My wife and I are both overweight, I have two teenage children. I have very little time to prepare and cook the family meal in the evenings when I come in from work. So many of the vast number of cook books i have have fancy recipies which are fine for dinner parties but for every day meals they are too elaborate and too expensive regards ingredients. Does anyone have any ideas for a cook book or recipies for healthy family meals that are relatively quick to prepare. Mission impossible I fear!!

A couple of months ago, there was an article of GFL (and somewhere else I think) which said that less than half the receipes in cookbooks are used. This is something that I would have to agree with. Try looking in the library at the cookery books to give you ideas of healthy food, also have a look at the receipes on this site. Like youself, after a day at work, I don't really have time to cook and I can't eat late at night (for me anything after 7pm). However, I do tend to cook things such as lasagne (meat or meatless), shepherd pie, chilli's, spag bol, casserols, things that can be done at the weekend and frozen or things that can just be thrown together and cooked slowly. Stir frys, meat/fish with jacket potatoes (spuds done in a microwave) and veg. Things like this can be really healthy - just use common sense, take skin off the chicken, don't use a lot of salt, oil. Bulk things up with vegetables, etc.

Invest in a slow cooker oddjob and put anything in it....leave on all day and you will have a ready meal for when you get home! My friend even cooks bolognese and chilli in hers (after browning the mince of course)

Slow cookers are brilliant! Even I can't burn things in them I made a lovely beef stew yesterday in ours, just what we wanted on a cold snowy day and it was so easy to do

Mo

slow cookers are also good for slow cooking lamb and beef, i seal them in a hot fry pan first them cook over night and then witch off in morning,let get really cold,so better to slice then reheat in a Lamb or Beef stock, the meat is nice and tender and hardly shrinks in size. I have had my slow cooker for 16 years and still using it for that purpose. stews are also lovley too.

I use a book called Top 200 Low Fat recipes by Judith Wills which haas some excellent meals in, quick hop suppers, roasts and bakes etc, it serves our family of myself husband and three teenage boys who really enjoy the food not realising its low fat and healthy, try it and see.

i joined weight watchers 5 wks ago and im half a pound off loosing my first stone. well its easter tomorrow and i have 5 kids, resiting the temptation in eating the wrong foods . has anyone got any recipes to keep me going , i am very keen to get to my goal !!!!

Agree that after a day at work the last thing you often feel like doing is cook.

How about preparing the meal the night before. I used to do this when working full time. While the meal was cooking i'd prepare the next nights, ie the veg,browning meat etc. You could also try a lot of fish dishes such as Fish Pie, fish stew etc. All types of fish take no time to cook at all and you could serve it with salad, baked spuds, noodles, stir fried veg etc.

If you want a book filled with family food, try one of Tamasin Day Lewis'. You can't go far wrong and a lot of them are slow cooked in the oven or you could use a slow cooker to the same effect.

My favorite family cookbooks at the moment are Janette Orreys Dinner Lady books and the River Cittage Family Cookbook