How can I feed my kids?

[Larsz]

Sorry for the bait-y title. Just needing suggestions.

I have a surgery coming up very soon on my right arm. I will not be able to properly cook for a while. I’ve meal prepped some casseroles in advance but our freezer is quite small.

I am a single mum and will struggle to cook without my dominant hand. I really don’t want to use the hob as I fear I would not really be much good if anything went wrong and I needed to act.

Please can you suggest things I can pop in my air fryer for meals.

So far I have got:

kievs
frozen fish
fresh soup (carton)
fishcakes
gyoza
jackets
sausages
frozen pizza as a treat
beans on toast

will serve with salad, microwaveable sides/veg

If I buy weekly freezer space shouldn’t be an issue

I want to feed my kids so don’t mind leaning on upf right now. But would love to know what aren’t the worst options.

I do have friends and a sister who will drop off meals here and there. But I do like being self reliant.

Kids are 5 and 6 so can’t really help

Pasta bakes are super simple
dried pasta & jar serve with veg
depending where you are cooks ready meals are fab
if you have an air fryer salmon or chicken with roasted veg and cous cous
tray bakes with chicken or fish, sweet potato and veg

Do you have a slow cooker
If not invest in one ,you can cook stews,,chilli,spaghetti bolognsise etc very easily in the with very little hassle

It's rather difficult to chop everything that goes into these without the use of your dominant hand, though.

I'd seriously stick to things that can be placed in the oven.

Sounds like the issue will be at least partly in chopping/prepping food ?

I would second pasta bakes, also pre cut veg roasted with whatever you want eg. Pork chop, chicken thigh, fish, etc.

Ditto pre cut meat pieces - casserole dish with the aforementioned veg and tinned potatos. If you can have some help with the tin that is.

Thanks for suggestion. I don’t think I will be able to chop well using my left hand. I’ve been “training” in preparation and realised my left hand is borderline uselessness for fine motor activities. Don’t want to lose a finger!

If you can get a slow cooker (20 quid from argos will get you a decent one) and again will save you money from not using the oven. Between an air fryer and slow cooker you can make most meals quite easily - benefits of slow cookers are you can prepare in the morning and it'll be ready for dinner time x

You could do things with that packet rice you pop in the microwave.

Frozen soffrito/ veg mixes could be handy too, no chopping required

Veg and baked beans as sides can go in the microwave. Easy to lift out with non dim hand and drain by putting a bowl in the sink and rest the sieve in that or use a slotted spoon to lift the veg out - same for draining pasta…

slow cooker for things you usually do on the hob if you are worried.

the thought of it probably seems scary - but you will cope. Spent years having operations on my arm and years in slings / plaster casts.

you will manage fine !!!

Also tenderstem broccoli is nice roasted - no cutting involved.

Salad. Lots of salad. You can also cook frozen burgers in the oven - have with chip and salad on a bun.

Microwave rice pouches

those prep prepped veg in fresh section. Peas

Scrambled egg or fried egg on toast type meals

ready made mash

buy some jars of pasta sauce and pesto. My 4 year old likes red pesto.

little yogurts or fruit that doesn’t need help cutting or pealing ( apples eat while if they will, berries or bananas easy for them)

Those foods you've listed sound fine to me. Do you have a microwave as well...? Jacket potatoes done in microwave with some grated cheese (buy it ready grated) or some microwaved beans.

But frozen food like fish fingers and chips done in the air fryer is perfectly fine while you're recovering

I’m sure we will consume a lot of sweet potato fries

The costa molica range is non-UPF. They have pizzas and gnocchi.

With regards to chopping, you could always buy a load of veg now and chop and freeze it and then you can use it in a slow cooker rather than trying to freeze full meals, in saying that there quite a few ready chopped vegetables in the supermarket in the freezer section then you just put your meat in with it.

You can buy pre chopped veg like mirepoix (carrots onion celery) that you can make bolognese etc.

How many meals will you need?

Get a load of food containers like the takeaways use and do some bulk meal prep now.
Anything suitable for freezing then you can just take it out to defrost each morning and microwave it for their dinner.

What about a microwave omelette maker as well?

She literally just asked for air fryer ideas 🙄

You buy frozen or fresh peeled and diced veg etc. there's really no need to chop a single thing for simple dishes like suggested.

You can buy pre chopped veg or I just use frozen.

You don't need too just buy frozen or pre chopped

From the OP:

I’ve meal prepped some casseroles in advance but our freezer is quite small.

RTFOP

For the odd meals that you want to do in the slow cooker, etc you could buy pre-chopped veg. Also M&S dinners for once off occasions every so often

Thank you, must have completely skipped over that in the OP