Dealing with M.E - Cooking and food Tips

When you're living with a chronic illness, cooking is the most important things to do - it's also one of the hardest.

Here are a few tips that help me and my carers cook healthy and fast meals.

(the ready meals are for desperate times, if you have intolerances like me, be sure to check the labels. Most innocent veg pots are 'safe' to eat, but please double check before consuming)

Shop online

As fun as it can be to sometimes go out, shopping for daily essentials and food can really be a waste of energy!

Buy your food online, so you can spend your energy on better things, like visiting your local park, favourite cafe for lunch, or a tearoom, for tea and cake of course...

I love ordering my veg from Riverford, or Able and Cole. Knowing that my veg is organic, fresh AND local, it's a win all round. Yes, it does cost more, but I cut back on other things where I can. 

On weeks when I can't afford these lovely veg boxes, I buy organic veg from the supermarket online.

Ocado is also a really good place to shop online if you have food intolerances.

 I get my veggies mainly from Riverford, cupboard food from the major supermarkets depending on what vouchers I have, supplements mainly from Bodykind (Sometimes I take a special outing to Holland and Barrett as it's next to a coffee shop so I can sit down after) Beauty products from Naturisimo, Lucy Rose (free delivery over £15), HandMadeNaturals (not free delivery but the products are amazing) And have recently found another shop, Love Lula.

Apart from the supermarkets... most of the web shops mentioned above offer Free Delivery in the UK

What's great about shops that offer free delivery on any purchase is the fact that I don't have to buy everything at once, so I'm not spending lots of money in one go just to get free postage.

Shop Bought Ready Meals

It's not always the healthiest choice, but there are healthier ready meals to choose from these days. One great little tip I found was to remove the food contents from the plastic containers before microwaving - As an attempt to reduce chemical exposure from heated plastic molecules from seeping into food.
Choose ready meals that are high in protein and low in sugar as this will keep you full, without having sugar highs and slumps. Always make sure to stick to the recommended daily allowance for salt without going over. Here's some links to help you find some healthier ready meals...

Innocent have some lovely vegan options - If you're gluten free (and/or vegan) - The you'll love Amy's Kitchen as some of their meals are gluten free AND vegan.

Innocent Ready meal Pots (sains)

Innocent Ready meal Pots (Tsco)

Healthier ready meals (Asda)

Healthy living ready meals

Be good to yourself Ready meals

M&S Ready meal information

NuMe Ready meals

Soups

Kitchen Gadgets 

Gadgets like a NutriBullet or Breville Family Blender; A Food Processor, Slow Cooker, and Dishwasher (I have a full size dishwasher)

Have all been the most helpful gadgets I and my family have invested in over the years. (not forgetting the microwave)

Cut down food preperation time with a food processor and just place the used components in the dishwasher after use! With a food processor you can also make super healthy treats and snacks like nut truffles, raw cheesecake, and raw protein bars. ( I have the kenwood as it was the best cheap one I could find, but if you are noise sensitive, I suggest using ear plugs, or buying a MagiMix food processor as it's a much better quality machine with a very low noise level when it's in use, just be prepared for it's ridiculous price tag!)

Make a breakfast or lunch smoothie in less than 5 minutes with the smoothie gadgets mentioned above, or make your own nut mylk - they're super easy to clean too!

The Slow cooker is super easy - throw ingredients and water into a slow cooker before bed or in the morning, turn on, and leave to cook all day, it's the easiest way to have a healthy dinner freshly cooked. You could makes ready meals by freezing any leftovers too.

Get someone to batch cook for you.

It could be a healthier alternative if someone makes homemade ready meals for you from scratch. Just be sure to freeze homemade food within 24 hours of making them, to use fresh frozen meals within one month of freezing and always make sure food is piping hot throughout before eating.

Large Mugs 

I love my pint sized mugs! I don't need to ask for drinks as often and the large handle makes it much easier to hold than a glass or standard mugs.

Lap Trays 

These little things can make life so much easier whilst resting on the sofa or bed.

Use them as a light desk, a place to put your drink, or however else you like.