Hi All, I thought a thread where we can exchange food stage ideas and recipes, that use ingredients readily available at our various supermarkets here, would help one and all.

Liquids, mushies, solids, anything band friendly would be great.

I am starting mushies on saturday and am in need of some good ideas. I am a bit challenged in the cooking department!

Susannah

For mushies: Lasagne with added canned tomato Soup in the blender till it's mushy - sounds disgusting tastes delicious!!

Creamed Low Fat Cottage cheese (home brand for both coles & safeway - it is identical to weight watchers and comes out of the same factory) with hungarian paprika and 97% fat free weight watchers style bacon (cut all that fat off before you cook it) then put cooked bacon in the blender until you have crumbly little bacon pieces and mix about 25g of that into 2 tablespoons of creamed cottage cheese - very yummy - I lived on that during mushies.

When your back to eating real food keep a daily food diary, it helps when you stall to look back at the things you were eating when you were losing weight to see wha tworked best for you. Really helped me to look back and be honest with myself.

For the liquid stage: Get the vanilla Protein Shake, dilute it with extra Water if needed and just buy up big on flavour essence. That way u can have any flavour ur heart desires.

Angel

Hey Angel, Spooky, I did exactly that with my vanilla shake! :biggrin1:

Susannah

I am only one week banded and thought I would share some of the supermarket foods that I have founds that make sense for the liquids stage.

• Campbells Velish soups - good source of vegetables in this stage.
  
• Campbells Real Consumme - basially a chicken and beef broth, but with more of the real meat flavor and much higher in Protein than broths
  
• Nudie Fruit Juices
  
• Nudie Drinkable Yoghurt -Low fat vanilla yoghurt with touch of honey and vanilla bean....nothing wrong with this one!!

All of these I have found in Sydney Woolworths and Coles. Might be spending a bit more for the Nudie's, but....if that's all you can eat you may as well enjoy!

RightSize

Hi Everybody, What is the best way to cook and use up vegies? I imagine because we can only eat such small amounts of vegies at any one time, fresh vegies in the fridge would go off pretty quickly before you can use it all.

Do you steam them up and then freeze them in small portions? Remember that supermarket vegies are already days old before we buy them often.

What does everybody think about frozen vegies that you buy at the supermarket? I know that the f word (Frozen) is going to be horrific to some people like jacqui etc!:biggrin1:

Susannah

You know what Susannah, I saw a show on frozen vs fresh veggies and there really isn't all that much difference between them! Because the vegies are snap frozen so soon after they are picked they are still really good for you. Heck any veggie, frozen or not is better for you than a huck of chocolate (shame about that hehehe)

One thing I have invested in are some of the fridge smart tupperware containers. I've only got a couple of small ones (which is enough) I cut up my brocolli and carrot and put that in one, and the other I put mushrooms in (they are the veggies we eat fresh the most) and they keep for 2-3 weeks! Even the mushrooms, which is awesome! If they are on the way out though, I will cook up a stir fry with some chicken and hoiken noodles and freeze that in lunch sized serves. The veggies aren't as fresh tasting and crisp one you have cooked them and frozen them, but they are still totally edible!

I guess I am lucky though becuase my fiance works in the fruit and veggie section of a supermarket, so I just text him and ask him to bring some home with him if we are out of something hahaha

Hi Meredith, Hooray for Tupperware!:biggrin1: I know that it is daggy but I actually like their stuff, and was looking at a catologue only yesterday. I think I will get some frozen vegies. I didn't want to tell anyone here as I thought they may think I am a bad and lazy bandster. I work hard and when I get home I want to prepare food that doesn't take forever because I am tired.

Susannah

Tupperware rocks! I am thinking of having a tupperware party for my bridal shower, so how daggy is that!!

I hear you on the not wanting to spend ages cooking when you get home! A couple of nights a week, I make those frozen fish fillets you can buy (no crumbing on them) with a lemon and herb sauce (they are 97 or 98% fat free and much cheaper than buying "fresh" fish alot of which has been frozen anyway!) and steam some broccoli and carrot. I make some rice or Pasta for my fiance which I have a spoon or two of. Super quick and easy and yum as well. I am by no means a good or extravagent cook!!! And you most certainly don't have to eat gourmet to eat healthy - thats what I think anyway!!

I bought a George Foreman grill this morning (half price at Target! Woo!).

I am thinking about making my own chicken kebabs and fish on it might be great too. I've got salmon steaks for dinner that I am going to try out on it.

Any one else got one? Have any suggestions/ideas for me to try?

Hey Meredith, Can you cook fish on th GF grill without oil etc? I might just get one myself.I could really use some inspiration re recipes etc. Sorry I am not much help. Susannah

We had the salmon for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! I usually steam my fish in a bamboo steamer, so it was a nice Very tasty! highly recommend investing in one! It says you should spray non fat cooking spray on it, but I didn't have any, so I just put a bit of olive oil on a paper towel and wiped that over (I'll pick up some cooking spray next time I'm at the shop though). All the fat drips off any way. Its such a cool little invention!

Also today I thought I'd try something new for lunch. I got a can of lentils, a can of chickpeas, a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of salmon, cooked it all up with herbs and garlic. Yummo!!! So filling and full of Protein, and filling too. It made enough for 4 lunches for me.

Hi everyone

I was banded early March and while I am coping very well with most foods I am having problems with all types of meat.

I've tried the slow cooker and also smothering the meat with gravy - and of course chew, chew, chew, chew - but not having any success.

I am wondering if anyone else has this problem and if I should persevere or give up and switch to a vegetarian diet.

Any suggestions would be appreciated esp info re other food sources of Iron, Protein, etc etc.

Thanks

Bayside_bobbie

Last night I got so hungry for something that tasted rich and exotic. (lol) I'm day 5 on liquids and really wanted to eat something...(well bread to be specific, but I wasn't going to go there!)

I made this "soup" and boy is it good

"Peanut Curry pumpkin Soup"

100ml Velish butternut pumpkin Soup

milk to thin

salt, pepper & curry powder to taste

1/2 - 1 tsp of smooth Peanut Butter

1/2 - 1 tsp light sour cream

Place all in a bowl, then heat in microwave for as long as it takes to heat it up. Stir well, taste to adjust seasonings. Add extra milk to thin if not thin enough. Sip slowly and enjoy.

OMG this is so delicious I nearly died.

Craving satisfied.

Blytheswideshut,

I just had to try that soup, and it tastes even better than it sounded. Always good to try different things to keep the craving gremlin's happy. Thanks for that.

Cheers,

I just want to pop in here and agree that the George Forman grill is great. :girl_hug: And yep, you can cook fish without oil, it's a nonstick surface. I think Mum wrapped her fish in tinfoil with some lemon and did it that way.