Cooking tips when you're feeling poorly

Gigervamp

I'm recovering from radiotherapy and chemo. Because I've been bed/sofabound for a few weeks I'm very weak to the extent that even doing something simple like making a cuppa or feeding the cats leaves me out of breath.

Because of this, we've been eating a mix of convenience foods and some home made that DD has cooked and apart from the cost and yukkyness of processed foods, I'm really really missing cooking!

I've been able to make some stews and soups, where I prepare the veg sitting on the sofa and can just chuck it all in the slowcooker, but I wondered if anyone has any other tips I can try.

BOBS

Do you live in town/village. Some places do deals where they deliver home cooked meals daily ....

BessieBooBoo

Hello GV

Sorry to hear what you are going through at the moment.

No real tips, apart from how about trying microwaved porridge oats as a slow-release fibre meal? It's supposed to be soothing to your digestive system too, if you are feeling naueous. A chopped banana for carbs/energy, or other fruit, and hopefully you will find that sustaining for the mornings/evenings....

HTH

Take care

BBB

Gigervamp

We're rural, outside a village. Buying meals like that would work out expensive though, and what I really want is to be able to cook myself as we havecupboards and 2 freezers full of ingredients!

Le_Foot

I see you say "We" have been eating convenience foods. Does this mean you have a partner etc. living with you? Maybe he/she could cook for you, even if it means you giving instructions, and he/she doing the work.
Big hugs go out to you for a speedy recovery. xx

Jackie

lizziebabe

Hi - sorry that you are so poorly at the moment.

I think that what you are doing is great. Just do what you can when you can. Perhaps do the most at the time of the day you feel at your best, then afterwards you can rest. Hopefully you will feel better in time and do more cooking. Plan your meals but don't be disappointed if you can't achieve them. Take each day at a time and don't overdo it.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery :T

lushlifesaver

I would be preparing stuff sat on the sofa and either cooking it in the SC as you are or roping in DD to cook it all up - that's how we worked things in our house when my mum had chemo/radiotherapy (although she was stuck in bed so we prepped upstairs:) )

On days you're feeling better I would batch cook some stuff and freeze.

Our house swore by pineapple, orange and coconut smoothies for perking not only mum but all of us up when things got tough and she felt rougher than anything.

Sorry I'm not more help!

Gigervamp

Le Foot (great name btw!), there's myself, adult DD (who's been acting as carer) and adult DS. They can all cook, but have a limited repertoire! Also, hubby is off sick too, so he can't do much atm either.

bitsandpieces

Sorry to hear you're feeling rough. Other things you might look at are healthier/tastier things that need little or no cooking. Oats was a good suggestion, and you could also try muesli/yoghurt. Eggs can be good - microwave scrambled, boiled or poached needs little effort, and if you're used to cooking them then an omellette or can be done in about the same time as a cup of tea. Or the are lots of things that work well on toast/micro baked potatoes - smoked/tinned salmon or mackerel, Tuna and cheese melt, pickled herring, humus, cooked prawns with mayo, or Lidl do nice pots of herring in cream/yoghurt sauce. It's easy to steam green veg in the microwave to go with a meal - rinse and chop up some leaves with scissors, then zap the veg.

If you've got a slow cooker, you can also easily do some joints there - e.g. chuck in a beef brisket with water/stock, season and leave till cooked. Or do similar with a chicken, and maybe some onion/carrot. When I'm v tired from chemo I don't tend to cook anything more elaborate than that - but others may be better suggestions. If you are needing processed food, these aren't bad - https://www.lookwhatwefound.co.uk Nothing in them you wouldn't add to home made food.

In terms of getting back to activity after being sofa/bed bound, Macmillan have some good info here http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Physicalactivity/Physicalactivity.aspx

zzzLazyDaisy

Sorry to hear you are going through a bad time healthwise at the moment.

I can't help much with the cooking side of things as my repertoire is probably even more restricted than your children's! But I do know what it is like to be chronically fatigued and unable to do the things I want to do!

Two of my quick 'comfort food' recipes are 'left over veg soup' and mercimek (a turkish lentil dish).

The soup is really easy - when cooking for dinner do too many veggies. Next day throw them in a pot, mix a couple of stock cubes into boiling water, pour onto cooked veggies, blitz with hand blender and warm through. If you are feeling up to it, it is nice to lightly sweat down some onion and garlic in some butter, and add to the veggies before blitzing. Instant HM soup

The lentil recipe is similarly easy to make and lovely comfort food served with mashed potato, or over rice or pasta. If you are interested I can give you the recipe. But it is a bit like the soup... not really cordon bleu standards..

Le_Foot

Gigervamp wrote: »

Le Foot (great name btw!), there's myself, adult DD (who's been acting as carer) and adult DS. They can all cook, but have a limited repertoire! Also, hubby is off sick too, so he can't do much atm either.

The name came from my nickname 'Jacques Le Foot'..I am a now retired chiropodist!!