Question:
I live alone, am not much of a cook. Suggestions for meals?
I am still pre-op, but stressing about everything. Currently my obsession is this: I do NOT cook. I can barely boil water. (OK, its not quite that bad, but whatever). I live alone, and am wondering what those of you out there who live alone do for meals? I've read some wonderful recipes for casseroles, but I frankly can't see myself making a casserole for just me when it will last about a year. What do you guys make for dinner? Currently, my dinners tend to come from either the frozen aisle or the local Italian restaurant....all ideas/advice appreciated. — Tamara K. (posted on October 7, 2002)
October 7, 2002
From the frozen/pre-made sections of the grocery stores, I use the
folllowing: Perdue, pre-cooked, white meat chicken strips - good in
salads, with cheese melted on top, or thrown in a pan with some frozen
veggies. I buy pre-cooked turkey meatballs and toss them in a pot with
some sauce and that's lunch for a week. A big bag of cooked, frozen shrimp
and a jar of cocktail sauce goes a log way. Pre-made, frozen chicken
burgers, also by Perdue. Lean Cuisine Skillet Sensations - I make a bag
for me and my roommate and pull the noodles out of my portion. If you are
okay with fish, one of the brands, Gorton's maybe??? Well, they make
frozen GRILLED fish fillets in several different varieties...all protein,
no carbs. I like to buy a pkg of lean, ground beef and make beanless chili
or sloppy joe (no buns, just in a dish with melted cheese). Just buy the
little seasoning packet and the instructions are right there. It's about
three steps, really easy. The other night I had the turkey meddalions from
the Boston Market supermarket line. They were all right, but I found them
to be too salty. Way too salty. But, the point is, if you look around
you'll see that there is plenty out there, even if you are not a cook. I
actually do enjoy cooking and on other nights make chaicken fajitas(I eat
mine tortilla-less), other types of chicken dishes, I make steak...even a
prok chop once in a while. But, I'll admit with a fairly busy life I have
learned the ins and outs of pre-made frozen, high protein foods. Good Luck
to you!! ~Paula M. OPEN RNY 02/14/02, -130lbs from 314lbs.
— PaulaM
October 7, 2002
I live alone too and since I eat so little now after surgery, cooking is
really something I hardly EVER do. I usually buy the Lean Cuisine or Smart
Ones entrees. I can eat almost half of one and then save the other half
for the next day. I also buy the kid-sized soups and chili in the canned
food isle. Its those little containers that can go right in the microwave.
The pre-made bags of salads are also good; although, I never finish a bag
before it spoils. At least I'm getting some fresh veggies though! Best
wishes to you.
— Heather H.
October 7, 2002
I buy large packs of chicken, steak, hamburger. I get them home and
separate them individually into baggies that I freeze. Then I'll take out 1
or 2 pieces of meat. Like for instance chicken. I'll pull out chicken, cook
them up on my little George Foreman grill and brush on BBQ sauce or herbs.
Cool them and stick them in the fridge. Then when hungry or I know I need
to get some xtra protein in, I pull out the chicken, defrost it 3 min in
the micowave and either eat the meat cold, or microwave it, or pull it
apart for a chicken sandwich. With steak, I pull it out and grill it frozen
cause it cooks quick. And the same, eat it later or right away. I also eat
lots of eggs. Eggs over easy with toast, eat sandwiches, eat omelets. Very
quick and easy for just 1 person. Veges I buy big bags of frozen and just
pull out 1/2 cup or so and cook it. Turkey burgers without buns on the
grill. I BBQ them and eat them as a chopped steak with some veges. Cottage
cheese with fresh fruit. Oh and I get so tired of the lean cuisine type
meals. They begin to all taste the same. So I shop around the baby food
section and found all sorts of good meals. They now have "Graduates
for toddlers" "Lil'Entrees". They are cheap and a hole mea..
Like turkey & green bean dices with sweet potatoes or vegetable chicken
dinner with Apples & sweet potatoes. They are pretty good and just
right size. I also buy alot of seafood. Salmon is wonderful cut into small
pieces and grilled. Or 2 breaded oysters on bread. Crab legs are expensive,
but the small amount we can eat is not. I'll but them already steamed and
crack them open, clean em out and microwave the meat with small amt of
marg. Steamed shrimp too. Love seafood! But it takes a long time to
experiment and see what you like and what you can stand. My taste has
changed so much since the surgery. I'm still working on it. At first I was
throwing away so much food I would make and either not like it, or made too
much. I find that I freeze alot and in really small amounts. And I dont
know what I'd do without my Foreman grill.
— Karla K.
October 7, 2002
I am finding Veggies with a little fat-free dressing garnished with steamed
shrimp or some other fish like grilled tuna wonderful. Last night I had
1/2 tomato chopped with a little Fat Free Catalina with 5 shrimp on the
side. It was wonderful and filled me up. I've done carrot salads, sliced
cucumbers (I get the English cucumbers to cut down on gas), sliced
mushrooms, etc. On the protein side, I've used steamed shrimp that I got
at the grocery store with a little of my homemade sugarfree cocktail sauce.
You can also add fat free deli meats to these things and they are yummy.
Add a deviled egg for good protein as well. I make my deviled eggs with
dill relish, a little fat free mayo, and some paprika. Just some Ideas.
Hope it helps.
— Cathy S.
October 7, 2002
I was realeased from the hospital on a puree diet. I basicly ate yogurt,
mushy lentils (made a big pot and froze little containers), some mashed
potatoes, peas, scrambled eggs or egg salad. After that I added tuna fish,
chicken salad, chicken cutlets and turkey cutlets. I make a bunch of the
cutlets at one time and then heat up one or 2 in the microwave. I did eat
the Marie Callendar frozen chicken, broccoli and fetuccini dinner. I
didn't eat any of the pasta but the broccoli and chicken would last me 2
meals. Good Luck! Lisa -93lbs open rny 4/26/02
— LisaTaz
October 7, 2002
I ate bananas with peanut butter on them and maybe a slice if cheese. Soup
with a few crackers was good too. In the begining it took me 3 days to get
through a can of soup!
— Shannon H.
October 7, 2002
Hi!
This is long, but I completely sympathise with you, so I rambled.
Something very important to remember (because I can't seem to remember it
myself, so just try harder than *I* do. Hee hee hee!) is to buy about half
(or less) of what you think you need at the store post-op. I've thrown
away a LOT of food since surgery. (I live alone too.)
As for what I eat... cottage cheese with ranch dressing mix stirred in is
my mainstay. I know it won't make me sick, so I eat it all the time.
Also, deli-sliced meats and cheeses, beef jerky, sugar free popcicles, V-8
Spicy (I didn't like tomatos before that much... now I can't get enough),
pre-made Old El Paso Taco Meat (I've finally figured out after 2 months
that just because something COMES with a shell or a bun doesn't mean I have
to eat it), Groton's frozen fish, protein bars.
I think the key is just to find what works for you and go with it. You're
not going to be eating enough to need a TON of variety. Don't worry...
you'll be fine. :)
Kelly
— Kelly B.
October 8, 2002
Hey Tamara, I also live alone and consider the stove a
"decoration" in the kitchen though I'm learning! I have a George
Foreman grill (the little one is like $25 and its wonderful. I make
manwich a lot---its very simple and lasts for a few days. I also like the
Chunky Soups..very easy stuff!!!
— Bambi C.
October 8, 2002
hiya! i have a big family and i enjoy cooking so i'm not on the same page
as ya (lol) but...here are some good websites i use for recipes (and you
can scale them to serve just 1):
www.allrecipes.com (my personal fave)
www.ichef.com
www.recipezaar.com
and there are some yahoo and msn bariatric surgery recipe groups too...just
search on yahoo and msn for "gastric bypass recipe sites"
good luck!
kate
open rny 6-14-01
pre op: 268lbs
goal: 135lbs
current: 126lbs
— jkb
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