No Cooking!

Nothing wrong with salads, but if one in ten older people is malnourished and 50% of those admitted to hospital then there is clearly a slippery slope that starts when people start to not want to be bothered with cooking - and preparing a nice salad is cooking. Many of those admitted to hospital are under weight, because they have drifted into non eating.

We have had two cases of this in my own family so I have seen how, not being bothered to cook, just open a tin of soup or have a bit of salad, can drift into not being bothered to eat, or eating so little that the older person loses weight and becomes ill. I have tried to encourage someone on this slippery slope to eat better, I have prepared meals for them, but at a certain point have had to call in medical help, and a prolonged hospital stay.

It's one of the upsides of living alone, - not having to cook if you don't want to. I'm cooking less and less now, although I still do in the winter. But now summer is here it's mainly salads with something like, maybe, two grilled fish cakes or chicken. I'm trying to cut down on carbs and have not eaten potatoes for weeks.
I still like a boiled egg for breakfast now and then.

teabagwoman

I sympathise with the people who are fed up with cooking but I go on doing it from scratch because I believe it’s keeping me healthier and enabling to keep my weight in check.Frozen ingredients like ready chopped onions speed things up no end. I have a small repertoire of quick sauces that I can keep in the freezer ready for nights when I’m too tired to do much plus a few batch cooked meals.

I prepare most of my meals "from scratch" too. I take the salad stuffs I've grown myself or been given by a good friend, wash them, dry them, throw them in a bowl with a home-made vinaigrette (uncooked of course). Unfortunately, I don't have the facilities to make cheese or the space to have chickens, so I take eggs out of the box, make an omelette with some sliced mushrooms, cheese, spinach or anything else I have lurking in the fridge. I don't go fishing either, so I unwrap the salmon from the fishmonger or grill some chicken thighs. I guess I cheat a bit because I don't eat raw meat, fish or eggs.

PS. I know many obese people are malnourished but I was specifically addressing your issue about portion sizes being too small.

M0nica

growstuff Why this conviction that those who love their food spend all day cooking and gorge on huge portions?

My family were brought up on my 10 minute casseroles. I could reduce the most complex recipe, if I fancied it, to 10 minutes from taking the casserole dish out of the cupboard to putting it in the oven and leaving home to go to work.

As Shirley Conran said, life is too short to peel a grape, or a mushroom, or spend more than ten minutes preparing a meal that would be cooked and ready to eat when I returned home from work.

Many obese people are malnourished foodactive.org.uk/overfed-but-undernourished-the-obesity-paradox-2/. As important as what you eat as how much you eat and like many others I mastered the art of portion control decades ago. Not only that I eat well and I am neither overweight or obese.

Where did I write that? I didn't and that's a strawman argument. Like many who live on their own, I just think cooking is a waste of my time which I could use for activities which give me more pleasure.

So what exactly is wrong with salads?

knspol, I am sorry to hear about your loss. You may not be ready to cook and eat just yet. Be kind to yourself, it's very early days and do what's right for you now.
Hurrah for no cooking. I like to cook for family and friends,but, as I said elsewhere, if it was just me all of the time, I'd replace the cooker with a bookcase- so much more useful.

I sympathise with the people who are fed up with cooking but I go on doing it from scratch because I believe it’s keeping me healthier and enabling to keep my weight in check.Frozen ingredients like ready chopped onions speed things up no end. I have a small repertoire of quick sauces that I can keep in the freezer ready for nights when I’m too tired to do much plus a few batch cooked meals.

growstuff Why this conviction that those who love their food spend all day cooking and gorge on huge portions?

My family were brought up on my 10 minute casseroles. I could reduce the most complex recipe, if I fancied it, to 10 minutes from taking the casserole dish out of the cupboard to putting it in the oven and leaving home to go to work.

As Shirley Conran said, life is too short to peel a grape, or a mushroom, or spend more than ten minutes preparing a meal that would be cooked and ready to eat when I returned home from work.

Many obese people are malnourished foodactive.org.uk/overfed-but-undernourished-the-obesity-paradox-2/. As important as what you eat as how much you eat and like many others I mastered the art of portion control decades ago. Not only that I eat well and I am neither overweight or obese.

Salads and more salads here - while there's a heatwave, absolutely no cooking. There's tins of beans in the fridge, lovely to just eat chilled.

I do enjoy cooking, but not every single day, so I batch cook and freeze my own ready meals once or twice a week. Sometimes I'll have a takeaway (there's a brilliant Chinese locally with vegan options) or I'll overindulge on cake, biscuits and chocolate - but I'll eat all the good stuff as well!

Sorry, but I haven't seen much indication of it on here. I eat food that takes very little effort because I really do have better things to do with my time. I don't need to fill my day with cooking. A sandwich with some kind of fat/protein filler (eg cheese, egg mayonnaise, tuna, mackerel, chicken) and fruit provides all three food groups plus minerals and vitamins and is just as nutritious as any cooked meal. The majority of people over 60 are overweight or obese, so it's doubtful they're eating too little.

Some people are eating healthily, but some aren't and malnourishment can creep up on people.

1 in 10 older people are malnourished and 50% of older people admitted to hospital are malnourished. Even a well-balanced diet can lead to malnourishment if insufficient is eaten.

Most of those with malnourishment will have started like many people here, just not bothering with preparing food, eating food that takes no effort. It can be the start of a very slippery slope.

M0nica

Reading what many people are eating, no wonder so many older people admitted to hospital are malnourished and their health problens exacerbated by their unhealthy eating patterns.

I haven't seen much unhealthy eating on this thread. Food doesn't need to be cooked to be healthy. Eating a balance of protein, fat and carbs and a range of micronutrients is just as possible with uncooked as cooked food.

knspol please accept my sincere condolences x

If I lived alone I don’t think I would ever bother to cook, probably a few noodles with some pesto would be the extent of my cooking.
I would very happily live on fruit and sandwiches, with some salad and cheese thrown in.
In our house Thursday night is ‘get your own dinner’ night, as everyone is in and out. I just had some crackers and hummus, it was lovely, now I think I’ll have a couple of plums.

Hurrah for my fellow No-Cookers! I had no idea so many others, living alone, have opted out.
I’m sure we don’t need cooked food but obviously must include good-for-you elements like vegetation and some protein. I eat lots of salads, seeds, fruit, oat milk, porridge (raw), beans and lentils. Occasional cheese and yogurt, cake and ice cream, Indian takeaway or pub meal.
My dog and cats also eat raw food.

Knspol sorry for your recent loss it must be a difficult time for you. But you must eat even if it’s just soup and bread finished off with fresh fruit it’s better than nothing.?

Reading what many people are eating, no wonder so many older people admitted to hospital are malnourished and their health problens exacerbated by their unhealthy eating patterns.

knspol
Sincere condolences on your very recent bereavement.
Xx

A very stressful two weeks just passsed for me as noted on another thread.
I am sitting in my garden with a glass of wine hoping to relax.
The young fanily at the back of me are bbquing.
Now if the H is in charge that would be the ultimate no cooking for me.

KNSPOL, I was sorry to read about your bereavement.

I am sure you won't feel like cooking at the moment but perhaps in time you may feel tempted to treat yourself with a home-made dish.

Sending you best wishes (and a virtual hug, too).

Thanks for the information Retread. I'll definitely have a go

I too am sick of shopping for food, cooking and the mess it causes. Muesli, yogurt and fruit first thing, a sandwich lunch then if it wasn't for DH I wouldn't bother cooking. An omelette or boiled egg suits me. Luckily tonight DH has just volunteered to cook. Once in a blue moon but a welcome break.

Re earlier post about the Jamie Oliver upside down tart, I've realised he calls it a "Reverse Puff Pastry Pizza" (not tart). Here's the link to it for those keen to try it:

www.jamieoliver.com/videos/reverse-puff-pastry-pizza/

(I've had to change my username from Pythagoras as someone else had an almost identical one ...)

I'd be happy not to have to cook at all.
I've no interest in experimenting with menus, or cooking from scratch.
A cheese and red onion sandwich does me.

I am on my own this evening and am having one of the Cook range of frozen meals.
They cook straight from the freezer, some are more to my liking than others.
This is chicken with marscapone and basil.
I cooked Jersey royals last night so did enough to warm through with butter tonight.
A very easy meal.