By Richard Kennard
This is article four of a short series of articles which thoroughly discuss high calorie foods and nutrition. The aim is to uncover the most nutritionally dense foods and the easiest ways of getting them into the body. The focus is maintenance of bodyweight during illness or medical treatment but the information can apply to anyone needing a nutritionally dense diet. Please note that we are not doctors or medically trained. The information in this article has been gained from personal experience as a carer and from discussions with doctors and nutritionists.
In this article we look at strategies for overcoming having no energy to cook and making sure that you get the best return on time spent in kitchen.
No energy to cook
If you're undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from illness you are unlikely to have the energy to spend much time in the kitchen. Muster your resources by preparing the simplest highest energy foods you can. Take a look at the sample meals later in this series and the ideas about convenience food and pre-cooked meals.
Convenience food
Take a look at the range of tinned foods at your local supermarket. Most have quite a reasonable range and even sell half sized tins which may be useful if you're on your own and/or have reduced appetite. Look out for complete meals or foods that are heavy in calories and protein that can just be heated up and served with bread or on toast. An example of this would be a tin of beef or chicken stew.
If you or your patient can't cope with solids then a tin of soup (don't forget to add cream!) with a slice or two of bread and butter is good.
There are also lots of dessert options. One that we like for its simplicity is pre-prepared custard. Just heat it up and eat!
Pre-cooked meals
There are a number of vendors that will deliver pre-cooked meals to your house. Many of these companies sell packs containing a week's worth of main meals with the option to add desserts as well. The better companies will also have an Energy Dense menu that you can select from. This can be a great way of getting the hard work done by someone else just leaving you to focus on the eating. We talk about our favourite suppliers on the website.
Cook extra and use the freezer
Cook more than you need. If you're cooking something that can be re-heated later then cook extra and have the second helping the following day or freeze it. Stews/casseroles are great examples of food which lend themselves to this approach. A marker pen and plenty of plastic tubs also help. If you are unwell then perhaps a friend or relative could cook up a batch of food for you.
The microwave
Pre-prepared meals suitable for cooking/heating in the microwave are available from the supermarkets and also from a number of other vendors. See the 'Pre-cooked meals' section above.
In our next article we discuss supplements, the bowels and appetite stimulants.
This is article four of a short series of articles which thoroughly discuss high calorie foods and nutrition. The aim is to uncover the most nutritionally dense foods and the easiest ways of getting them into the body. The focus is maintenance of bodyweight during illness or medical treatment but the information can apply to anyone needing a nutritionally dense diet. Please note that we are not doctors or medically trained. The information in this article has been gained from personal experience as a carer and from discussions with doctors and nutritionists.
In this article we look at strategies for overcoming having no energy to cook and making sure that you get the best return on time spent in kitchen.
No energy to cook
If you're undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from illness you are unlikely to have the energy to spend much time in the kitchen. Muster your resources by preparing the simplest highest energy foods you can. Take a look at the sample meals later in this series and the ideas about convenience food and pre-cooked meals.
Convenience food
Take a look at the range of tinned foods at your local supermarket. Most have quite a reasonable range and even sell half sized tins which may be useful if you're on your own and/or have reduced appetite. Look out for complete meals or foods that are heavy in calories and protein that can just be heated up and served with bread or on toast. An example of this would be a tin of beef or chicken stew.
If you or your patient can't cope with solids then a tin of soup (don't forget to add cream!) with a slice or two of bread and butter is good.
There are also lots of dessert options. One that we like for its simplicity is pre-prepared custard. Just heat it up and eat!
Pre-cooked meals
There are a number of vendors that will deliver pre-cooked meals to your house. Many of these companies sell packs containing a week's worth of main meals with the option to add desserts as well. The better companies will also have an Energy Dense menu that you can select from. This can be a great way of getting the hard work done by someone else just leaving you to focus on the eating. We talk about our favourite suppliers on the website.
Cook extra and use the freezer
Cook more than you need. If you're cooking something that can be re-heated later then cook extra and have the second helping the following day or freeze it. Stews/casseroles are great examples of food which lend themselves to this approach. A marker pen and plenty of plastic tubs also help. If you are unwell then perhaps a friend or relative could cook up a batch of food for you.
The microwave
Pre-prepared meals suitable for cooking/heating in the microwave are available from the supermarkets and also from a number of other vendors. See the 'Pre-cooked meals' section above.
In our next article we discuss supplements, the bowels and appetite stimulants.
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