Annual check up - anyone good with rec... - British Liver Trust

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Annual check up - anyone good with recipe ideas?!

RugbyMama profile image
3 Replies

Hubby had annual check up with gastro consultant on Friday. We are utterly blessed to have the most sensible, supportive consultant, who out of all the consultants we see (hubby has 3, I have 1) is our favourite.

He is concerned about the amount of weight hubby has put on, much of which we expected due to being on insulin for diabetes and the remainder due to a combination of stress and comfort eating over the last 9 months. MIL, who we have a very strained, difficult relationship with has been diagnosed as terminally ill, we were told she no more than 8 weeks to live in January, in September we are still travelling a 500 mile round trip every weekend to visit her in her nursing home. This means hubby is prioritising her health over his own, because every other family member has cut off contact with her.

He needs to get his weight under control because they will still consider him for transplant until he is 65 - 20+ years away. The haemochromotosis and alcohol combination has caused such significant damage and now he is almost 2 years abstinent and having regular venesection treatments all that is left to do is weight. So now I need to find low calorie, low carb options for a northerner raised on meat and carbs carbs carbs but without me having to cook separate meals for him and then myself and the teens - I have a full time job, 2 teenage boys, chronically ill husband and a masters to study for, cooking is something I love but have limited time!

So anyone got any suggestions for good, healthy, low carb family meal options that aren't going to take me hours to make?

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RugbyMama
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NieceByMarriage profile image
NieceByMarriage

We do loads of stuff in our slow cooker and batch cook. For family meals I would have thought that things like chicken or turkey stews with plenty of veggies would be easy. You can serve with new potatoes, say, which makes it easier to give some family members more of that.

Prawns and fish are fantastic low calorie options if your family like those. We often have a version of a dish the Belgians call Waterzooi which is fish or chicken soup, basically. Chunks of fish or chicken in a broth with plenty of veggies. You can add a few potatoes to the mix (even pop them in last, just before serving, so you can adjust portions). The Belgians typically will have a creamy sauce but a nice bouillon type broth is very filling and low calorie. Again that is something you can prepare in advance and then just put together just before serving.

RugbyMama profile image
RugbyMama in reply toNieceByMarriage

Thanks! I'll try these. I've just binned my slow cooker as I have the tiniest kitchen ever so I don't have the room but also (unpopular opinion) everything has a weird aftertaste in a slow cooker.

I'm also allergic to shellfish, but I will Google waterzooi and see what I can bring up. Not adverse to a creamy sauce because all we will do is calories in vs calories out and ensure there is a deficit rather than a specific plan and the fats are good for the teens who are both still growing.

Ewife profile image
Ewife

Hi! I get a bit embarressed to admit this because its such an expensive item and way out of most peoples budgets (including mine!) But i was given a Vorwork Thermomix around the time hubby got ill. If you can ever manage to save up and get one I 100% reccomend. Its a single appliance which does the work of food processer/kenwood mixer/blender/weighing scales/cooking etc all in one. You can subscribe to an app with recipes which all sync up to your machine - so for un-confident cooks like me its just a click of button process. It allows you to cook cheaply and use entirely non-processed foods. All recipes have nutritional and calorie info etc. You see these appliances in most restaurants and often on programs like masterchef professionals. Try looking them up on You Tube etc to give you an idea of how you can use them. To get the digital version if buying 2nd hand, you need at least TM6 model.Just throwing another option out there! It really does bring about a lifestyle change if thats what youre looking for.

I promise this isnt an ad or anything, just my own personal experience.

Take care

Ewife

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