trying to find a way to feed myself in a healthy way but stress free

triade

I have developed candidiasis so I need to avoid carbs such as potatoes,bread, pasta, rice, etc. It's not atkins though, I can have other carbs in small amounts.

I also struggle to do a lot due to mental health and a learning disability. It's very stressful to do a lot of things.

I recently arrived at a good system, making a mealplan with mealime and ordering from a local supermarket for delivery. a problem has arisen however, when the supermarket failed to deliver one of the ingredients and they don't have enough flexibility in terms of alternatives, and no mechanism for me to ask for an alternative after they've told me they don't have it. This would result in me ordering again at an excessive additional cost, trying to find the 'spoons' to go and find the ingredient in town myself, or going hungry. (look up spoons theory if you don't understand that)

I would like to have many small meals and mealime doesn't help with this. making up my own meal ideas and getting enough variety is stressful for me.If there's another way to setup a way for me to feed myself healthily and so I don't get bored (I don't eat at all if I'm bored with the food) I'd like to hear.

I've considered going to shop myself by ordering a taxi, but taxi both ways is expensive, and folowing a shopping list myself and going around the aisles, sounds like something I may not have the energy for.

I don't want to fall back to the ways of just ordering takeaways, I need to improve my health, I'm scared of developing diabetes, and I have limited budget.

Does anyone have any advice?

Floss

Have you tried other delivery supermarkets such as Ocado? 

bouicca21

I stopped having deliveries precisely because it was super irritating to have them miss an essential ingredient.

Is cost an issue?  Would a delivery pass work for you?  Or ready meals either from the supermarket or online from somewhere like Cook?

Katiehound

I just want to ask the question can you eat reheated rice & pasta?
the reason I ask is that when it is cooled & reheated it turns into a 'resistant starch' making it harder to digest. That might (or might not!) be helpful for you

If you list the items that you can eat, folk can offer meal/ menu suggestions.

triade

bouicca21 said:

I stopped having deliveries precisely because it was super irritating to have them miss an essential ingredient.

Is cost an issue?  Would a delivery pass work for you?  Or ready meals either from the supermarket or online from somewhere like Cook?

I did try greenchef, but the issues with courier delivery were too much to bear.  I don't know 'delivery pass'. I'll look into it.

Katiehound said:

I just want to ask the question can you eat reheated rice & pasta?
the reason I ask is that when it is cooled & reheated it turns into a 'resistant starch' making it harder to digest. That might (or might not!) be helpful for you

If you list the items that you can eat, folk can offer meal/ menu suggestions.

The candidiasis is part and parcel with something like insulin resistance.  basically, highly processed things and sugar are out. starchy carbs are out.  It would be too much to list what I can eat, so it's easier to say what I can't. I mean. I can eat them, but I wouldn't be doing myself any favours if I do.

I'm looking at things like fresh veg, carrots, turnips, leeks, onions, sweet potato, cauliflower, peas, beans, etc. all the good ones. any fruit. any meat. any fatty foods. no sugar,no fruit juice, no cakes, no bread, no potato, no rice, except maybe brown rice in moderation.no pasta. It's not that complicated, it's just generally healthy, low carb, no starch or sugar.

reheated rice or pasta sounds interesting. I'll have a look. chances are it'll probably be no good though.

littlegreenparrot

I was going to suggest meal delivery services but if Green chef didn't work for you that would be similar. 

I use Abel & Cole for a veg box delivery. Have never had a problem with it, the website is very easy to navigate and they do all sorts of stuff. Meat/dairy/ready meals etc as well as the fruit & veg. I don't think you have to have a veg box, just a minimum order value. 

It isn't cheap, but it will certainly be cheaper than takeaways. I like it because it makes me have more variety, and making most of my meals veg based it makes it cheaper than otherwise. 

Brambling

Do you have freezer space to batch cook for those days you are unable to cook, or to stock up on frozen vegetables so you have some supplies in to make soups with for example which can be both cheap and quick to make with stock cubes and mix veg.  If you have space keeping a supply of store cupboard basics should also help, can you eat lentils or pulses to help fill you up, pouches of lentils are often on offer and can be used as a alterative to rice or pasta, some beans like cannellini beans for example can be used to make a mash as a alterative to mash potato 

Most meals have a work around if a ingredient is missing - obviously not if the main ingredient but there are plenty of good cooks on this forum who would be able to help and provide a work around for the missing ingredient 

triade

littlegreenparrot said:

I was going to suggest meal delivery services but if Green chef didn't work for you that would be similar. 

I use Abel & Cole for a veg box delivery. Have never had a problem with it, the website is very easy to navigate and they do all sorts of stuff. Meat/dairy/ready meals etc as well as the fruit & veg. I don't think you have to have a veg box, just a minimum order value. 

It isn't cheap, but it will certainly be cheaper than takeaways. I like it because it makes me have more variety, and making most of my meals veg based it makes it cheaper than otherwise. 

They look good, but very expensive XD although it does make me think about my local farm shop. They do deliver, but I'm not sure of the days. It feels like an option though so i'll let that sit at the back of my mind.

Brambling said:

Do you have freezer space to batch cook for those days you are unable to cook, or to stock up on frozen vegetables so you have some supplies in to make soups with for example which can be both cheap and quick to make with stock cubes and mix veg.  If you have space keeping a supply of store cupboard basics should also help, can you eat lentils or pulses to help fill you up, pouches of lentils are often on offer and can be used as a alterative to rice or pasta, some beans like cannellini beans for example can be used to make a mash as a alterative to mash potato 

Most meals have a work around if a ingredient is missing - obviously not if the main ingredient but there are plenty of good cooks on this forum who would be able to help and provide a work around for the missing ingredient 

That is a great suggestion! I do have lentils in the cupboard for making dhal, and I generally have supplies of beans in a cupboard, it's just the preparation is a bit tricky for those and I often neglect putting them to soak the night before. If I am using a meal plan though and I am missing an ingredient, I can certainly recognise that I may need them and do the prep in advance. That is really helpful.

I have a tall fridge/freezer so the freezer space is somewhat okay, I have some soups stored in the bottom, but I have a mental block to use them, that's something I need to talk to my doctor about. I have plenty of chicken taking up space in the freezer and chips from before. frozen peas and sweetcorn take up the rest of the space. I could do a clean out and put some more useful stuff in there, I'll ask m support worker about that next time she comes.

luvchocolate

I can't help with the shopping part but I follow low carb as I'm pre diabetic 
The Diabetic UK site is good and the forum on their gives Great food ideas 

Katiehound

Things I always have in my cupboard are chopped tinned tomatoes & a tube (or more) of tomato concentrate. (cheapest own brand)
 Dried mixed herbs. If you have those you can make a sauce to go with meat or even green veg, simmer it down to thicken slightly with a chopped onion & chopped carrot. It can be the basis of lots of things

I also keep tinned chick peas- no preparation needed.

There's nothing wrong with the peas, sweetcorn & chicken- just eat it up! and replace with something slightly different so that you can vary your diet and not get bored with the same meals


If you don't know what to cook just google ... recipe using.. whatever... and several choices should come up. Google can be your friend!

Floss

You could also batch cook your beans or pulses & freeze them in portion packs, than put them together with other ingredients into meal packs in your freezer. It would then be one pack out to defrost, you could also list the non-frozen things on paper inside that pack, so you could gather everything together to cook.