So you have found your surgeon , printed off your pre surgery checklist and now its time to get cookin’.
No matter where you look on the internet, everyone who has had surgery will attest to the fact that pre-cooking your meals ahead of time is a must. I mean c’mon, surgery is some serious stuff. So the last thing you want to be doing after you have been sliced and diced is to be, well, slicing and dicing.
So, on that note, here are our TOP 8 freezable and nutritious recipes you need on your cooking hit list. When your sitting at home recovering from your surgery, you can sit there, eating lasagna with béchamel sauce, without a worry in the world. Ok so maybe I am overestimating the magical powers of lasagna with béchamel sauce and its ability to establish world peace. But still, recovering without having to worry about cooking, I promise you will thank me later!
Jaime Oliver’s Chicken and vegetable soup
Photo credit: www.jamieoliver.com
Kale is one of the most nutritionally dense foods around, containing vitamin A, vitamin K,vitamin C, Vitamin B6 (sheesh thats alot of vitamins) Magnesium, calcium, copper and potassium. It is also high in protein and low in fat - this can only mean that it is going to be a real winner in supporting your body post op.
Classic Italian lasagne with béchamel sauce
Photo credit: www.foodnetwork.com
What can I say about this recipe, it has butter in it - Paleo’s like butter don’t they? Never mind, this has gluten and carbs so is probably not going to be paleo friendly, but it has spinach in it. Spinach is healthy right? The vitamin C in the spinach will help the absorption of iron in this dish but I don’t really need to mention the health benefits of classic lasagne with béchamel. There is just something inherently healing about good old comfort food. It goes without saying.
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Stuffed Ricotta shells
Photo credit: ohmyveggies.com
Swiss chard is known as Silverbeet for us Aussies and is related to spinach. Its high in Vitamin K, iron, potassium, calcium vitamin A, folic acid, zinc, copper, fibre, vitamin E and vitamin C - basically all the good stuff
Blueberry oat pancake
Photo credit: www.damndelicious.net
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and this has blueberries in it which have all the healthy vitamins in it along with antioxidants that help fight against free radicals in the body *Hint Freeze these little gems in portioned bags and zap in the microwave when your ready to eat
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Sweet potato empanadas
Photo credit: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross www.myrecipes.com
An easy lunch or snack and lets face it, who doesn’t like a good empanada?
Mini meatballs
Photo credit: www.marthastewart.com
These cute meatballs can be frozen ahead of time and Martha says you don’t need to thaw before using them, too easy! Seriously, Martha Stewart can do no wrong…oh wait!!!
Apricot balls
Photo credit: www.theorganisedhousewife.com
Ok so you probably won’t freeze these, but the high fibre content found in the apricot inside these balls will help get things moving and if you have ever been on pain medication before, you know exactly what i am referring too.
Vegan Chilli
Photo credit: Oliver Parini www.epicurious.com
Who doesn’t love a good chilli? They are so full of good stuff that even the photo looks healthy. This recipe uses black beans which have been shown to support digestive tract health. They are high in fibre and are a good source of protein without much fat. * Adjust the amount of chilli powder and jalapeños to your tolerance levels