This surgery has become overwhelming! I can’t find anything to eat, and each day I’m cooking 2 meals! One for me and one for my family. I run a business and really don’t have time. This has become too much for me. Can you share some meal ideas that me and my family can eat. Also I don’t meal prep past 2 days. After 2 days I throw it out. I have wasted so much money on food it’s ridiculous.

Why are you cooking 2 meals? Can you not all eat the same but you just have the tiny version? How far along are you post op?

Could you not batch cook and freeze so you aren't wasting food?

What I do just as an FYI Batch cook spaghetti bolognaise, bag up just the sauce in single-serve sizes and freeze. Then when we have spag bol I just cook spaghetti for the fam and just a bit of veg for myself to go with my sauce (pasta and my gut are no longer friends). takes 15 mins from start to serving then.

or I will do a big keto cheese spinach quiche, slice freeze, serve there's with whatever (fries/salad/ hot veggies etc) and have my tiny slice with a bit of salad. Again super fast to do once cooked and divided up and frozen.

I do the same with curries, casseroles etc

Feel it Same here but i ended the madness - Hope this helps

I am a chef so cooking is easy and this double cooking was to much even for me - So i made it easy for myself

1. Go online to amazon and get Food Prep containers -

2. Then i just make my meals 4 at a time so i dont have to bother with them on a daily basis, For example today i have made 4 shrimp meals and they are ready to go, All i have to do is warm them when i do the kids meals.

It is hard and frustrating, I also let the kids eat out twice a week so That buys two days. I run my own business also so i get it all done ahead of time

For example today i just made a batch of Japense Clear soup - They will eat it during the week and so will I - Already packaged in containers and ready to be just served out

GOod luck and get organized and it will be a ton easier

By these three items to make life easy

1. Soup pot - Only buy this commercial one the others do not have the insert pan

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NRX4D1C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2. Slow cooker steamer easy for all of you tons you can do with it

https://www.amazon.com/Crock-pot-SCCPCCP350-SS-Programmable-Casserole-Stainless/dp/B01FJPS24G/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=Slow+cookers&qid=1575832511&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQlhUSkFRQVU5MkVEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzY1NjM0MTFFT0pTWUFFMUYzTSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjAyNTE4MUJZT0ZLMVBFSUlWSSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

3. Join Grub Hub or other meal delivery service - THat is for them and gives you a break

Edited December 8, 20196 yr by AJ Tylo
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I cook same stuff for family that I am able to eat smaller portions of. I also keep things on hand like good quality meatballs in the freezer. So easy to add sauce and mozzarella cheese for myself. Family can eat the same thing over spaghetti.

Lots of great recipes at Bariatric Foodie that are also family friendly. I made a taco casserole from that site last night. Grandson and husband both loved it.

Edited December 8, 20196 yr by Losingit2018

What types of food do you keep on hand? The meatballs are a great idea.

You shouldn’t need to cook seperate food. The whole family should be able to eat the same healthy meals. The main difference is that you will be eating smaller meals with less carbs. What are you eating that makes it so difficult?

Well I’m just 7 weeks out so I can’t eat everything. My family eats pasta and things of that nature that I can’t eat. It’s not even a question if I’m going to make them change their diets with me. I have kids ages 2-17.

1 hour ago, theexfatgirl said:

This surgery has become overwhelming! I can’t find anything to eat, and each day I’m cooking 2 meals! One for me and one for my family. I run a business and really don’t have time. This has become too much for me. Can you share some meal ideas that me and my family can eat. Also I don’t meal prep past 2 days. After 2 days I throw it out. I have wasted so much money on food it’s ridiculous.

36 minutes ago, theexfatgirl said:

What types of food do you keep on hand? The meatballs are a great idea.

6 minutes ago, theexfatgirl said:

Well I’m just 7 weeks out so I can’t eat everything. My family eats Pasta and things of that nature that I can’t eat. It’s not even a question if I’m going to make them change their diets with me. I have kids ages 2-17.

Some tips for cooking for the family. (low to no cooking) link below

Any meal can be frozen into small portions– freeze leftovers, take them to work and microwave them. No cook meals at home when you are busy.

Chicken/beef fajitas you omit the tortilla = Family can have the tortilla. buy a bag of frozen john souls chicken strips – Microwaveable peppers and onions.

Frozen turkey meatballs, spaghetti sauce with a can of diced tomatoes, microwavable zucchini noodles. – Family can have pasta and garlic bread.

You and the family can have any protein with vegetables – Let your family have bread or a precooked microwavable side dish.

Sunday meal prep –

Cook enough proteins for you and the family for the week. Freeze in family portion sizes. (some items you can freeze others keep in the refrigerator)

Precut up veggies place them in freezer bags – (some items you can freeze others keep in the refrigerator)

Precook rice and pasta for the family– place in freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Or Buy precooked microwavable, veggies, pasta, rice, and side dishes.

I never made two meals. My husband and I would eat the same thing - only he'd eat a lot more of it, and in addition I'd give him some kind of starch like potatoes, rice, or pasta.

Meal prep is most helpful strategy for me. It might help to put the time on your calendar to map out the next few day's or the week's meals--self-care time time. I also developed a meal time routine and three of my four meals are essentially the same every day.

Instacart will deliver roasted chickens and a salad kit from the grocery store when I need something quick, and I also subscribed to Freshly (each meal is really two servings). There are similar services that do keto and low carb as well. As part of supporting your weight loss, you might try encouraging the family to eat the healthier options you make for yourself--just make it the new normal and not some strange diet plan.

There is a lot more time planning and thinking about my next meal now to avoid falling back into bad habits, and I toss a ton of food in the garbage (or spend extra buying the small portion packs anyway) too. My challenge was breaking the mindset that food brings pleasure and getting used to chicken and eggs. As I accepted the food is just fuel, the monotony was less frustrating, but there are still days I feel like I am going to lose my mind.

One of the counselors I work with made it click for me though. He said I am fighting a lifetime of habits and conditioning that made me obese, and this a very abrupt change to your whole being. It is a new journey and you have to keep reminding yourself that your negative emotions are likely triggered by your mind wanting to pull you back into those habits that led to obesity.

Lately I have been using https://cooking.mealime.com/recipes Not always something my husband would enjoy though.

I agree no way my Two Teenagers are eating a slice of fish and some crushed veggie - I Find it easy to do the meal prep and sometimes will prep in theres also

For example if i do skirt steak for myself i will slab off two big ole chunks for them also - Same prep but looks different - This is a hard subject and i fully understand

I have a college kid here, and my husband knows to fend for himself so we are in different situations, however when I did/do cook for us I make one protein some veggies and something starchy for my son. I’ll nuke a potato, rice from Trader Joe’s or even just bread.

Rotisserie chicken is a savior, tons you can do with that. I make a lot of tacos, I use 96% lean ground beef. you can just set out bowls of stuff like a taco bar on the table and you can pick and choose what you like and they can have what they like. You said your family likes pasta, make pasta and nuke zoodles for yourself, then you can have those with whatever sauce you made. breakfast for dinner is a good one too. Make Canadian bacon or ham so you can have protein too. Eggo Waffles count as dinner in my house.

It’s very doable, ask your family for help and support, I’m sure some of them will pitch in. Especially if they’re afraid of what you’re cooking!

Enlist the kids in ideas and prep to make your life easier, you deserve it.

Edited December 9, 20196 yr by Cheeseburgh

21 minutes ago, AJ Tylo said:

For example if i do skirt steak for myself i will slab off two big ole chunks for them also - Same prep but looks different - This is a hard subject and i fully understand

Do you grill? This might sound like a pain but when we have steak my family gets ribeye or skirt and I always pick up a 6 oz filet for myself. It is practically half the calories. I do love skirt steak and have that on occasion.

I’m farther out than you are and I find tricks like this one keep me sane. It’s nice to have an alternative when your appetite increases.

It’s a little expensive but I use Daily Harvest for myself, which are super quick to cook (4 min in a pan) after I’ve made my daughter something.