November 16, 200916 yr How mothers rely on just nine recipes to feed their families By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 11:23 AM on 16th November 2009 Comments (114) Add to My Stories Spaghetti Bolognese is the number one meal mothers rely on to feed their families The average mother relies on just nine different meals to feed her family, a study has found. Researchers found that hectic lifestyles, fussy children and partners who work long hours mean mothers are stuck in a rut when it comes to experimenting in the kitchen. Nine in ten mothers polled admitted cooking the same meals over and over again while one in four make the same meals on the same day of the week. The most common meal among the nation's mothers was spaghetti Bolognese followed by roast dinners, a shepherd's or cottage pie and a pasta dish. Yesterday a spokesman for Merchant Gourmet, a food product company who carried out the study of 4,000 Britons, said: 'It's not surprising, given the demands of modern family life, that home cooks revert back to the recipes they know and love. 'But this can make for very repetitive meal times. 'People are put off experimenting with new meals and ingredients as they're convinced it will be time consuming or expensive. 'But, with the products and advice available today this simply isn't the case. 'What we found most interesting was the rise of the fussy family. 'A massive 81 per cent of respondents claimed they have to make two or more meals every night and 23 per cent said that they would stick to the same meals because their children are fussy eaters.' The survey also found that dinner time takes the average mother 35 minutes from start to finish, and four in 10 mothers play safe by choosing meals they know their family like. Over a third don't want to waste money by cooking something the kids turn their noses up at, and 44 per cent don't have the time to experiment. When it comes to dinnertime decisions, three quarters choose meals which are quick to make rather than those which seem healthier but take longer to prepare. What's for dinner? Hectic lifestyles are to blame for the low variety of meals And nine most relied-upon meals are.... 1. Spaghetti Bolognese 2. Roast dinner 3. Shepherds Pie/Cottage Pie 4. Pasta dish 5. Meat and two veg 6. Pizza 7. Casserole/stew 8. Sausages and chips/mash 9. Indian/Curry But two thirds feel guilty that they don't make the time. The survey also revealed that food enjoyment was the most important factor for 30 per cent of modern mothers and fathers when choosing what to cook, followed by taste (24 per cent), whilst health was third (23 per cent). Over half (55 per cent) cook at least two meals to keep the whole family happy, with eight in 10 enjoying a sit down with their other half later in the evening. The research found that the average mother has eight cookery books in their house, but has attempted just five recipes. Of the cooks questioned, 39 per cent also found that at least half of the recipes they try from these books do not turn out as they expected. And two thirds have at least four books that have never seen the light of day. Three in ten have the likes of Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith on their shelves just to impress visitors, and a third will only attempt a new dish at a dinner party. However, three quarters blame celebrity chefs' recipes for being too complicated with too many expensive or difficult to find ingredients. One in 10 were left confused because there's often no picture for guidance. More... They're sold as healthy and delicious. But what's really in the star chefs' sauces - and do they taste any good?Recipe: How to make the perfect Christmas puddingFor more ideas and recipes visit the Food channel The average mother cooks just three meals from scratch, a week. A spokesperson added: 'There are plenty of quick and easy ways to update your current menu. 'Use new ingredients that can be kept in the fridge or cupboard and introduce a handful at a time to your dishes. Blend or finely chop new foods to make them less noticeable. 'And, if you're still sure that your children won't approve, try batch cooking your meals and then splitting the dish in two - one half for the kids and one half to experiment with.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1228162/Mothers-rotate-recipes-feed-families.html#ixzz0X3cq6fMb
November 16, 200916 yr Food Network isn't just for watching. Try some new things, and invite friends over to help you. Cooking can be fun, but people often just order pizza and watch TV alone.
November 16, 200916 yr Author Food Network isn't just for watching. Try some new things, and invite friends over to help you. Cooking can be fun, but people often just order pizza and watch TV alone. And usually it's sh*t TV too!:dozey:
November 16, 200916 yr Food Network isn't just for watching. Try some new things, and invite friends over to help you. Cooking can be fun, but people often just order pizza and watch TV alone. I live for the food network:nice:
November 16, 200916 yr Author I live for the food network:nice: The trouble is, everyone spends all their time watching and none actually cooking.:P
November 16, 200916 yr The trouble is, everyone spends all their time watching and none actually cooking.:P I have tried some of the recipes, though they rarely turn out the same way. I do make a killer caesar salad though.
November 16, 200916 yr yeah, that's basically what my mother feeds us. My dad is more adventurous when it comes to cooking though :D
November 16, 200916 yr Author I have tried some of the recipes, though they rarely turn out the same way. I do make a killer caesar salad though. Et tu, Brute??:P
November 16, 200916 yr Author yeah, that's basically what my mother feeds us. My dad is more adventurous when it comes to cooking though :D Does that mean he likes to cook on a mountain top?:P
November 16, 200916 yr Author Some of those meals actually take quite long to prepare. Are you speaking from experience?
November 17, 200916 yr FOOD NETWORK = JESUS Really. The stuff on the Food Network is almost universally fucking delicious if you cook it like they say and it usually isn't that hard to make, either.
Create an account or sign in to comment