I have a menu planning challenge!!

[spudmasher]

This weekend my parents are coming to visit.

My dad is undergoing chemo at the moment but he is eating like a horse.

My mum is on a low GI diet and does not want to mess it up.

Add in the fact that my girls are in a dancing show this weekend and will be tired and needing good nourishing meals.

It will be very busy running back and forth to the theatre.

So I am looking for recipies that will please everyone, not take too much to prepare, don't mind about long cooking times- love my slowcooker- and be nutritionally excellent.

Thank you so much, you lovely people!

Yes it is hard isn't it?!

Giving this another shot in the hope that an afternoonie can help.......

Hiya,
I was on a low GI meal plan for awhile since I thought I had maternal diabetes and decided to change my diet for the 8 weeeks I had to wait until the test(!).
I always tried to do lean meat meals with lots of veggies (e.g roast chicken and veggies kebabs). Pasta like wholewheat spaghetti is good but stay away from bread (unless Soya & Linseed), chips, most rice types etc. Unfortunately it is the carbs you need to watch for.
How about a nice stew with lots of veggies (we use our slowcooker for this) with a side salad and baby new potatoes for dinner?
We also do a wholewheat spaghetti with tuna,tomatoes, olives, chilli, garlic etc sauce to go which can be made in 15 minutes for quick meals or lunch.
As for breakfast we had the soya & linseed bread as toast with peanut butter or cheese/marmite etc. No sugary toppings like jam. Or try porridge made with water or skimmed milk but forget the honey for your mother. Hope this helps

Jenmac, that is hugely helpful. Thank you.
How does steak rate in the GI thing? I think I'm getting confused with the Atkins one. I asked mum what to cook and she said to do what ever I wanted but she has done so well I don't want to mess it up for her.

Spudmaster,

The GI diet is wierd. All protein/fats are acceptable since they take awhile to digest but carbs are can affect the blood sugar levels. It depends on what carbs it is and how quickly it converts to sugar which affects the blood sugar levels.

Therefore, if you think of usual diets which are lean meats with veggies then this would be good for your mom. Your mom will be avoiding cakes, biscuits, crips, sugary drinks, bread, chips, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes and rice (all the nice bits). She probably be getting her carbs from fruit and veg whilst acceptable snacks are oatcakes (rice cakes are high GI).

Steak is good. The GI diet is similar to Atkins is that is restricts carbs but the GI diet only restricts bad carbs (as above). The GI diet encourages lots of fruit/veg which is not the case in Atkins.
Dependent on how strict her GI diet is, you mom may be combining high GI items with other items, so they are suitable to eat, e.g baked potato is quite high GI but with cheese (cottage etc) then this lowers the GI level.

You could make quite normal meals which everyone would eat and just porvide your mom with a side salad/veggies instead of the carbs which means you make one meal for all and everyone else should get a good feed.

Great advice Jenmac! Thanks so much. I feel in a better position to go shopping now!!

Evening crowd! Hit me with your amazing please everyone recipies!!!

I have a GI diet cookbook which I have never used (present and it is by AWT who I don't like!) So can't vouch for any of these recipes but it advises...

Breakfast - porridge, grapefruit, toasted seeded low GI bread spread with peanut butter, cooked breakfast (grilled lean bacon & low fat sausages and poached eggs) served with baked beans, kedgeree made with basmati rice.

Lunch - jacket potato with baked beans, seeded bread or rolls with lentil soup, sandwiches using seeded bread, bean and pasta salads, pitta breads filled with salad.

Main - roasted meats or baked fish served with large amounts of vegetables, especially beans and new potatoes in their skins, casseroles that include beans and chickpeas, pasta dishes served with extra vegetables and tomato sauces.

Don't know if any of those will help. There are full on recipes but AWT tends to be a bit of a fussy chef! If your mum was really wanting to be strict could she not give you some ideas of what she wants to eat? Casseroles might be a great idea if you have a slowcooker.

If you want me to copy down any of the recipes just say what you were looking for and I'll see if there is anything that would be suitable!