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On to regular diet... what to buy?



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I am single and live alone and cook for one person. I have been cleared to move on to a regular diet and am SO stuck on what to add to my grocery list aside from tuna packets. I wish they had single servings of meats and vegetable even rather than just by the lb. Help.

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I don't mind freezing meats, so I buy the package they way it comes and when I get home, I portion it out and freeze what I won't immediately use. I know at the grocery stores where I live, you can buy a single chicken breast or thigh, or ask them to cut you a 5-6 oz steak (the cooked portion will be less than that, but I can eat about 3.5 oz of beef at a time) There are ways to get what you want, the way you want it. You just have to ask!

As for veggies, you can buy the frozen steam in the bag veggies in the single serving size. I prefer fresh, and I buy the smallest amount possible and just cook what I need.

Edited by stacyrg2

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I also prefer fresh veggies. I wont do canned. I think I just get overwhelmed at thinking about cooking it all and then measuring out and freezing or saving for the week. Meal planning makes me nervous.

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It's actually pretty easy and doesn't take very long. As for meats, I just measure into 3-4oz portions and wrap and freeze what I won't immediately use. Veggies, I tend to buy very small amounts of fresh veggies (keep in mind, I'm significantly farther out than you are) A single broccoli crown, a handful of brussels sprouts, the smallest bunch of asparagus I can find. Even now, I can only eat a few bites of veggies, so I cook accordingly.

Also, you don't have to cook it all at once. I tend to cook more than I can eat in a single meal, but I don't mind leftovers, and I don't feel the need to have "breakfast" food in the morning. This morning, I had leftover steak for Breakfast. Earlier this week, I cooked up some chicken breast tenders and made some cauliflower "fried" rice. I've had that for lunch all this week. So, cooking more than I need doesn't bother me. If it bothers or overwhelms you and you don't mind cooking every meal, you can buy the package and freeze, or like I said previously, buy at the butcher counter and purchase individual items. At this stage, a single piece of chicken will likely last 2 meals for you

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Thank you @@stacyrg2 !! I will try freezing. I just sit and write out my list and notice myself still writing amounts as if i still ate those big portions and have to remind myself and change it. It will take some getting used to.

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I found a produce store that will allow me to purchase 3 asparagus spears or 4 broccoli trees etc. you can also go to the meat department and ask for small packages of meats or get the regular size and freeze in single servings. if a store has a salad bar you can also buy just the portions you want at a time. I no longer go to a store that only sells prepackaged veggies and huff if asked to cut it down. Walmart will even cut a speg squash in half for me now. it is like in a restaurant you have to ask for what you want and need. good luck

Edited by Martha Parker-mcneal

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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