Disabled female looking for advice

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daisy_henchliffe
daisy_henchliffe Posts: 9
edited February 2015 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Im 18 and find cooking very unsafe and difficult to carry anything (walking with a zimmer frame and sometimes a wheelchair) and get very tired meaning i end up missing meals a lot. Anyone have any advice on VERY simple but healthy high calorie foods so I can gain 3-4 stone? Or anyone in a similar position to me? Please no abuse :)

Replies

  • cathyleabo
    cathyleabo Posts: 6
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    Hi Daisy, I assume you are trying to cook on a standard stove? Could you get a small single burner electric hotplate that you could use on a low table while seated?
    Best wishes to you,
    Cathy
  • daisy_henchliffe
    daisy_henchliffe Posts: 9
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    cathyleabo wrote: »
    Hi Daisy, I assume you are trying to cook on a standard stove? Could you get a small single burner electric hotplate that you could use on a low table while seated?
    Best wishes to you,
    Cathy
    thanks cathy , handling hot foods for me is a challenge in itself for me but I do have access to a microwave and slow cooke which I can use to :)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Rotating pizza oven you can make on a surface that is easier for you. You can add what ever meat, cheese, veggies.
  • daisy_henchliffe
    daisy_henchliffe Posts: 9
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    Thank you @Chieflrg‌ :)
  • benjam2421
    benjam2421 Posts: 24 Member
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    protein powder, fruits and veggies in a blender
    you can do a lot of different food combos with a blender
  • totaldetermination
    totaldetermination Posts: 1,184 Member
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    try nuts or avocados.
    Good Luck !
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    edited February 2015
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    http://greatist.com/health/surprising-healthy-microwave-recipes
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/24707359
    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/slow-cooker

    Hope those links help. I have cooked a number of things in the microwave over the years:
    Fresh Fish
    Vegetables
    'Baked' potatoes
    Rice (if you cook on medium power and allow to stand periodically or use packet rice)
    Chicken
    Bacon (either on a plate or if you like it crispy you can get a special bacon tray)
    Poached eggs
    scrambled eggs
    Porridge
    Baked beans

    A slow cooker adds loads of possibilities:
    Bolognaise sauce
    Stews
    Goulash
    Casseroles
    Biryiani-type dishes
    Curries
    Tagines
    Soups
    Porridge (again!)

    I have a soup maker too, which I find really helpful and would recommend to anyone. The below recipe is really tasty and quite high calorie for a soup. You can make the smooth bit in the soup maker, and cook the chicken in a bit a coconut milk in the microwave.
    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1993647/thai-chicken-and-sweet-potato-soup

    If you get a soup maker I recommend getting one with a small aluminium jug as they can be quite heavy when full.

    ETA: An advantage of a soup maker is that you can leave it to do it's thing and leave it to cool a bit before you handle it, if you have difficulty with hot foods. And you can plug it in and leave it on a low surface.

    Also, a breadmaker might be a good investment for you. It only takes about 5 mins to set up, then you have lovely home-made bread when it's done. If you're tired you can just grab a sandwich or some toast for an easy meal.

    I had chronic fatigue syndrome when I was a teenager and into my early 20s. The microwave and breadmaker were so useful for those evenings when I was too tired to cook properly!
  • daisy_henchliffe
    daisy_henchliffe Posts: 9
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    mumblemagic wrote: »
    http://greatist.com/health/surprising-healthy-microwave-recipes
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/24707359
    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/slow-cooker

    Hope those links help. I have cooked a number of things in the microwave over the years:
    Fresh Fish
    Vegetables
    'Baked' potatoes
    Rice (if you cook on medium power and allow to stand periodically or use packet rice)
    Chicken
    Bacon (either on a plate or if you like it crispy you can get a special bacon tray)
    Poached eggs
    scrambled eggs
    Porridge
    Baked beans

    A slow cooker adds loads of possibilities:
    Bolognaise sauce
    Stews
    Goulash
    Casseroles
    Biryiani-type dishes
    Curries
    Tagines
    Soups
    Porridge (again!)

    I have a soup maker too, which I find really helpful and would recommend to anyone. The below recipe is really tasty and quite high calorie for a soup. You can make the smooth bit in the soup maker, and cook the chicken in a bit a coconut milk in the microwave.
    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1993647/thai-chicken-and-sweet-potato-soup

    If you get a soup maker I recommend getting one with a small aluminium jug as they can be quite heavy when full.

    ETA: An advantage of a soup maker is that you can leave it to do it's thing and leave it to cool a bit before you handle it, if you have difficulty with hot foods. And you can plug it in and leave it on a low surface.

    Also, a breadmaker might be a good investment for you. It only takes about 5 mins to set up, then you have lovely home-made bread when it's done. If you're tired you can just grab a sandwich or some toast for an easy meal.

    I had chronic fatigue syndrome when I was a teenager and into my early 20s. The microwave and breadmaker were so useful for those evenings when I was too tired to cook properly!
    Thanks a whole lot for going to trouble writing all this found it really helpful especially stuff i had no idea cuold be cooked in a microwave :) and thanks for the advice @totaldetermination‌ @benjam2421‌
  • MaryCS62
    MaryCS62 Posts: 266 Member
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    My older daughter is disabled, & while we're actually now at the point of making sure she doesn't gain any weight (she's 25, 5'1", 118lb), for a time she was in a "failure to thrive" mode, (between the ages of 10 & 11, she lost over 10 lbs!) & we consulted a dietician.
    Her suggestions --
    Calorie dense foods -- ie, peanut butter, full fat cheese, higher fat dressings for salads.
    When making sandwiches -- double the filling, 1/2 the bread.
    Egg or tuna salad with mayo.
    Oil on salads & vegetables
    We also subbed out her milk for a mix of half & half with whole milk (50-50), mixed with Carnation instant breakfast packets. Take 2 cups each half & half & whole milk, mix 4 packets instant breakfast for a quart of drink.
    Also occasionally used Boost or Ensure drinks.

    She did eventually gain weight, & we just gradually cut back on everything. Now she's on skim milk, normal-small sandwiches, & normal serving sizes of whatever I cook.
  • daisy_henchliffe
    daisy_henchliffe Posts: 9
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    Thanks a lot @MaryCS62‌ im glad your daughter managed to get to a healthy weight and is the point I wuold like to get to , sounds like adding the full fat versions to everything is the way to go :)
  • daisy_henchliffe
    daisy_henchliffe Posts: 9
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    @sophie94x2014‌
  • Arianera
    Arianera Posts: 128 Member
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    @daisy_henchliffe Two thoughts for you

    1) Does your local grocery store have prepared entrees? While not quite as healthy as home-cooked, they are often better that the frozen meals - and then all you would have to do is heat in the microwave

    2) Could you get a buddy to spend an afternoon putting up soups, stews and pasta sauces for you (pre-packaging meals) so that again, all you had to do was heat and eat?

    Here's a vegetarian chili that I made recently on the stovetop, that might adapt well to a slow-cooker. It would be a bit of effort to put together, but then could be pre-portioned and frozen to make many meals. You might be able to find many of the ingredients pre-chopped or frozen in the grocery store:

    approximately 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
    approximately 2.00 cup(s), chopped Fennel (I can't eat bell peppers, most people would use them here instead of fennel)
    approximately 1.00 cup(s), chopped Carrots (2 medium)
    4.00 clove(s), Garlic - crushed
    2.00 tbsp(s), Oil - Olive
    15 oz can Canelli Beans
    15 oz can Dark Red Kidney Beans Canned
    15oz can Light Red Kidney Beans
    1 cup, Vegetable Broth
    4 tbsp. tomato paste
    1.00 tbsp(s), Spices - Cumin seed
    1.00 tbsp(s), Spices - Oregano, dried
    1.00 tbsp(s), Spices - Chili powder

    Drain and rinse the beans. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, amount of chili powder.

    It came out thick enough to wrap in a tortilla with a bit of cheddar cheese.
  • KingRat79
    KingRat79 Posts: 125 Member
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    smoothies can be a good way of getting in food easily with out cooking. they can be really quick and convenient. The really useful thing about smoothies is that you can fine tune your macro's to meet your individual needs. want more protein, add some whey protein or Greek yogurt, want more fat add a few spoons of peanut butter, want more carbs, add more fruit.
  • queenoflogres
    queenoflogres Posts: 6
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    I am in a similar situation to you regarding ability to prepare food and handle hot. I have had to abandon using a kettle, saucepan or anything that requires lifting more than a mug (so rice cookers and blenders are out for me!)
    What I have, and rely on, is a microwave-combi that also functions as an oven and grill. This means that all operations are carried out at counter height, without having to bend, and if necessary I can spoon portions directly out of the oven, without having to lift a heavy pot when hot.
    A caveat to using the full-fat dairy as a way to increase calorie intake- I did this and developed gallstones.
  • strozman
    strozman Posts: 2,622 Member
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    daisy_henchliffe wrote: »
    Im 18 and find cooking very unsafe and difficult to carry anything (walking with a zimmer frame and sometimes a wheelchair) and get very tired meaning i end up missing meals a lot. Anyone have any advice on VERY simple but healthy high calorie foods so I can gain 3-4 stone? Or anyone in a similar position to me? Please no abuse :)

    Looks like you have received some great advice. I personally like using protein shakes made with chocolate milk to get my calories in.
  • Vcorz
    Vcorz Posts: 75 Member
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    MaryCS62 wrote: »
    My older daughter is disabled, & while we're actually now at the point of making sure she doesn't gain any weight (she's 25, 5'1", 118lb), for a time she was in a "failure to thrive" mode, (between the ages of 10 & 11, she lost over 10 lbs!) & we consulted a dietician.
    Her suggestions --
    Calorie dense foods -- ie, peanut butter, full fat cheese, higher fat dressings for salads.
    When making sandwiches -- double the filling, 1/2 the bread.
    Egg or tuna salad with mayo.
    Oil on salads & vegetables
    We also subbed out her milk for a mix of half & half with whole milk (50-50), mixed with Carnation instant breakfast packets. Take 2 cups each half & half & whole milk, mix 4 packets instant breakfast for a quart of drink.
    Also occasionally used Boost or Ensure drinks.

    She did eventually gain weight, & we just gradually cut back on everything. Now she's on skim milk, normal-small sandwiches, & normal serving sizes of whatever I cook.

    Im glad shes doing well, but at 5'1, 118 pounds hardly seems teetering on the verge of overweight? Nothing to worry about?
  • daisy_henchliffe
    daisy_henchliffe Posts: 9
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    Thankyou so much everyone all very helpful :)
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
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    daisy_henchliffe wrote: »
    Thankyou so much everyone all very helpful :)

    Glad to help :smile:

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