal that is not particularly your favourite one.
 
In my house everybody eats the same meal. Of course I would never serve something that I knew one member of the family didn't like.
Growing up we ate whatever my mom cooked. You either ate it or did with out. I would rather see my children eating then doing without
so I try to get something that suits everybody tastes. I always often a variety of vegetables so they can pick and choose the ones they
like.
 
I am not a picky eater although there are two or three dishes in particular that I do not eat. I think everyone here in their family has their own preference and some have their diet to follow. We can not force people to eat the food they do not like just because it is the only thing available. My family knows what each member does not like to eat so we try to avoid cooking those and if it we can not avoid we make sure there is an option
 
This is something I have been talking about for some time now. I've known of it happening in some households where separate 'pots' are prepared to meet individual health needs. I don't know that I can say it happens in my household but there are times when I prepare something with a particular person in mind to satisfy their personal needs (unrelated to health) and not my own. I think healthy eating should be a family matter but at the same time, dietary needs may vary.
 
Despite my food allergies, everyone (and that include visitors) all eat the same as I do - which is essentially vegan. I don't cook separately for anyone and I have found that everyone has without fail been very worried that they won't have anything to eat, won't have enough to eat or be full and have all been very surprised when they have enjoyed the meal, had more than enough to eat and some have even come around for seconds! I will make allowances if a guest lets me know they don't like something, or they are allergic to it/intolerant to it, but at the end of the day I expect people to eat what they are served and the same applied to when I was growing up. If it was put on the table in front of you, you ate it (unless you were allergic to it.)
 
During the week we all eat at different times and mainly different meals ,that's why at weekends we always make the effort to eat together
 
welsh dragon said:
In my home, people eat what they are given or they do without. when I was growing up my mother did the same thing. No way would she have cooked 2 or 3 different meals. If you didn't/don't like it, then don't eat it.

It's such a waste of food, not to mention a huge amount of time and energy to cook different meals.
Click to expand...

Agree wholeheartedly - I'm lucky to have the energy to cook one meal from scratch at the end of a day, let alone multiples! :laugh: Plus, our food budget is something I try to manage - I hate wasting food by cooking too much of something and having it go bad, or just buying a ton of ingredients that get one use here or there and then expire. So making multiple meals would drive me batty.
 
Our food here is simple and basic - rice and dish of meat or fish or vegetables. We only cook one dish although sometimes, particularly on weekends or holidays, we have 2 dishes on the table. But in times when I am on a strict diet, I would be eating only vegetable salad that I would prepare by myself. And the dish for the house would usually be a simple fried fish so I would not be tempted to eat, hahahaaa. A small family of 4 would not be choosy with food especially if the food budget is just enough.
 
We all eat the same meal. It is way too much work to please everyone's different enjoyments in life so I make one meal that I know everyone will at least tolerate. It would be very expensive to cook several different meals anyhow.
 
Its completely mad here. Has been for years. One is vegetarian. One is nocturnal. Another works shifts. And I'm on semi permanent diet. So we all eat erratically. I cook for all of them, so every day is a challenge. I enjoy it usually. :o_o: Oh, and then there's the DOG (he is the only one who eats regular meals). Tonight its lamb vindaloo, dhal with tomato and coriander (cilantro) and basmati rice (no, not for the DOG!). The curry is in the slow cooker (crockpot), rice done, to reheat in microwave as and when, dhal made to reheat in saucepan. The vegetarian one has eaten (dhal & rice). The shift worker about to be served up with his meal. The nocturnal one will help himself if and when he gets in. The DOG is fed and asleep.
 
I grew up eating the same dishes that is being serve in our dining table with the whole family. What my mother had prepared and cooked we eat together and no special separate meal. This is also what I am doing now for my own family.
 
I do not cook more than one meal at a time. If you do not like it you have the choice to not eat it. If I know it is something that will not be liked by most of the house of course I will not cook it. We have a family member that does not eat pork, we still cook pork and he finds other things to eat. There is always enough food so he does not go hungry.
 
When I was young we all used to sit at the table as a family to eat. Now in my home we usually sit in front of the TV with our dinner. I tried to enforce the kitchen table at my home, but it did not last very long. At least we all eat the same meal and all at the same time though.
 
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