ideas for home made or shop bought ready meals for elderly vegetarian?

foreign_correspondent

Hi,

Oldstylers, I need your help!!

I have just bought a little fridge freezer for my elderly gran, as it has become apparent she is not eating enough. She can get meals on wheels delivered two days a week but I am hoping to stock up her freezer with some ready to eat meals for the other days.

Some I will make myself and freeze, and I am looking for ideas - she has quite a limited diet, as she is vegetarian and does not like eggs! She does eat fish though, and loves salmon.

She also has some odd tastes - when she was cooking for herself, her favourite used to be vegetables covered in 'Uncle Bens' sweet and sour sauce!

She is also quite resistant to change!

So, I need some ideas of some easy to eat ready meals for her.. I will start with some things I know she likes, but I am struggling for ideas..

I will do some pots of veg + sweet and sour, because I know she likes that.

She also used to enjoy a jacket potato with cheese - if I cooked some, would they freeze ok complete with cheese?

I may try something like fish pie too..

and maybe a vegetarian shepherds pie...

Any other bright ideas?

Ideally microwaveable, and the more calories the better, as she has lost weight and only wants small portions!

If anyone can recommend any good shop bought ready meals too, I would appreciate it, for times when I am too busy to cook, and to add variety - I wondered if M & S do anything nice? (price is not too much of a factor here, it's more important that we get her eating well!)

NJW69

Will she eat other chinesey type food, salmon in soy sauce etc. You could make these easily and freeze or buy from supermarkets that will microwave. Veggie cottage pie, made with quorn and mushrooms, vegetable hot pot, veg sausage and mash, chunky soups? You could make enriched breads and add cream, cheese, butter and protein powders to your cooking to add hidden calories.

foreign_correspondent

NJW69 wrote: »

Will she eat other chinesey type food, salmon in soy sauce etc. You could make these easily and freeze or buy from supermarkets that will microwave. Veggie cottage pie, made with quorn and mushrooms, vegetable hot pot, veg sausage and mash, chunky soups? You could make enriched breads and add cream, cheese, butter and protein powders to your cooking to add hidden calories.

Soe great ideas there, thanks - Salmon in soy sauce may go down well I think - someone on here (thriftlady I think) posted a recipe for salmon, just drizzled with honey and soy sauce, and cooked in the oven, and it is lovely!

...the only thing is, I do not know whether to put the marinade on and freeze it raw, or whether to cook it then freeze it...? I don't use the microwave much at home, so would tend to defrost fish then cook it, but I need her meals to be microwaveable straight from the freezer...

stef240377

I looked into having meals delivered for my uncle when it was apparent he was not eating properly and it was getting difficult to make sure someone could take meals to him every day. There are a few companies out there btu the one i looked at was Wiltshire Farm Foods, link - http://www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com/

They have sections where you can select smaller meals or vegetarian etc. It would have proved a waste of time for my uncle as he 'forgets' to do himself a meal.

foreign_correspondent

stef240377 wrote: »

I looked into having meals delivered for my uncle when it was apparent he was not eating properly and it was getting difficult to make sure someone could take meals to him every day. There are a few companies out there btu the one i looked at was Wiltshire Farm Foods, link - http://www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com/

They have sections where you can select smaller meals or vegetarian etc. It would have proved a waste of time for my uncle as he 'forgets' to do himself a meal.

Thanks, I have looked at their website - I wondered if they were any better than supermarket ready meals though? Has anyone tried them?

My gran forgets too, but we are hoping to get her a home help visit at lunchtime, so they can heat up something for her and make sure she eats!

stef240377

Have not tried them but after making myself hungry looking through the site i see it breaks down the composition of every meal for you when you click on them so in your case you can select veggie meals with no egg then check calorie intake is high enough. I wouldnt mind but i have only just had my tea lol.

bunny_too

Hi FC, i freeze bake pots. with cheese and they turn out fine. I reheat in the oven. I also make salmon fish cakes and these freeze very well. Fresh or tinned salmon mixed with onion,parsley and breadcrumbs salt and pepper. I then breadcrumb them and freeze. I fry them from frozen. Hope this helps.x

foreign_correspondent

thanks - did not spot that facility before! I may order her a few as back up!

Ooh I just remembered 'microchips' - she likes a few chips occasionally and may enjoy them...!

Never though of Salmon fishcakes - may be a good idea, I dont suppose the home help would object to frying them?

Thanks for the info about Jacket potatoes, that's really useful! I expect they will warm up fine in the microwave too!

ETA - she will eat egg in things (cakes etc) just does not enjoy them on their own, and would not go for quiche or omlettes - I may add them to things though, as she does need some more protein in her diet!

Apricot

Veggie stew, pasta bake (with tuna & cheese), macaroni cheese, vegetable fried rice, veggie lasagne - all of these can be frozen in portions & warmed through in the microwave.

floss2

You may need to check with the home-help service providers whether they are allowed to actually "cook" anything - I remember the carers who came into look after my mum couldn't - despite coming in at mealtimes.

poppy-glos

how about making some puds too,
lots of calories in homemade double cream rice pudding,
or fruit sponge with custard.
a second small sweet course can be quite tempting to keep the calories (and morale) up..?