..to ask you to make me eat

[Punkatheart]

I haven't really admitted this to anyone, but I not eating well at all. I take a chemo drug three times a week and this does dull my appetite, makes me tired and nauseous. But there is so much going on at the moment - my utterly horrible ex, mental health and npw drug problems with my teen...food has stopped being a pleasure. I go into shops and I come out with kitchen towel.

So unless you have a very good recipe for kitchen towel, please tempt me with some ideas for food. I eat fish but not meat.

My daughter is away and I am just not making the effort and if I am really really honest, I really don't care all that much. But I need to for my health and to look after my daughter.

Make me hungry, dear wise Mumsnetters.

Do you eat shellfish? King prawns with mushrooms linguini in a cream sauce? Or my old favourite, king prawns with sliced chilli (can be omitted) with rice fried itch fresh peas and sweet corn. Or my old reliable for nights alone - grilled fish fingers, fresh bread and steamed veg.

Sorry to hear you're so low - my cousin found it very hard as well.

Oh Punk I'm sorry. What about high calorie smoothies (with peanut butter and such) to just refuel rather than enjoy? For now, while you get on your feet.

Do you like salty, savory, sweet?

Thank you CSI - I do eat prawns.

It's funny how appetite for life and appetite itself are interwoven. I do eat when food is prepared for me but it has been a very long time since anyone did that.

Where are you? I'll cook & deliver

Distance within reason that is...

Sorry you are having a rough time and yes you do need to eat both for you and your DD. salmon in foil with various additions (lemon, soy and ginger, chillie) or plain. It's quick and can be eaten cold from the fridge in salads etc.

Can you make yourself fruit smoothies or vegetable soup.
Try to get your 5 a day in there and keep things simple to start with.
Salmon with some veggies.
Jacket potato with beans and cheese.
Veggie curry.
Stir fry.
All quick and easy and not too much effort if you can't be bothered.
I'm sorry you are going through so much right now.
But you are right - you do need to look after yourself.
You need to fuel your body.
Hopefully you will start to feel better soon.

Do you have a slow cooker that you could do a big batch of something in then put into handy portions in the fridge and freezer?
When m friend was having chemo her appetite was non existent which made her suffer more side effects as she had no energy, she found I really helped to do one big effort of a batch cook so that for a week or so there would be easy meals available that just needed popping in the microwave.
Thing like soups, or quorn mince that can then be added to pasta or a bit of mash, perhaps a tuna pasta bake?
Are you allowed raw fruits and veg (I know some people are told to avoid them) as that could be an easy way to get a bit of food, it's not too daunting just to eat one apple or a small handful of grapes.
Would it help if you asked a friend round once a week or so to eat a small meal with you? Then you have to prepare something, I know it's hard when it's just you in the house, the effort doesn't seem worth it. Where about are you anyways as I'd happily come and make you eat cake, I make a mean passion fruit sponge

Keeping an eye on this as I cant eat either the pleasure of eating has gone due to the stress of a very abusive relationship. So no tips but I can empathise as I feel exactly the same. Maybe we can help each other? I try to think I should eat because of the kids but it is hard

I love cod/haddock fillet, asparagus, and baby potatoes covered in butter and mint sauce (just a touch) then some parsley or coriander sauce with lots of sliced lemon for squeezing.

Freshly baked French bread. Really good butter. A piece of great cheese. Pickle. Makes my mouth water.

A piece of sea bass. Pan fried with crispy skin. With chips or new potatoes and fresh peas.

Lemon pasta. Thin linguine with a cream and lemon sauce and parsley.

Or a cream tea. Scone. Jam. Clotted cream.

Lovely ice cream. With caramel sauce.

Fresh cherries.

Thick White toast and peanut butter.

Panna cotta with fresh raspberries.

I hope things look up soon.

Anything (almost) from Waitrose or M&S.
Food always seems so much better if you haven't had to cook it yourself. Just get some yummy ready meals (or their dinner deals) and a pudding or two.

Sorry to hear you feel so down, both health-wise and life-wise.
I like Mrs TerryPratchets idea of smoothies, you can chuck all sorts in them, even some veggies. Spinach, cucumber, pear and banana goes really well together, really refreshing too.

When I need a good dose of comfort food I love a warm, smooth and simple dahl, with lots of popped mustard seeds and caramelized onions stirred through. Smoky and delicious and keeps in the fridge for a week, getting taster by the day!

And sometimes, when I feel all is not well with the world, I find baking a cake can be very therapeutic. Putting together something basic like a chocolate and banana loaf, the simple act of creation, a bit of oven magic, lovely smells and then a wonderful cake to share. Always cheers me right up.

Best of luck with your chemo, hope your path ahead clears and you get to walk in the sunshine again soon.

Sending love to you, yummy - sorry to hear you are so churned up. Eat! Eat for our children so that we can strong and gorgeous.

You are all very kind. Lovely suggestions.

I am quite ashamed of myself - I call myself a feminist but I really miss having someone to care for me. To care if I am eating or not. I am a grown woman! I know that I have to motivate myself every day - not to rely on others, however kind people may be if I told them.

I am going to wander to the small local supermarket and hopefully, something will click into place.

Dahl! I do love a good dahl!

When my MIL had chemo she couldn't eat anything hardly but once we had a big chinese take away with lots of different things and because there was such a choice there were one or two things that took her fancy enough to eat them. Particularly spare ribs.

Is money an issue, could you have take aways? Or would you even feel up to going out? That way someone would be cooking for you and also the choice might mean there is one thing that you fancy.

Lots of . It might be worth taking up a mumsnetters offer of dropped in food if someone is in your area.

Oh and ice cream. She could eat ice cream when she was having chemo, have you tried that? Morrisons has an offer on Oreos cones and they are lovely.

This dhal is amazing.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/02/how-to-cook-perfect-dal

If you have freezer space and can afford a little initial outlay I would recommend buying a job lot of Cook pre prepared frozen meals. There are shops dotted around, but they deliver all over the country.

The veggie and fish choices are varied, and it's all delicious and can be cooked from frozen. A lot easier than having to make it from scratch when you can't really be arsed.

I hope things get better for you soon.

Ps. I don't work for them or anything, I just always have a few meals in the freezer as a back up for busy days. My lovely neighbour introduced me to them when I was ill.

Ice cream.

Quickly scrambled eggs with a dirty great knob of butter. (Use 3 eggs minimum and make them real sloppy.)

Spoonfuls of peanut butter from the fridge to lick.

Oatcakes - plain or cracked black pepper.

Fridge cold milk or milk shake if you can bear a Nesquik flavour to stir in. (You can also put a lump of ice cream or some cream in those.)

Those are for refuelling purposes only. You need to get something in your stomach or you get into a vicious spiral.

spinach and ricotta lasagne (freeze left overs)
macaroni cheese
quick veggie stirfrys
tomato soup with cheese on toast
porridge and fruit (breakfast)
berry smoothie with yogurt in it
cake :-)

I was going to suggest 'Cook' but Monty got there first

Thankyou punkatheart we will get through this! I know just what u mean about being mothered it wd be so nice to be able to have that. But we can learn to mother ourselves I think and these suggestions are great.

Maybe less ready meals though as esp m and s as although lovely only possible as occasional treat!

in your supermarket buy, ready cooked salmon fillet, they come in yummy flavours like sweet chilli now. buy a bag of ready done salad and a bag of tiny new potatoes, a packet of butter, punnet of raspberries, one of strawberries and a greek natural yoghurt. boil your potatoes and drench in butter and serve with the salad and salmon (hot or cold) have the fruit and yoghurt for dessert, any fruit left, have on a bowl of cereal in the morning. simple easy and yummy.