Food You Dont Have To Cook

[Fairy Dancer]

Hi, I am looking for dairy free, gluten free, soya free, corn free foods that I don't have to cook or can microwave within minutes.

The problem is that I want to try a diet free of the above foods to see it if helps with the fact that I have to spend most days lying in bed because I feel ill. Dizziness, brain fog to the point where I cannot think or organise anything, headaches, stomach pain, diarrhoea, muscle spasms, neck pain, back pain, blurry vision (with or without prescription glasses), dim vision, inability to focus my eyes, feeling spaced out (or feeling drunk when I don't consume alcohol at all), vertigo etc mean I spend most days feeling like death warmed up and am unable to function.

Other more minor symptoms include: intermittent sore throats, bloating, gas that would even offend the pope, acid reflux, a fungal/mouldy taste in my mouth (that comes and goes) and a constantly runny nose, feeling too cold with the odd hot flush thrown in, itching episodes and occasional rashes. I also get wheezing but then again I do smoke so some of those symptoms might be down to that...

I just want my life back.

However, as much as I want to try the diet I don't feel well enough to get up and cook most days, I don't have anyone who can cook for me and so I am left eating ready made junk foods that I have delivered most of the time. Sugar cravings from hell also don't help with this and I do eat far too many carbohydrates. This is not ideal and is probably slowly killing me given that I don't feel well enough to exercise...I need somehow to break the cycle but I am stuck.

I could just eat fruit but it is not filling enough...

What can I buy and eat that does not require any cooking and which does not contain any of the above ingredients?

PN I have ruled so many food groups out to begin with because if there is a dietary link I do not know exactly what is making me feel bad. I do know I feel worse after eating but then again, after a while I will also fee bad if I don't eat anything at all...but its hard to tell what is and what isn't affecting me!

[IrishHeart]

Not cooking will limit your options.

Having been very, very ill and needing to avoid gluten, dairy and soy myself, I can tell you this--you will not find much that does not require cooking, except fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, or some packaged products which can be microwaved, but are often full of OTHER foods that may cause issues.

For example, you could buy gluten-free, DF , SF soups but there may be

MSG or additives.

Can you somehow enlist the help of someone to make a big batch of homemade soup or some stews? You can freeze some of it.

Can you tolerate any hot cereals? They can be microwaved.

I am not sure how you can get sufficient protein in your diet--like eggs, meat or fish--if you are unable to cook it, hon. You certainly cannot eat it raw.

[cahill]

What about using a crock pot???

You just throw whatever in the crock pot and it does the cooking for you.

[IrishHeart]

What about using a crock pot???

You just throw whatever in the crock pot and it does the cooking for you.

boy, I am thick today...thanks, CHILL!

Honestly, I have used my crockpot ONCE since I got it 2 years ago, so I keep forgetting it's an option!

[Silencio]

You can get Freybes smokies if thats your thing. Not the most healthy choice but I grab a few and throw them in the mic when I dont feel like cooking.

[Bubba's Mom]

I try to keep hard boiled eggs on hand. They need to be cooked, but not watched over.

Canned refried beans can be heated up a bit in a microwave and eaten with corn chips.

I also keep So Delicious coconut milk on hand and Koala Crisp cereal.

[bartfull]

I have the same intolerances (except dairy, but I'm off dairy right now anyway), AND I HATE to cook! What I do is, on a day when I'm feeling up to it, I chop up my vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower or carrots) and put them in a gallon zip-lock bag. Then I will cook up a big bunch of rice and add that to the veggies. Then I cook some meat on the George Forman grill and shred that and add it to the bag. When I'm hungry I pour some in a bowl and microwave it. Now it'll be kind of dry without butter, but if you put just a little olive oil in it plus what ever spices you like, it will be palatable. Or you could scramble a couple of eggs in a bowl and then pour them over the mixture. It comes out of the microwave tasting like an omelet. Depending on how much stuff you put in the bag, you should get several day's worth.

The crock pot thing is a good idea. I have one and have gotten the advice to use it several times from members of this board. They are right, but I still haven't gotten around to using it yet either.

Sugar cravings might be a sign of candida. I'm really beginning to think that a LOT of MY problem is systemic yeast. I've only been off sugar for a few days and I think I feel better. If you can just get through a few days without sugar, those cravings will go away. And if you start feeling better, you'll know that was at least part of the problem.

Good luck to you, and keep us updated.

[IrishHeart]

I also keep So Delicious coconut milk on hand

yes! Me, too, that's good stuff ---but I think the OP is in the UK and I was not sure if she had that available.

[Adalaide]

I love my crockpot, I get amazing "home cooked" meals without really having to do anything. I throw in some meat and veggies and end up with enough food for days. I also keep precooked bacon on hand. When I want a quick easy breakfast I fry up an egg and microwave some bacon which takes all of 3-4 minutes. I picked up a relatively cheap rice cooker that steams veggies too. I can throw some food in that and have something to eat in a pretty short time without having to do more than use a measuring cup and then shovel it into my face.

I have most of the symptoms you've listed and have been pretty much nonfunctional for several years. I'm only gluten free, I'd probably have to be threatened with daily beatings to totally give up dairy, but I am already seeing changes. I don't spend all day every day passing the most awful smelling gas that could gag a maggot. I'm also spending less time in the bathroom. Sadly, not only has my sore throat not cleared up but I've managed to lose my voice twice in just over a month.

[Skylark]

You really, really need to find the energy to cook. I know how hard it is because you are describing how I felt last fall. I felt a little better within a week or two of getting off dairy, enough better to keep cooking and eventually I figured out a nightshade sensitivity.

Do something REALLY easy like throw a bunch of cut up chicken in your stew pot. When the chicken is done add a couple bags of frozen veggies into the pot and simmer until they're cooked. Voila. Lazy chicken soup with whole pieces of meat and veggies. You can freeze it in single servings for later too.

[ravenwoodglass]

Baked chicken takes no prep really. Just rinse it off and toss it in the oven at 350 for an hour or so until done. You could sprinkle with some salt before cooking and do enough so you have some left over to stick in the fridge for sandwiches or a cassorole. If you stick a metal fork into a raw potato that will cook up quickly and be done at the same time. Just remember not to grab the hot fork.

When I am way too tired to cook I will boil some water with a handful of frozen veggies in it. When it comes to a boil I add Thai Kitchen rice noodles and cook them until done. I use the Angel Hair size so it doesn't take long. Then I drain and add butter. If I have stock I do the same thing but it becomes soup. You can add some of the cooked chicken for protein or my favorite is to add Chi-Chi beans.

[missy'smom]

I make a variety of salads for lunch so that I don't have to cook.

Salad greens with the following combos as toppings:

chickpeas

olives

tuna(soy free)

olive oil and red wine vingar, salt and pepper, a bit of dijon mustard if you can tolerate it and herbs of your choice like oregano

canned chicken breast meat or deli turkey chopped

crisp fried bacon crumbled

various veggies:frozen green peas, fresh leftover steamed green beans, shredded carrot, etc. "farm" veggies

soy-free mayo(Whole Foods 365 brand)with a little dill, parsley

I have a rice cooker so I cook rice in batches and freeze in portions or cook grains like quinoa on the stove top-takes only 10 min. For lunch I often dump a portion of frozen brown rice in a bowl, put on some frozen veg. put an upside dwon bowl on top as a lid and microwave. Then I put some sausages on top or some leftover roasted chicken and a little salt. For the veggies, I've learned this year that roasted root veg like parsnips, rutabega and carrots freeze well as does brussel sprouts. Sauteed kale also freezes well. I stop cooking it when it is slightly crisp. Things like roasting veg are easy and they don't need attendance. You can prep them, put them in the oven, set the timer and sit down and rest. Same with cooking grains. Same with roasted chicken-I use the breasts with bones and skin on. Always leaves us with leftover bits that are great to freeze and throw on or in things, like the salads or rice bowl meals. Those are my homemade "convenience" foods.

[YoloGx]

I suggest that besides the crock pot you also buy yourself a rice cooker. Just measure the rice and water and put in the cooker and turn on. Its that easy. Make a bunch and put it in your fridge. Later on (or right away) you can add it to the other things you make in your slow cooker. Or what you have frozen like the veggies.

Shrimp too is an easy option. Get the cooked de-veined kind and microwave it with your rice and frozen veggies. Voila!

The frozen chicken at TJ's isn't a bad option. One of the few foods there I would recommend, along with their frozen peas and frozen french green beans.

Further, the more you eat things like this, I bet soon you will start feeling more energy and then can do more and have more fresh food cooked on your stove top.

Blended raw veggies sometimes can be a great energizer. Just loosely cut up some celery, parsley and lettuce and blend with a cup or so of water. Easy. Makes you feel way better.

Taking a gluten-free, corn, soy and lactose free probiotic should also help increase your energy levels and help against candida overgrowth.

If you can handle coconut, you can eventually make yourself coconut milk yogurt and kefir. For now you can just use the coconut milk on rice with a small amount fruit. A nice dessert! You can also freeze the coconut milk and fruit and then blend to make an icecream like substitute. Add some gluten-free etc. stevia to taste for the sweetener.

For now, you just have to will yourself to do the strategic essentials. Imagine yourself well and happy as a result of your actions. It helps. Depressioin can be battled. The gluten and other food intolerances mess with your brain. They are foreign invaders you can do battle with and eradicate.

Good luck!

Bea

[MitziG]

Agree with Bea- I make a big pot of rice at the beginning of the week, along with a couple cans of organic black beans. I throw some Weber's Kicken Chicken Seasoning in there and munch on it all week. Also do the shrimp thing- you dont even have to heat it up. Thaw it under cold water and munch away! I know what it is like to be so sick and tired all the time and not have the energy to shower, let alone cook a meal. But living on junk food will only make that worse.

One other thing to suggest- I have found that taking a Chromium Chelavite supplement helped tremendously with both fatigue and sugar cravings. Most dietary chromium comes from wheat, rye and barley- so as a Celiac, you wont get much. When you eat sugar, your body excretes extra chromium, which in turn, causes your blood sugar to plunge and triggers a craving for MORE sugar. It is a ridiculous cycle. I take 450 mg a day, and I dont even want sugar anymore. Before it was ALL I wanted, and if I could muster the energy to get out of bed, I would drive to town just to get another sugar hit! Google Chromium Deficiency, it is amazing! Stay away from Chromium Picolinate however, it is not as easily absorbed, and there are possible carcinogenic side effects.