# Can't cook won't cook



## Podgypig (Aug 7, 2019)

Hi. Just been diagnosed prediabetic. I find cooking from ingredients very stressful and unpleasant so don't want recipe books, just lifestyle advice on what foods to eat/avoid/limit.  Can anyone recommend?
And BTW I might be really fat but don't live on cream cakes or drink alcohol or fizzy pop. I like red and white meat, veggies, fruit. Don't like sauces. Thanks!


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## nonethewiser (Aug 7, 2019)

Well your in good company bud as I've never read a recipe book in my life, you don't need one, just experiment and go on taste. 

 Won't advise on diet being type 1, but cooking from scratch is better and healthier than prepacked meals.


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## Podgypig (Aug 7, 2019)

Eek. Can't do it. Bad enough following a recipe and then it tastes nasty, couldn't bring myself to experiment with food in case it was awful. Blame years of raising kids on a low income in my past. Perfectly happy to eat roast chicken, chops, low fat sausages, bacon etc with nude veg, no sauces, dressings, butter or gravy wanted! Rarely buy pre-made entire meals, just ocean pie or lasagne occasionally.   Don't have biscuits or cake in the house. Have eaten low fat for years, lots of grapes, bananas, pineapple, cherry tomatos, new potatos, jacket potatos and pasta. If I have to cut the carbs out/down I don't know what's left! Thanks for your reply though!


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## Drummer (Aug 7, 2019)

I eat a lot of salads and stirfries - if you don't like preparing foods you can buy bags of stir fry mixtures and you basically put some oil in a wok pour in the bag and stir it a few times as it cooks.
Low carb cooking tends to be very simple indeed and it tastes really good.


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## TheClockworkDodo (Aug 8, 2019)

I don't cook either, @Podgypig - can if I want to, but I don't want to, I think it's the worst chore in the world - I'd rather scrub toilets!



Podgypig said:


> Have eaten low fat for years, lots of grapes, bananas, pineapple, cherry tomatos, new potatos, jacket potatos and pasta. If I have to cut the carbs out/down I don't know what's left!



Unfortunately nearly all the things in that list are high carb - in order to avoid diabetes you need to limit carbs rather than fats (don't worry, if you cut carbs then eating fats instead shouldn't make you put on weight).  Grapes, bananas, and pasta in particular are really bad for diabetics, and I suspect pineapple is too.  You can get away with tomatoes and small portions of new potatoes, and you might get away with small jacket potatoes as you're prediabetic rather than diabetic.  Avoid low fat foods as they tend to be high in sugar!  I'm not saying you should binge on lots of fat, but it's better to go for things like full fat yogurt and cheese rather than the low fat versions.

Good foods for diabetics include - most meat (but go for high meat-content sausages), fish, cheese, eggs, nuts, leafy vegetables (ones which grow above ground), salad.
OK foods (which as a prediabetic you'll probably get away with) include - apples, pears, berries, root vegetables (like carrots), boiled potatoes, some yogurt (check label of individual ones for total carbs), some ice cream (again, check label for total carbs), very dark chocolate (I eat 85% cocoa).
Bad foods include - pasta, pizza, rice, exotic fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice, packets of cereal (which tend to be very sugary), most things like cakes and puddings, jam and honey, anything marketed as being for diabetics!

Some things vary from person to person - some diabetics can get away with eating oats, others can't (the only way you can tell is to test your blood sugar before and after eating them).  Bread varies too - some can tolerate it more than others, and some breads contain way more carbs than others.  I can't remember which ones are low carb (as I don't need to - as a type 1 I inject insulin and eat carbs) but I expect someone who's type 2 will be along soon to tell you.

For checking the total carbs in individual foods, this site is very helpful - https://www.calorieking.com/us/en/foods/ - put in a food, select the portion size (it gives you sensible options like no of grams or a cupful or a slice), and then scroll down to the total carbs.  I've found other sites and books tend to show you the carbs in a full meal with all the stuff like sauces which you and I don't bother with.


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## Sally W (Aug 8, 2019)

Oh dear it’s really hard cooking meals every day. I make Jams, pickles, breads, desserts & everything from scratch & I know how tough it is to make dinners every night if you don’t feel like it. I focus on health so avoid burgen bread with the chemical concoction of hydrogenated fat it contains so I eat Hi lo bread in small amounts.

What you might like to try is frozen or prepared veg. Most supermarkets sell frozen Mediterranean veg with courgettes, peppers, aubergines etc. Or prepared broccoli, runners beans that are microwaveable. Could you try buying some prepped veg and putting on the oven with a piece of fish etc? I do that if I’ve no time. Also I make a wrap out of 2 beaten eggs in a pan and cook it till it sets then I put tomatoes, onions or could add chicken salad etc and roll it up like a burrito - takes 5 mins.

Look around supermarket and see what you can find that can help you avoiding all of the ready meals that contain unhealthy levels of sugar, salt and hydrogenated fats.


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## TheClockworkDodo (Aug 8, 2019)

I realised I should have said to avoid fruit juice - it's high in fast acting carbs, so will raise your blood sugar very quickly (to the extent that it can be used to treat someone suffering from dangerously low blood sugar).  I've added it to my list of bad foods above.


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## Andy HB (Aug 13, 2019)

Sliced onions, garlic & chopped tomatoes.

or

Sliced onions & mushrooms.

Salt and pepper.

The basis for the best meals I cook. Just add to what you fancy!


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## Podgypig (Aug 14, 2019)

Hi. Thanks. I don't need to buy pre prepared veggies and salad,  I'm fine with doing that sort of thing. I'm not scared of handling food.  What I meant I used to buy shop made lasagne or meat pie rather than make my own from a recipe. And the slimming world frozen curries, risottos. Which I probably can't have now. I find cooking from recipes really stressful....probably goes back to ex husband and comments such as " this isn't the usual (whatever), don't buy this again" when I spent all day cooking a healthy freezer batch trying to save money and was feeling pleased with myself. There's a reason he's ex.

Bleh. Hubby no2 is much nicer but is also an amazing cook in my opinion so I feel massive pressure if I cook for him: food is love and my food is not always as nice as his!  And no, he can't teach me, that just leads to arguments.

Just gonna have to practice and try not to feel ashamed if a recipe doesn't work. No2 just says nicely that he prefers....(other recipe)... if it goes wrong rather than putting me down.  And money isn't so tight now which was a lot of pressure back in the day.


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## chaoticcar (Aug 15, 2019)

Podgypig said:


> Hi. Thanks. I don't need to buy pre prepared veggies and salad,  I'm fine with doing that sort of thing. I'm not scared of handling food.  What I meant I used to buy shop made lasagne or meat pie rather than make my own from a recipe. And the slimming world frozen curries, risottos. Which I probably can't have now. I find cooking from recipes really stressful....probably goes back to ex husband and comments such as " this isn't the usual (whatever), don't buy this again" when I spent all day cooking a healthy freezer batch trying to save money and was feeling pleased with myself. There's a reason he's ex.
> 
> Bleh. Hubby no2 is much nicer but is also an amazing cook in my opinion so I feel massive pressure if I cook for him: food is love and my food is not always as nice as his!  And no, he can't teach me, that just leads to arguments.
> 
> Just gonna have to practice and try not to feel ashamed if a recipe doesn't work. No2 just says nicely that he prefers....(other recipe)... if it goes wrong rather than putting me down.  And money isn't so tight now which was a lot of pressure back in the day.


I have had my husband for 55 years and I haven't poisoned him yet !!! We have eaten every thing that I have cooked except nettle soup which tasted like I imagine cats pee to taste like  
Carol


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## Podgypig (Aug 15, 2019)

Not tasted that either but I know what you mean....same as I imagined raspberry leaf tea tasted like shredded lorry tyres!  Funny how the mind labels sensations.

Only had No2 16 years and my cooking has improved so less risk of poisoning now! Much easier to let him cook, he seems to enjoy it. 

Me: there's nothing in the cupboard we will have to go to the shops
Him: a bit of this, a tin of that, a few sad old or leftover veggies, 20 mins later gastronomic delight aka pasta splodge, savoury mince splodge, chili splodge.


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## rebrascora (Aug 18, 2019)

I find I am cooking much plainer/simpler food now but being more adventurous with ingredients. So last night we had salmon fillets pan fried in butter with mushrooms, aubergine and courgettes, also fried in the same pan to soak up the surplus butter, and broccoli, runner beans and a few new potatoes from the garden. Aubergine is a vegetable that I used to be really intimidated by.... all that business about slicing and salting and pressing.... when it turns out it is totally unnecessary and you can just slice or dice and fry, just like courgette and mushrooms and all 3 work really well together in butter or olive oil. I did a stir fry the other day with chicken breast in sesame oil with Chinese 5 spice, soy sauce, runner beans, stir fry veg and Naked Noodles.... which are a very low carb option. I also added in some ground ginger and a bit of ginger wine that has been sitting in the cupboard half opened for goodness knows how long. I know the latter will contain sugar but I didn't use much and there were very few other carbs in the meal so I didn't worry too much about it and it tasted really good and was filling. Other meals we enjoy are high meat content sausages with cauliflower cheese done as per @Drummer 's technique by cooking the cauli by steaming or boiling until still firm, then coating liberally with cream cheese and sprinkling with a strong cheese and either covering and baking in the oven or I like to just put it under the grill until the cheese melts and turns golden. No flour involved, so no carbs from those and has a much deeper cheese flavour as well as being creamy. My brother in law makes me a wonderful chunky ratatouille from a Mary Berry Recipe called Posh Veg which is roasted in the oven with Gruyere cheese on top and is just heaven! 
I had got out of the habit of cooking due to other commitments but now that healthy eating has become a priority, I am quite enjoying preparing home cooked meals again and finding new ways to serve vegetables with meat or fish without having to follow any complex recipes.

I beat up an egg the other day with some granulated Stevia and added some ground almonds and wholemeal spelt flour and a bit of oil and some cocoa powder and baking powder. Mixed it up and zapped it in the microwave for about 90 seconds and then used the resulting sponge to make a low carb berry trifle with sugar free jelly. It took literally 2 minutes to make the sponge. Didn't weigh/measure anything, just a bit of this and a bit of that and see what happens. Tasted absolutely fine and the texture was more interesting than regular sponge and means that I can now enjoy a low carb dessert other than my standard berries and creamy yoghurt. Just need to invent a nice low carb sauce that I can use with a similar microwave sponge.... maybe a type of lemon drizzle sponge as I have some lemons going spare at the moment.


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## Podgypig (Aug 18, 2019)

Sounds like you are enjoying food and cooking!. I see nurse tomorrow for 1st appointment since I got bloods result as I was told and then left hanging for a fortnight til I could get an appointment. Hopefully she will give me some info on self care, food plans etc. Not had any info at all even to say what appointment will involve. I shall be annoyed if its just an" ooh you need to lose weight and exercise more" without any real substance.


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## belugalad (Aug 18, 2019)

rebrascora said:


> I find I am cooking much plainer/simpler food now but being more adventurous with ingredients. So last night we had salmon fillets pan fried in butter with mushrooms, aubergine and courgettes, also fried in the same pan to soak up the surplus butter, and broccoli, runner beans and a few new potatoes from the garden. Aubergine is a vegetable that I used to be really intimidated by.... all that business about slicing and salting and pressing.... when it turns out it is totally unnecessary and you can just slice or dice and fry, just like courgette and mushrooms and all 3 work really well together in butter or olive oil. I did a stir fry the other day with chicken breast in sesame oil with Chinese 5 spice, soy sauce, runner beans, stir fry veg and Naked Noodles.... which are a very low carb option. I also added in some ground ginger and a bit of ginger wine that has been sitting in the cupboard half opened for goodness knows how long. I know the latter will contain sugar but I didn't use much and there were very few other carbs in the meal so I didn't worry too much about it and it tasted really good and was filling. Other meals we enjoy are high meat content sausages with cauliflower cheese done as per @Drummer 's technique by cooking the cauli by steaming or boiling until still firm, then coating liberally with cream cheese and sprinkling with a strong cheese and either covering and baking in the oven or I like to just put it under the grill until the cheese melts and turns golden. No flour involved, so no carbs from those and has a much deeper cheese flavour as well as being creamy. My brother in law makes me a wonderful chunky ratatouille from a Mary Berry Recipe called Posh Veg which is roasted in the oven with Gruyere cheese on top and is just heaven!
> I had got out of the habit of cooking due to other commitments but now that healthy eating has become a priority, I am quite enjoying preparing home cooked meals again and finding new ways to serve vegetables with meat or fish without having to follow any complex recipes.
> 
> I beat up an egg the other day with some granulated Stevia and added some ground almonds and wholemeal spelt flour and a bit of oil and some cocoa powder and baking powder. Mixed it up and zapped it in the microwave for about 90 seconds and then used the resulting sponge to make a low carb berry trifle with sugar free jelly. It took literally 2 minutes to make the sponge. Didn't weigh/measure anything, just a bit of this and a bit of that and see what happens. Tasted absolutely fine and the texture was more interesting than regular sponge and means that I can now enjoy a low carb dessert other than my standard berries and creamy yoghurt. Just need to invent a nice low carb sauce that I can use with a similar microwave sponge.... maybe a type of lemon drizzle sponge as I have some lemons going spare at the moment.



I was salivating while reading thatI haven't used Chinese 5 spice before,could you possibly give me some instructions on how to do that dish with the chicken as I wouldn't know where to start and when and how much to use of quantities,it would go nicely with the oriental stir fry vegetables I get from Lidl


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## rebrascora (Aug 19, 2019)

@belugalad 
Hi Alan. My cooking these days is very much a bit of this and some of that and see how it goes, so it is very imprecise. I heat the oil (I use toasted sesame oil) in a wok or large frying pan. Cut chicken into strips and fry in hot oil. Throw in the veg and scatter some Five spice powder into it (I think I used somewhere between a half a tsp and a full tsp... I just scatter some in from the pot it comes in...the amount is not critical) and stir, add maybe a quarter tsp of ground ginger, a good few glugs of soy sauce and ginger wine if you have it and toss until the veg are nearly cooked.... I think I may have thickened it by mixing a tsp of cornflour with a little ginger wine and then adding that to the pan and mixing well, then adding the drained "Naked Noodles" and mixing  in and cooking for a further 3 mins, then serving. The packs of stir fry veg are idea to use. My partner got a reduced pack last week, so I bought some  chicken breast and flung it together with some runner beans from the garden.

I tried the lemon (and coconut) drizzle pudding today and it was ok but nothing special. Think I probably didn't use enough Stevia and microwave sponge goes rather quickly so probably best used in a trifle where the jelly and fruit keep it moist.


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## belugalad (Aug 19, 2019)

rebrascora said:


> @belugalad
> Hi Alan. My cooking these days is very much a bit of this and some of that and see how it goes, so it is very imprecise. I heat the oil (I use toasted sesame oil) in a wok or large frying pan. Cut chicken into strips and fry in hot oil. Throw in the veg and scatter some Five spice powder into it (I think I used somewhere between a half a tsp and a full tsp... I just scatter some in from the pot it comes in...the amount is not critical) and stir, add maybe a quarter tsp of ground ginger, a good few glugs of soy sauce and ginger wine if you have it and toss until the veg are nearly cooked.... I think I may have thickened it by mixing a tsp of cornflour with a little ginger wine and then adding that to the pan and mixing well, then adding the drained "Naked Noodles" and mixing  in and cooking for a further 3 mins, then serving. The packs of stir fry veg are idea to use. My partner got a reduced pack last week, so I bought some  chicken breast and flung it together with some runner beans from the garden.
> 
> 
> I tried the lemon (and coconut) drizzle pudding today and it was ok but nothing special. Think I probably didn't use enough Stevia and microwave sponge goes rather quickly so probably best used in a trifle where the jelly and fruit keep it moist.



Hi Barbara,thanks so much for that,I'm going to gather a few bits and pieces and make that at the weekend,I always have lots of chicken at home but have been eating it without any added flavourings so I'm going to look forward to this
Alan


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## rebrascora (Aug 19, 2019)

Chicken legs and thighs are nice roasted without any flavouring but for stir fry you really need breast and to me it is tasteless without flavouring of some sort. Five spice is a very easy one to use. and ideal for stir fry and with the Naked Noodles it ends up just like a chow mein.


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## Docb (Aug 19, 2019)

If you are going to experiment with spices then it is a good idea to keep some creme fraise or plain yoghurt in the fridge because when you overdo the spicing, and you will, you can add a dollop to cool it down!


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## rebrascora (Aug 19, 2019)

Five spice doesn't seem to be one of the hot ones that you can overdo and need to cool down..... either that or my tub of it is just so old that it has lost it's kick, but it is certainly sound advice for other spices!


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## belugalad (Aug 19, 2019)

rebrascora said:


> Chicken legs and thighs are nice roasted without any flavouring but for stir fry you really need breast and to me it is tasteless without flavouring of some sort. Five spice is a very easy one to use. and ideal for stir fry and with the Naked Noodles it ends up just like a chow mein.


Thanks I love a chow mein,I Iive near a  good Chinese takeaway but I haven't been there in a few months since my dietary changes began,thanks for the tips,you sound like a good cook to me


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## belugalad (Aug 19, 2019)

Docb said:


> If you are going to experiment with spices then it is a good idea to keep some creme fraise or plain yoghurt in the fridge because when you overdo the spicing, and you will, you can add a dollop to cool it down!


Hi @Docb that sounds like a good idea


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## Norman Quill (Aug 21, 2019)

If you have sandwiches, have you tried adding salad to it?

I can't stand raw tomatoes, cucumber or radishes, and up until being diagnosed with diabetes, I wouldn't have even dreamed of thinking about adding things like that to my lunchtime sarnies.  And lettuce? SO DULL!!!!

At least that's what I used to think. Still can't stand cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, but I have found lettuce greens that are actually quite tasty.

There are a number of prepackaged salad bags out there that taste really nice. Baby lamb lettuce, spinach leaves and similar are quite mild but do taste nice. Or, if you prefer something with a bit more of a kick, there's rocket, watercress and wasabi leaves.  The Naked range has a lot to choose from (and they provide a mild to spicy chart on the side), or you can look at the supermarket's own brand.  Other than washing, you don't need to do any food preparation with them

Another thing you might want to look at is celery. It is easy to chop and adds a nice flavour to my ham sarnies. If you don't fancy cutting it up, I think you can buy it pre-cut.


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