BariatricEating.com Health & Nutrition
Linda’s Recipe & Cooking Forum!
Successful Post–Op Cooking
So
many of us are not alone in our households and can’t just forget
about the other people who depend on us for their meals. How does a successful
post-op cook dinner for their family and still keep within the boundaries
that are so important for our needs?
If you are the grocery shopper and the meal-fixer in your home, then you are in control of what goes on the table and into the mouths of your family. Chances are that if you were/are morbidly obese enough to warrant Weight Loss Surgery, your loved ones could use some help, too. They may not be in the quite the same situation as you, but I can bet the food choices that they were eating were fairly similar to yours…the foods that got you here.
My point is…cooking healthy for YOU will also benefit your family. There is no need to fix two separate meals just because you had surgery and they didn’t. And how awful would it be for you to get thin and healthy and have your family still stuck in the junk food rut that will harm them, too?
If you’ve been a wonderful cook in the past, you still are! If you’ve never cooked and depended on fast food or convenience products…time for a change. So many recipes we’ve provided for you are just as fast but without all the preservatives, sodium, sugar, and fat that you’ll find in the packaged stuff. AND the taste of home-cooked foods is beyond compare. Your family will thank you over and over for taking the time and energy.
People are busy…there’s no denying that, but with some planning and thought you can spend a day in the kitchen and have a week’s worth of meals ready to go. (If you’re living alone and don’t need all the extra food, most of our recipes can easily be cut in half and freeze great.)
Concentrate on protein first…always. Fix a dish that you can eat without reservations and add sides such as a wonderfully crisp and fresh salad or a cooked vegetable (that you can eat, too) and then add a starch if you wish. You can sit down to a meal with the rest of them and not feel left out or weird that your plate is so different, and you won’t have spent extra time and effort fixing two dinners.
Following are some menu suggestion using recipes that are on the website:
~~ Pick a day that you have to yourself to spend in the kitchen. Do the prep work, such as chopping vegetables for salads, and fix a couple of the more time-involved recipes and have them ready for later in the week. (Things like the pot roast only require a few minutes prep and spend the rest of the day in the oven making your home smell wonderful!) Or pull out your crock-pot and come home to a hot meal ready to serve.
Day One -
Bloody Mary Pot Roast (make a larger roast and use leftovers later in
the week
Crisp Green Salad
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary (peel, thinly slice, drizzle with
olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Roast in a 425 degree
oven for 10 to15 minutes, until centers are soft and edges are crisp.
Day Two –
Salmon Patties
Steamed Broccoli or Green Salad
Herbed Rice (long grain rice cooked per directions with chicken broth
instead of water. Add to the water, with the rice, oregano, basil, parsley,
lemon pepper, or any herbs you like)
Day Three –
Cheesy Chicken and Cauliflower Chowder (another make ahead dish!)
Grilled Tomato Open-faced Sandwiches (crusty French bread, thick-sliced
and toasted. Rub a cut clove of garlic over slices and drizzle with olive
oil. Place a slice of tomato on each and sprinkle with salt and pepper
and parmesan. Broil until tomato is heated through.)
Day Four –
Spicy Grilled Tilapia with Avocado Aioli
Spinach Salad with crispy, crumbled bacon and sliced boiled eggs, favorite
dressing
Buttered soft whole grain rolls
Day Five –
Beef and Provolone Sandwiches ([using leftover pot roast]
sourdough rolls spread with marinara sauce, stacked with meat and cheese
slices. Wrap in foil and place in oven until heated through and cheese
is melted. For yourself: make a packet of sliced meat, sauce, and cheese
– bake.
Assorted olives and pickles
Fruit Salad with creamy poppy seed dressing (mandarin oranges, pineapple
chunks, banana slices, frozen blueberries – NSA vanilla yogurt,
sprinkle of poppy seeds, splash of lemon or orange juice)
Day Six –
Leftover Chowder
Caesar Salad (chopped romaine, artichoke hearts, shredded parmesan, black
pepper, favorite Caesar dressing)
Garlic Herb bread (Italian loaf, thick-sliced drizzled with olive oil
and sprinkled with minced garlic and Italian herbs. Grill until crispy
and golden.)
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© BE, Inc. 2011 - Susan Maria Leach. All rights reserved.
