When you just can't cook

There may be times when you just don’t have the energy to cook. Or you may have very little time to prepare meals because of your treatment schedule or visits to the doctor. Keeping your kitchen stocked with nutritious, ready-to-serve foods that can be eaten any time can help. You can also let family and friends help you – they may just be waiting for you to ask. Community resources such as Meals on Wheels may also be an option.

Shopping list

This list gives you some ideas of foods that are simple to prepare and easy to grab when you aren’t up to cooking or eating a large meal. Use it as a starting point for stocking your fridge and cupboards.

In your fridge

butter, margarine (non-hydrogenated)
cottage cheese
cut-up vegetables and fruit
eggs and egg substitute
grated cheese
hummus and other bean- or yogurt-based dips
sliced meats and cheeses
yogurt and fresh cheese snacks

flavoured water
100% fruit juice
liquid commercial nutrition supplements
milk (or soy milk), sour cream, table cream, whipping cream
nectar drinks
sport drinks
yogurt drinks

In your freezer

frozen pancakes and waffles
frozen pizza or pizza crusts
ice cream, popsicles, sherbet, frozen yogurt
microwave frozen meals

In your cupboard

bagels, muffins, English muffins, pita bread, tortillas
bouillon cubes or canned broths
canned beans or peas (such as kidney, white, lentils, chickpeas)
canned fish (salmon, tuna)
canned soups
canned tomatoes and tomato sauce
crackers, bread, rice cakes, breadsticks
evaporated milk
granola bars
herbs and spices
hot and cold cereals
jams, jellies
jarred or canned vegetables (such as pickles, olives, antipasto)
nuts (such as peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts)
olive oil, vegetable oils
peanut butter and other nut butters
raisins, dried fruit
rice, pasta, couscous
seeds (such as sesame, sunflower, pumpkin)
skim milk powder
snack packs of applesauce, fruit cocktail and pudding
tomato paste
trail mix

Let family and friends help

If you’re too tired or weak to shop and cook, this is a good time to accept help from others. While it can be hard to ask for help, family and friends are often happy to do what they can to make your life easier. You may want to suggest that they:

Shop for groceries for you, using a list that you’ve prepared.
Fill your pantry with basic items that have a long shelf life.
Make sure you have lots of perishable items like fresh vegetables and fruit. Ask for help washing and cutting up some items (depending on when you plan to eat them) before storing in the fridge.
Bake some snacks that you can freeze and thaw when you feel like eating them, such as muffins, breads and cookies. Make every bite count by including nuts, seeds or dried fruit in baking.
Prepare a meal that will feed you and your family one evening. A casserole is easy to cook and easy to deliver. Add a side salad and some bread – dinner is made and your energy is conserved.
Prepare foods in batches for you. Foods like tomato sauce, soups, stews and casseroles, quiches, even pancakes, can be frozen in single-serving containers and thawed whenever you feel like eating them.

Last modified on: 10 December 2009