Help with food suggestions for annoying allergy

ninthnarnian
ninthnarnian Posts: 237 Member
edited November 17 in Food and Nutrition
Hello,

I have a very annoying food allergy that makes it difficult to buy pre packaged foods.

I am hoping some of you can suggest healthy frozen meals etc. That don't include Black (or white) pepper. Unfortunately "spices" on the label rules it out also.

I am truly allergic to pepper (one speck and my throat starts swelling closed). I also have a disability that makes it difficult to cook for myself- although I do it as much as I can.

Anything out there? Any favorites in your fridge or freezer etc with no pepper?

Replies

  • icemaiden17_uk
    icemaiden17_uk Posts: 463 Member
    Wow. I was going to suggest cooking and freezing your own meals until I read the rest of your post
    I have nothing to suggest but I do hope you find a solution!
  • ShrinkingViolet1982
    ShrinkingViolet1982 Posts: 919 Member
    Sounds like you might want to look into someone cooking for you. Almost everything prepackaged has some sort of pepper or "spices" in it. Do you have local "freezer meal" businesses that could help out?
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    I agree with the frozen vegetable idea - the kind that are just plain vegetables without sauce. You can add other appropriate foods to them to make a meal. Instant brown rice would make an easy side dish.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    You may look into local meal services.
  • pamfgil
    pamfgil Posts: 449 Member
    Plain salmon you can get it packages for microwave to go with steam pouches of veggies and rice
  • ninthnarnian
    ninthnarnian Posts: 237 Member
    Thank you for the responses so far. I already get the steamable veggies- So glad most of them are ok for me. Still hoping to find meat options that are quick/easy to prepare. I also need budget concious options because my disability income is not alot.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    Another suggestion is the frozen bags of chicken. When I was in high school I usually made dinner for my siblings and I, and I would pan fry a few and add seasonings. Frozen bags of shrimp are the same, and both have precooked varieties that just need to be heated, but cost more.

    I'm not sure what your disability is, but it would have been doable, though tricky, when I was on crutches. I used a rolling desk chair to get around without walking.
  • pamfgil
    pamfgil Posts: 449 Member
    When you say you can't cook, what actions are you prevented from doing, cause if you can put stuff into a microwave you could probably put stuff into a slow cooker, diced stewing steak, or mince or chicken thighs, bag mixed frozen veggies, some red lentils to act as thickening. Add water, or if suitable tinned tomatoes, leave on low for six to eight hours, have one serve and put the rest into small containers in the fridge to heat up for meals for next few days, or freeze and spread them out more
  • ninthnarnian
    ninthnarnian Posts: 237 Member
    I can cook- sometimes. I have an "invisible disability" so no crutches/wheelchair or anything like that. My oven is very low and I have trouble with bending- and time on my feet is limited.

    I will look into doing some more slow cooker meals when I can- thank you for the suggestion.

    I currently cook for myself as often as possible/make my own recipies, however I am hoping someone could suggest a specific microwave meal/brand. Does that make sense? I found a great chicken/rice/veggies combo that was great for lunches, but the store stopped carrying it.

    To be clear- hoping to find something I could purchase as a pre prepared meal, for instance lean cuisine etc.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    edited April 2017
    ninthnarnian wrote: »

    I currently cook for myself as often as possible/make my own recipies, however I am hoping someone could suggest a specific microwave meal/brand. Does that make sense? I found a great chicken/rice/veggies combo that was great for lunches, but the store stopped carrying it.

    To be clear- hoping to find something I could purchase as a pre prepared meal, for instance lean cuisine etc.

    The thing is pepper is used by food manufacturer almost universally if it is a full meal. It is a base spice to use (as well as using salt) it is pretty much standard. When I worked in food industry, I think there was no pre-prepared meal without it. So really you'll be looking at half meals that need to be prepared. (the frozen vegetables, meats and stuff.

    I suggest that if you are albe to cook to cook a lot - for instance for 4-6 people and portion it up. That can go into a freezer and you can use them as pre-prepared meal - which they are.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    ninthnarnian wrote: »
    I can cook- sometimes. I have an "invisible disability" so no crutches/wheelchair or anything like that. My oven is very low and I have trouble with bending- and time on my feet is limited.

    I will look into doing some more slow cooker meals when I can- thank you for the suggestion.

    I currently cook for myself as often as possible/make my own recipies, however I am hoping someone could suggest a specific microwave meal/brand. Does that make sense? I found a great chicken/rice/veggies combo that was great for lunches, but the store stopped carrying it.

    To be clear- hoping to find something I could purchase as a pre prepared meal, for instance lean cuisine etc.

    Rolling desk chairs even help with low energy. A friend with fibromyalgia keeps a chair in front of her stove.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,346 Member
    Yup, I'm sorry to say I think you will really, really struggle to find anything, because it's such a cheap and widely used flavouring.

    If you can make a slow cooker meal a couple times a week, make enough for 6 and freeze them in individual containers. Do that over a couple of weeks and you will build up a nice variety - I usually have a couple of different types of stew/soup, a lasagne or canneloni dish and a chilli in the freezer on rotation. Don't forget to label them - I've had to have mystery lunch more than once.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I don't think you are going to get a packaged freezer meal without spices.

    Try batch cooking or freezer cooking to make your own ready meals.
    You could cook a bunch of chicken at once. I will put chicken thighs in a pot of water on the stove- no seasonings. Boil 1 hour, remove from water, cool for a bit, remove meat from the bones. I will divide the meat into amounts for recipes and freeze what I will not use in a couple of days. You could do the same with chicken ( or other meats) cooked in the oven or slow cooker.
    Make a big pot of soup. It freezes and reheats well generally.
    Fish and eggs cook quickly. Fish doesn't reheat well so I wouldn't cook a bunch a once. You can make hard boiled eggs or omelet muffins to have on hand.
    Plain frozen vegetables should be fine.
    Plain pasta cooks in a few minutes and should not have pepper.
    Plain long grain rice cooks in about 20 minutes and has no seasonings.

    Cottage cheese, yogurt, oatmeal, bread, fresh salad greens, peanut butter are some things that should be pepper free and low effort.
  • tgcake
    tgcake Posts: 59 Member
    I don't have a packaged freezer meal suggestion, but can you boil eggs? I am disabled, and have trouble cooking as well, but boiled eggs are usually alright for me. The only problem I sometimes run into is filling the pot with water but I use a small glass, and several trips if that's an issue.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    ninthnarnian wrote: »
    I can cook- sometimes. I have an "invisible disability" so no crutches/wheelchair or anything like that. My oven is very low and I have trouble with bending- and time on my feet is limited.

    I will look into doing some more slow cooker meals when I can- thank you for the suggestion.

    I currently cook for myself as often as possible/make my own recipies, however I am hoping someone could suggest a specific microwave meal/brand. Does that make sense? I found a great chicken/rice/veggies combo that was great for lunches, but the store stopped carrying it.

    To be clear- hoping to find something I could purchase as a pre prepared meal, for instance lean cuisine etc.

    Talk to the store manager concerning your condition and maybe he can start stocking the meal again. Often they will try to accommodate their customers needs. He possible could also order a case of this just for you.



  • mom2colbyj
    mom2colbyj Posts: 119 Member
    Do you have access to meal prep services? We have a ton that are local and do everything from just shopping and prepping things so you can cook them at home to doing the all out cooking and portioning. Unfortunately this might be the best and only option for convenience meals that don't have pepper/spices.
  • yellingkimber
    yellingkimber Posts: 229 Member
    ninthnarnian wrote: »
    I can cook- sometimes. I have an "invisible disability" so no crutches/wheelchair or anything like that. My oven is very low and I have trouble with bending- and time on my feet is limited.

    Have you heard of the Instant Pot? It's $79 for the cheapest model, but hoooooly crap it changed my life. It's an electric pressure cooker. If you can buy fresh foods and save money, it should be a budget friendly and disability friendly option to use. Like the crock pot, you can just throw your ingredients in, hit start, sit back down for the time that it takes to cook, and profit! My favorite story about it is that I made a whole chicken ($4.99) in 35 minutes. Then I reused the bones to make chicken stock in another 60 minutes. Used the chicken stock with rice to stockpile for the week and only spent maybe 5-10 minutes actually on my feet.
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