What can I feed this person??

[whiterabbity]

Relative coming to stay. For health reasons, she has a very restrictive diet. When I ask her what she eats or what I can make for her, she just says ‘anything’. I’m wondering specifically for dinners.

Her dietary requirements are:

Vegan except small quantities of cheddar cheese
No sugar
Very low fat
No pasta/pizza/heavy carbs
Not too keen on salads

Any suggestions would be so appreciated!

Tell her to drink some water and not to disturb you again 😭😭

Lentil soup?

If she wont give you any help - serve her what you are having or nothing.

Then she will have to tell you what she can eat

Fajitas made with Quorn? All in separate bowls so she can choose what she can eat?

rice with some roasted mixed vegetables.
lightly curried lentils
pumpkin soup

Stir fry
curry
baked potato

Stir fry veg with rice and cashews?

For dinner party type meals you could do;

a couple of nice curries served with rice

veggie chilli with guacamole and salsa, served with rice or nachos

a roast dinner, replacing the meat with a chestnut and sweet potato roast

tapas - there are lots of good vegan tapas recipes, just choose 3 or 4 plus one cheesey option which you cook with cheddar.

Tray bake vegetables with rice.
Ratatouille and add mixed beans.
Red lentil Veggie casserole
Jacket potato and cheese

I’d go for a veggie curry or a daal. She could eat as much/as little of the rice and naan depending how much carbs she wants. Or a bean chilli - with some nice guacamole, tortilla chips and rice.

fresh tomatoes on toast for a light meal

Get in a whole bunch of food. Show her the fridge and the cupboard. Ask her to choose what she wants from what is available.

How long are they staying? And what is their culture? If all else fails just serve the vegetables that go with your normal dinners with a few extras. Can you take them supermarket shopping to get breakfast and lunch food and sound out what they will eat, if they are staying a while.

This site is racing to your rescue, @whiterabbity:

Hodmedods

As a pp suggested you want dishes involving lentils, or split peas, or beans … Or quinoa or any one of various grains that might take the place of pasta or potatoes. (I don’t eat meat and half my diet comes from here.)

NB - there are recipes after every ingredient.

When I ask her what she eats or what I can make for her, she just says ‘anything'

So not anything? As that's a pretty restrictive list!
Fruit and soy yoghurt?

Nailed it 😂

If ever there's a job for chatgtp, it's this.

Anyway, it says:

Stuffed Peppers with Lentil & Veggie Filling

Hollowed bell peppers, filled with a mix of finely chopped mushrooms, courgette, onions, and cooked lentils.
Season with herbs, garlic, and a splash of lemon juice.
Optional: sprinkle a little cheddar on top before baking.
Serve with steamed green beans or broccoli.

Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry (Oil-Free)
Cook onion, garlic, ginger, cauliflower florets, and chickpeas in a tomato base with curry spices (no added oil).
Simmer until thickened.
Serve with steamed spinach or a small side of quinoa (if she tolerates it as a lighter carb).

Zucchini & Mushroom Stir-Fry with Tofu
Use water or veggie stock instead of oil for stir-frying.
Include mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, baby corn, and tofu cubes.
Flavor with soy sauce/tamari, garlic, and ginger.
Serve over shredded cabbage “noodles” instead of rice.

Vegetable & Bean Stew

Slow-cook a mix of vegetables (courgette, carrot, celery, leeks, spinach) with white beans or kidney beans in a tomato-herb broth.
Serve with roasted cauliflower or steamed greens instead of bread.

Baked Aubergine (Eggplant) Rounds
Slice aubergine, season, and bake until soft.
Top with a tomato–garlic–herb sauce and a sprinkle of cheddar if de
sired.
Serve with roasted courgette and sautéed kale.

Mînestrone?

Nigella’s roast golden root veg with small amount of cous cous?

Vichyssoise?

Ratatouille?

Stuffed field mushrooms with breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley?

Carrot and coriander soup?

• Focus on vegetable-based soups that are low in fat and free of added sugar. Think lentil soup, vegetable soup, or a creamy vegetable soup made with a plant-based milk alternative instead of cream.
• Stir-fries:
• Use lots of vegetables and lean proteins like tofu or beans. A light, low-sugar soy-based sauce can be flavorful.
• Roasted Vegetables:
• A large tray of roasted vegetables, such as broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, and sweet potatoes, can be a delicious and versatile meal.
• Tofu or Bean-Based Meals:
• Grilled or baked tofu, or a hearty chili made with lots of beans and vegetables, can be satisfying and low in fat.
• Casseroles:
• A vegetable and bean-based casserole can be made low in fat by using minimal oil and omitting high-fat cheese in the recipe.

A quick vegetable and cashew nut stir fry, with a few noodles stirred in, so not too carby. I like to add garlic, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and sriracha, but you do whatever suits. Shouldn't be too fatty or time consuming.

Tell her 'anything' isn't helpful because her restrictions mean you can't cook anything you usually would/know how to. Ask her for examples of things she eats so that you can make them/get them in for her. Make clear that you need this guidance otherwise you're not going to be able to cater for her properly and you'd hate that.

Tofu noodles

Lentil chilli with whole grain rice

I would go back to her and say you are struggling because she has said "anything" but in reality you know she has all these food restrictions.

Tell her you need her to either tell you some meals that she will eat or bring her own food and cook it.

Whatever you decide to do, I would message her before hand to tell her, so that she has the option to overrule anything she doesn't want, so for example, Monday will be half a grapefruit for breakfast, lentil soup for lunch and vegetable curry and rice for dinner, Tuesday will be avocado on toast for breakfast, tomato soup for lunch and vegetable stir fry for dinner. Tell her if she doesn't like any of the options you have decided, you will change the menu but she needs to be specific.