how do I cook for me and my son

[hazeleyes8361 4]

I am 5 weeks post ok and I have no clue how to cook for me and my son. I am a single mom. I work nights, 12 hr shifts. And on those nights he goes to his grandma's house for dinner. But on the days off I kind of wing it. I want to cook healthy for the both of us, but I'm still so clueless. Most of the time I make my mini scambled egg or onze of chicken salad. And put a meal together for him that's fast. But with our lives being so busy it's not always healthy. He is 9 so give me ideas people. Help a sleeved single mom out.

[Annadette 23]

^{Hi there - I have 3 kids between the ages of 1 and 10, my DH works out of town for 3 weeks at a time and I also work outside the home, so I feel your pain. I don't enjoy cooking (especially when rushed) and the kids are always starving when we get home so I needed some fast ideas. Sometimes they do get junky food - I'll throw a pizza in the oven for them while I eat my scrambled egg- but I try to make them something decent most nights of the week. My standby is stir-fries. I buy beef and chicken and turkey in little stir-fry strip packages and either frozen veggies or fresh ones (snow peas, carrots and a little onion, maybe a few mushrooms - whatever I can find) Then you just need a bottle of stir-fry sauce, or salad dressing - there's many out there, so you won't get bored - I make rice for them (which I don't eat) while I'm making the stir-fry. Then we have a meal that's ready in under 10 minutes, and we all have something healthy. You may find it hard to eat Protein this dense and tender-crisp veggies at only 5 weeks out, but down the road, I find this is a great option. I just eat about a 1/2 cup of the stir-fry and I'm good. The kids get theirs on rice or whole wheat Pasta, and sometimes I throw a few peanuts on top for them - they love it. Hope my advice helps!}

[Annadette 23]

Oh - just thought of something else - do you have a crock pot? I make chili or spaghetti sauce in the crock pot on a weekend and it lasts for ages - I freeze out a few portions. The kids have chili and whole wheat rolls and spaghetti with noodles - I eat my chili on it's own with a little grated cheese and I have a little spaghetti sauce on the "noodles" I scrape out of half spaghetti squash that I do in the microwave (seriously, soooo good!) Cooking in the crock-pot really feels good, especially when you come in to a house that smells amazing after work. There are LOTS of good crock-pot recipes online and on Pinterest and as long as you remember to have the ingredients ready in the morning before work, it is really simple to set up (or like I said, set it up to cook on a weekend when you're off work, and you will have food in your fridge/freezer all week!)

[Domika03 309]

I was going to suggest investing in a crock pot, if you don't already have one. I see that Annadette (above) made a similiar suggestion. I LOVE mine. Actually, I have 3 of them. I know, over-kill, but I digress (easily).

One of my favorite meals is turkey chili. I also enjoy making beef stew & spinach lentil Soup to name a few. All are healthy & easy to prepare. You come home from a long day at work & dinner is all ready! You'll find many online recipes!

Don't stress. You can do this. Good luck!

[FitnFabfor2014 358]

Hi, that was one of my main concerns when I got sleeved. I started off just making my son something and I would eat something else. That stopped real quick. My son is a 240 pound football player in high school, so I had to start getting creative so we can eat together. We both love vegetables, so I do stir fried with grilled chicken strips from costco (he has rice, I don't) I use lean turkey and make spaghetti (I just don't eat the noodles) and frozen Turkey meatballs are amazing. Unfortunately my son is so sick of chicken he won't touch it whole, but if I shred it and make burritos or quesadillas he will chow down. Then I just eat shredded chicken and pinto Beans.

I don't spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the week, I just don't have the time or energy (the weekends are much better), but every day I am learning new cooking ideas. There is a book called The Weightloss Surgery Cookbook for dummies. It has recipes ideas for everyone (so you don't have to cook separate meals for everyone in the house). Good luck on your journey.

Edited March 8, 2014 by FitnFabfor2014

[Carlotta1 401]

I also cook with a crook pot..It saves time, does not make a mess.. When I get a chance..I bake chicken legs or thighs (skinless)..with herbs I buy at La Madeline..It is delish. I cook about 12 pieces at a time and store it in zip lock bag or freeze some. I also get two pieces of salmon and cook it ahead of time. If you could in bulk and then store food. then you won't be scrambling for what to eat. I always have something in the frig for me to grab. It takes planning but you can do it.. It takes no time to bake something in the oven and it's a quick preparation. Also I steam my seafood or boil shrimp with lots of Cajun seasonings. it is delish. Steamed tilapia , salmon, catfish, etc. takes about 5 minutes. Just put a little Water in a pan (heat it to steaming) and add your seasoned seafood on low heat and cover on low heat. Voila' ..you have fresh cooked seafood. Enjoy. !!!

[Emmy72 6]

I have no kids but found this website that has tons of great ideas and recipes, she is also a weight loss surgery veteran. theworldaccordingtoeggface.com as soon as I can eat plan on using this site.

[shaza1963 71]

I love the world according to egg face, so many good recipes. I also use skinny taste.com she has some amazing recipes that are quick to make.

[sassypants 674]

I cook big batch pretty much 99% of the time portion it off and freeze in bags so I can just pull out a bag to defrost and heat up and eat.
The actual act of batching takes some time of course but once its all done and n the freezer reheating depending on how you do it (I do not like microwaves so I heat in the oven or stove top) takes a couple of mins to 30mins.
Things I do lasagne filling so all I have to do is add cheese sauce and Pasta sheets (I don’t eat the Pasta but others do)
Ratatouille I make sausage ratatouille or chicken the most recent batch I added quinoa to it as well.
Coconut chicken and veg curry.
A lentil bean and spinach curry.
Chicken casserole.
That turkey veggie quinoa meatloaf muffin mix (new fav love that so much!)
This chicken stripe thing with some oriental favours you eat with lettuce.
Soups, we make different kinds of Soup a lot and batch it off and freeze it.
Then for us we get a couple of trays of chicken breast strip them off bag them up so we can pull a bag out and do like fajita wraps or stir fry easily just cuts right down on prep time to pre do it all.
That’s what I do and its helps a lot there is always something in the freezer to pull out just decide the night before pull out a bag and know that’s for dinner the next day top up things as you need it again batching and your good.

[1Day1Life4Now 882]

I too use the crock pot (and have for years). In addition to the ideas listed from the other posters you can cook a roast since it will tear apart completely when done cooking. You will be able to eat that soon. You can cook a whole chicken in it or just chicken pieces. I sometimes pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket (already cooked and hot)and then just cook a veggie when I get home. It's a quick supper and its delishhhhh. Just don't eat the skin. I also have the WLS Cookbook for dummies and it's pretty good. There are several other cookbooks for WLS patients and their families. I have seen numerous ones at Barnes and Noble. I fix oatmeal or scrambled eggs for Breakfast. The whole family can eat those. Just get you a few go to recipes and it will get easier.

[Comfy_Blue 285]

I don''t have children, but I do have a Southern husband that likes to eat. I was having the same problem, how can I cook healthy stuff for me, but things that still are hearty (and quick) for him?

I started gong on pintrest while in my full liquid faze and searching for recipes under "clean eating", "vegan" and low carb/calorie. I found so many useful recipes that mimic the classic, high caloric foods I love.

Zucchini lasagna, quinoa (tastes like rice), chicken teriyaki(with low sodium soy sauce, a small amount of organic honey and white meat chicken combined in a crock pot. I eat it over quinoa which I cooked with zucchini and plum tomatoes and I swear it tastes just like Gen. Tso from the local carry out), cauliflower Soups something called a twice baked cauliflower casserole(it tastes so much like potatoes my husband forgets they aren't and keeps calling them potatoes when we eat them).

I also take portabella mushrooms and put pizza sauce, low fat mozzarella cheese and a few pepperoni's (for husband) and bake them to make a healthier pizza.

Husband also cooks chili with turkey meat which is so delicious and high in Protein. Helps keep me regular. Freezer bags are my best friend. I usually cook on Saturday and/or Sunday evenings and freeze some of the food. Or if it's around the middle of the week and I notice we aren't really eating a certain dish, I throw it into a freezer bag and seal it. Then a week (or two or six) later when in a pinch, i open the freezer and have several options to defrost.

There are also some great food blogs created by bariatric patients like "the world according to eggface". I also really like "Bunny Food for my Rabbit Teeth". It's doable once you get into the rhythm of cooking for yourself and have a cache of go to recipes that are yummy, but meet our dietary requirements.

OH and crock pots are also helpful. I like to find recipes online and on Pintrest for the crockpot so I can throw them together, then turn on my crock pot and forget about them.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Comfy_Blue