Quick & easy meals

Sunday 31 October, 2010

Reviewed: Jessica Passador and Kate Kaegi, Oncology Dieticians at Austin Health

On this page: Preparing meals | Snack ideas | Meal ideas

It's often difficult to eat well when you don't feel like shopping for food or cooking because you're tired or unwell. You may miss meals while having treatment or waiting for appointments. Here are some quick and easy meal and snack ideas for these times.

Preparing meals

  • Try to prepare and freeze meals on your good days so that you don't have to spend so much time preparing food when you're not well.
  • Use a microwave oven to speed up cooking and reheat frozen meals.
  • Convenience foods, such as frozen meals, takeaway foods and single serve, prepared meals, are handy if cooking becomes difficult or you can't be bothered. Keep a supply of these meals at home so that you can have a meal you know you'll like on the table in 10 minutes. However, don't rely completely on these foods, because it's important to include fresh foods in your diet.
  • As far as possible, make your meals the same as those for the rest of your family so that cooking isn't a chore.
  • Keep a supply of ready-to-eat snacks, such as milk drinks, custard/puddings, cold meat or chicken, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream in the refrigerator, so that you have a nourishing snack available whenever you need it.
  • Accept offers from family or friends to cook meals for you.
  • It's very important not to miss meals, so plan ahead. If you're likely to be waiting a while for treatment or appointments, or spend a long time travelling to and from appointments, take a snack or drink with you.  

Snack ideas

  • Cheese and biscuits
  • Yoghurt, ice cream
  • Custard, mousse, crème caramel, rice pudding
  • Toasted sandwiches
  • Milkshakes or smoothies
  • Cakes, biscuits, muffins
  • Muesli bars, fruit bars
  • Tinned fruit
  • Breakfast cereal and breakfast drinks
  • Dried fruit and nuts

Meal ideas

  • Eggs - poached, scrambled, fried, omelettes
  • Frozen meals from the supermarket
  • Pasta with bottled sauce
  • Two-minute noodles
  • Soup - tinned, packet, fresh
  • Baked beans
  • Tinned spaghetti
  • Tinned fish - tuna, sardines, salmon
  • Frozen or tinned vegetables
  • BBQ chicken from the deli
     

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