Searching for inspiration

LONG – sorry. For context.
TL;DR: need high protein low cost meal plan ideas that can work for 2 people, one more plant based but with contrarian gut issues (MCAS and GERD) and one not plant based. Especially need low fat flavouring ideas – this is my main wall I think.

Hit a wall with meal planning, just fatigued. Finding it far too hard to picture a plan that I can act on. Including examples of what I've prepped to varying degrees of success…will list at the bottom.

Issues I'm facing:

Textural – very limited with textures. Can't do kale, really struggle with most leafy greens. Can tolerate baby spinach in a wrap/sandwich/mixed with iceberg or cos lettuce in a salad. But need obviously a good variety of fresh veg.

Protein – again textural issues, but also gut issues (MCAS/GERD). So i can't do beef – occasionally tolerate mince as long as its low fat but really dont enjoy it. Can't do chicken breast at the moment – been using chicken mince but it honestly smells too iffy.
Got really excited and prepared my own bean mix only to be crippled with gut pain the next day.
Trying really hard to move away from processed meats and tofu but that's generally all I can tolerate – still want to try though as the fat content is higher than I want.
So still on the hunt for protein sources that are cheap, tasty, less processed, but also aversion friendly. Partner will happily eat prawns, steak, pork, fresh salmon, chicken.

Budget – very tight budget at the moment, and all made more difficult by also prepping for my partner who hates the things I love (peas, corn, beans) and loves what I hate (steak, pork). So trying to find meals that can be easily prepped and things added to suit each of us, without too much effort or cost.

As an example, i will very happily have a rice with peas and corn mix, with a protein and sauce; and just prep broccoli for him. Ive done this with the S&B curry.

MEALS PICTURED:

Things that I have made recently that I either didn't mind, but could be better, or i did like, but the macros disqualify it from a regular appearance.

1. Light greek yoghurt with jelly crystals, granola, chia seeds, pepita. Loving this and have actually been able to eat the greek yoghurt and breakfast, first i've finished a tub and not had to throw out a shamefully rotting 3/4. However…do find I go heavy handed on the granola which skews the macros a teensy bit

2. Bibimbap inspired rice bowl – gochujang and soy sauce based sauce, bean sprouts, carrot, mushrooms, mince. Half fat kewpie drizzle. Haven't yet found just the right flavour or combination of ingredients to prep this.

3. Poached eggs on cheesy english muffin, chives, spinach. Love it, but the clean up and stress of poached eggs…

4. Tacos. Chicken mince, spice, mushrooms, lettuce, light cheese. Enjoy this in a salad format also, but struggle with prepping it and having crispy lettuce. Also – have resorted to burrito or taco bowls so many times I just can't handle the taco seasoning anymore. It's so good but I'm just so over it.

5. Tuna salad. Didn't think id like this, ate for a week straight until i got a grainy tin of tuna and now it's off the menu. Light greek yoghurt, dill, dijon, red wine vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper and pepper, finely diced red onion and pickles, pepper, with springwater tuna, corn, cucumber, and pepper.

6. Lebanese bread pizza. Bread was too dry for wraps, loved it as a pizza base. Too much cheese for regular diet though. Shredded chicken, red onion, shredded ham, mushroom, pineapple, olives when i had them. Oregano sprinkled on top. Hot sauce sploshed before serving also.

7. Balsamic salad. Lettuce, cucumber, olives, chicken schnitzel and cheese cubes. Still want to explore more balsamic dressing recipes but didnt love this one. Every time I look up balsamic recipes, its fish, or chicken.

8. Tuna salad again, used as a dip with cucumber slices and cracked pepper water crackers. No corn. This photo is here because it looked pretty and i didn't want to have to go back and re write all the numbers when I realised I had a duplicate.

9. Big mac wrap. Lettuce, tomato, beef patty, burger sauce. Loved it, but the macros were terrible. Something like 19g protein, and 40% fat. Also realised I should have deleted this pic after I'd already written numbers.

10. Big mac salad. As above, enjoyed it, didn't love the beef, terrible macros. Pickles, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce. Would do again with a better protein source. Also…why are all the good dressings so high in fat? It's either vinegar, lemon, balsamic, or just pure cream and oil. Are there any low fat creamy style dressings? I dont mind a tangy dressing but i like the change to creamy.

11. Pasta salad. Tahini and lime dressing. Kidney beans. Lettuce. Lots of pepper. Would like something similar but better. The beans size and shape versus the pasta and lettuce doesn't go so i ended up eating half. I like the idea of it but can't eat it. Still want to figure out how to incorporate beans.

12. Turmeric rice, fish, leafy mix. Big branch out for me, liked it – but again, processed fish, can't see myself trusting a fish fillet ive cooked. Also attempted to replicate a delicious vinegary dressing for the leaf mix that i had at a local sushi place and failed. It's similar in taste to the salty yakitori sauce i think. It's not wafu dressing.

13. Spicy noodle bowl. Somen with samyang fire sauce as dressing. Tinned edamame – hated. Cucumber. Spring onion. Boiled egg. Half fat kewpie. I do like this but don't know how to make it…better. Also, I like cold pastas and my partner doesn't.

If you've read this far – thank you!
If you have any suggestions…please and thank you.

Hopefully this also gives other people inspiration 🙂