Cooking - A level Student

I cook dinner 6 days out of 7 for my family. However, I am in year 13 and I feel like I shouldn’t be cooking and should be working.
It’s hard cos I don’t like revising late so as soon as I get home, I start dinner and then I go to bed pretty much.
Issue is that my dad’s vegetarian and is busy working so doesn’t cook often, my younger sister can’t cook and my mum doesn’t like to cook and really tries avoid it. I mean I enjoy it and I don’t cook really long stuff but sometimes I have to even meal plan and just think and suggest ideas for dinner. It’s extra thinking I don’t want to do! I am fine to do it after a levels but I feel like I should take a step back but the consequences might not be worth it lol.

Batch cooking and meal prep is not really an option due to freezer size.
Ideas??

Reply 1

Dunnig Kruger

How about cooking large batches and putting it in the fridge? And finishing it up the next day? Or at worst leaving the cooked food on a worktop with a lid over it?
There's quite a few dishes that are fine either hot or cold.

How about getting a Bron mandoline and a pair of butcher's anti-cut gloves and knocking up salads quite often?
Have you gotten into nutrition as a side hobby? With the aim being for you to have better strength and stamina levels and to get into good long term lifestyle habits?

How about getting a soup maker? The largest you can find, for your family of 4. You may need 2 soup makers if there's 6 to feed...

Your younger sister has got to learn to cook sometime. Start by showing her something really simple and then let her do it. Even if her first efforts aren't that tasty you should still encourage her.
Don't let her off the hook with feeble excuses of "I don't know how to cook."

You can tell your family that from April to June 2026 that you will only cook on Fridays and Saturdays, due to you focusing on the push for your A level revision.

Make sure everyone's getting enough Vitamin B12 - due to the vegetarian nature of what you're eating. B12 pills are inexpensive.

Reply 2

PinkMobilePhone

Chat Forum Helper, Life & Style Forum Helper

Your mother's dislike of cooking is not an excuse for her to dump it on you all the time. I hate cooking, it's naff, but I still cook because I'm a parent. Occasionally if I'm on an assignment deadline one of the kids will cook as a favour for me but it's few and far between. Honestly just put your foot down.