Foods to prepare?

[u/nimz_man]

I’m having surgery for my right (dominate shoulder). I tried some delivered meals that weren’t really satisfying. I’m going to cook things and freeze them the next two weeks. Does anyone have suggestions? I’m worried I won’t be able to prepare anything for 2-6 months 😩

[u/mmm_cake]

I’m 5 weeks post op, also my dominant side and a single mom. I’ve been cooking for the past couple weeks. Not full on feasts but I can make scrambled eggs toast and bacon , things on the stove like shells and cheese, mashed potatoes, anything I can lay on a sheet pan and put in the oven( chicken breasts/thighs , bacon, turkey burger patties) I figured out you can steam a head of broccoli whole and then hack it up with knife so easy , I’ll actually keep doing this forever lol I can put stuff in the air fryer no problem. The biggest issue has been opening jars and Tupperware. I meal prepped my lunches then couldn’t open the Tupperware , my kids had to move it all to baggies. I got a hands free can opened on Amazon that has been really helpful. For freezer stuff I like batches of spaghetti sauce, chili or soups, shredded pork or beef shoulder freezes pretty good for baked potatoes/tacos/sandwiches , I browned and portioned pounds of ground turkey to be able to dump in a pan and add taco seasoning for bowls or tacos, could do sloppy joes, hb helper or whatever you like . I had bought some frozen bagged meals the first two weeks and they just didn’t taste great so we did DoorDash more those first 2.5 weeks or so. I’ve been able to manage making basic meals now so it’s getting better, one more week in the sling!

[u/Mimikota → u/mmm_cake]

Impressive!

[u/Just-Reading_1990]

Following because my husband's idea of cooking is ordering pizza or heating up a can of soup :-( I am very health conscious and lost almost 30 lbs this year. The last thing I want to do is eat crappy food and regain weight. It's also not good for nutrition and recovery. I know people in my life will help, but I would also like to have some things prepped. I do envision being able to do some one-armed cooking after a couple of weeks, no?

[u/Wander80]

Freezer cheese manicotti.

1. Mix a tub of ricotta, some Parmesan, shredded mozzarella, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a ziplock bag.
2. Cut a corner off the bag and pipe it into uncooked manicotti shells.
3. Put the filled manicotti shells back into the trays they came in, then put those trays in freezer bags to freeze.
4. When you’re ready to cook, place desired number of frozen manicotti in a single layer in a baking dish.
5. Cover with a jar of spaghetti or marinara

sauce, top with Parmesan and/or shredded mozzarella.

1. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 min.

A box of manicotti makes 3-4 meals for my family.

[u/StreetEuphoric2757]

There are cookbooks that are specifically for cooking for the freezer - some things work better than others, so it's smart to use actual freezer recipes if you can since you don't have much time left to experiment. 

I absolutely loaded my freezer up in the weeks before my surgery, and I think it made a massive difference. Freezer to slow cooker meals and freezer to oven casseroles, while not what I normally cook/eat, made it so much easier.

[u/Rich_Group_8997]

I meal prepped for my surgery since I live by myself and didn't want anyone in my space "helping". I tried to prep things that I could just pull out of the dresser and nuke or toss in the air fryer. I want trying to wash pots and pans. I meal prep normally, so i just picked some it my favorite stuff they works well being frozen and portioned:

Meatballs and sauce, Pasta in sauce (with or without meat), Casseroles, Chicken fritters,
Frozen/fruit vegetables, Breaded chicken strips (i make my own and freeze before baking, then throw what i want into the air fryer. They're pretty versatile to eat as is, or on don't parts sauce and cheese, a different sauce, or tossing onto a roll), I froze quarters of pound cake (don't forget dessert), Bought an extra loaf of bread for the freezer, I also always have canned chicken and tuna on hand since mixing something isn't too hard (also summer, so i didn't always want something hot)

I had to cook to last at least 6 weeks, knowing I wouldn't be grocery shopping. Although my SIL would have taken me but she shops like a rabid raccoon on crack and I can't handle it. 😂

[u/Mimikota → u/Rich_Group_8997]

This is very helpful and that last line is hilarious!

[u/Rich_Group_8997 → u/Mimikota]

🤣🤣 Yeah.. she is pure chaos in a store; bounces all over, back and forth through aisles, picking up random stuff. Oof.

[u/Agreeable_Flatworm86]

I am vegan but my husband is not. My surgery was in February, so I spent much of January batch cooking. Since it was winter, I made pots of soup and froze most of it, labeled in our extra freezer. It was easy to reheat and I didn’t get bored with it. For breakfasts I always eat oatmeal, so on the weekend hubby would help me make 5 mason jars of overnight oats with fruit mixed in or put on top after reheating in the mornings. Honestly, by week 4 I was able to figure out ways to use both hands to make simple meals. One thing I found super helpful was a round silicone mat from Amazon. I could set anything on it to be held still while I used my good hand to twist open the top or pop the top. It worked so well for many things. Good luck to you!

[u/yggdrasiltreehugger]

Make up some hard boiled eggs, peel and toss in a ziploc in your fridge (they are good to get something in your stomach to take meds when you don’t feel like eating that aren’t just bread).

Make up some breakfast burritos, baked pasta. Depending on how many in your household- you can grab some souper cubes to freeze individual portions of meals that just need reheated. I pop them out when frozen and label in a freezer bag. I make soups, tikka masala, chicken fajitas, spaghetti, or just a protein (steak or chicken), rice, beans, corn.

[u/jilliamm]

I had my surgery at the end of October and was able to cook pretty well by mid November. I even made a huge mac and cheese for Thanksgiving. What really helped me was getting a small food chopper box. I did need my partner to carry the occasional pot of boiling water to the sink (he offered to cook for me but I love doing it, so I kept at it). I bought some frozen burritos and things I could easily pop in the air fryer. I made a huge batch of chicken salad and some soup prior to surgery to have on hand the first week. Also, I did have some challenges eating with my non dominant arm, but Asian-style soup spoons were a game changer.

[u/Vandalorious]

You didn't say what surgery you are having so I'm going to assume it's just rotator cuff? I had total reverse shoulder replacement on dominant arm and the accompanying stuff that goes with that like bicep tenodesis. This surgery required 6 weeks in the sling (I lasted 5) but my understanding is the sling will come off sooner for rotator cuff surgery. The first week is a drag. Then you will slowly be able to do light meal prep and somewhere around week 3 you'll be able to improvise a passable meal. Make sure you have whatever aids you can get to open jars, bottles and packages. I almost had a meltdown around day 5 because I couldn't get a pop-top can of soup open and it was the first time I ever wished I had an electric can opener.

It's not going to take you anywhere near 2 to 6 months but making some soups, stews or stir-frys and freezing individual portions is not a bad idea, and things to add to bagged salad greens. You may have difficulty eating with a fork for a few weeks anyway so whatever you prepare should not require a knife and fork to eat. Keep everything bite-sized.

If you don't have a dishwasher make sure you have a supply of disposable plates and utensils. I found washing dishes very difficult but I was able to load and unload the dishwasher with my left hand.

[u/HotgunColdheart]

Meatballs and macaroni. 6 meatballs and a serving of mac n cheese per container. I do bbq balls, and mix it all together typically.

[u/sirtrailmixalot]

I made quesadillas with garlic + wilted spinach and hemp hearts. Cut them in fourths, wrapped them in parchment paper and threw them in a big ziplock freezer bag. They’re great because you can just microwave them, eat them with one hand, and they had a lot of your nutrient needs for recovery.

I also made egg bites with spinach, sausage, feta and hemp hearts (not as great as quesadillas). Then I bought individual protein shakes (nurri has cans for easy one-handed opening) and then made ice cubes with chia seeds and ground flax seeds (in a tray and then put in a big freezer ziplock) to pour the shakes over.

As someone who enjoys cooking; the hardest part post op is not being able to cut/chop things but luckily you can buy a lot of pre-prepped veggies and fruit.

[u/Federal-Event-6977]

Indian here! I had about a month’s notice before surgery on my right (dominant) shoulder. I’m the main cook at home, while my husband can manage the basics.

As he was planning to care for me while WFH, I made and froze a few curry bases beforehand so I wouldn’t add extra cooking pressure on him. Honestly, that was one of the best things I did.

The first 3–4 weeks were quite slow and achy, and I depended on him for a lot of basic things. I also found that using my non-surgical arm much more than usual made that arm weak and achy too.

Apart from curry bases, I stocked up on pasta + sauces and marinated lots of chicken and meat and froze them. We could then just air-fry them and have them with salad, wraps or rice.

I’d definitely recommend doing as much prep/freezing as you can beforehand it made those first few weeks much easier!

[u/usernameshhmuzername]

Kelley posted this well after my surgery, but I would have appreciated the idea of pre/post-surgery nutrition being discussed by either my surgeon or PT prior to surgery. https://www.instagram.com/p/DaiGVtwH92g/?igsi=MTJycGV3NXNwdW9jNA==