What are some healthy, durable, easy-to-cook grocery staples?
January 21, 2015 4:02 PM Subscribe
I'm buying groceries (online) for a family member, and need some ideas for things that'll provide them with good nutrition while also being easy to prepare. (Complicated family situation inside, probably relevant)
My father lives about 200 miles away with my 17yo brother. They're reliant on state welfare, but my dad's an alcoholic and my brother's got a drug habit, so the money they get doesn't last. I've tried sending them money directly, but second-hand family sources say it's just being spent on alcohol/drugs/cigarettes, so I'm doing the online-supermarket home-delivery instead. I've read this question and this question and these ones too, but they're for people who are trying to eat healthier and able to put in the effort. Advice from other family members has been "it's their problem, leave them to it", but I just worry about how they're doing.
As far as I can tell, they mostly live on chips/bread/beer/frozen meat, and my dad's not in good health (currently going through investigations for possible cancer diagnosis, also gets confused sometimes). So I need things that a) They will actually cook/eat, b) Will provide some decent taste and nutrients (I'm not talking uber-healthy, just malnutrition avoidance), and c) they can't easily resell for cash.
This means nothing that needs soaking/long prep like lentils/grains, or anything that needs specialised equipment (blender/steamer/processor) or a lot of cooking effort. They've just got a portable hob-stove and a small refrigerator. If they can't work out how to cook it or eat it right away, they'll just throw it in the trash (learned that from last time).
At the moment I'm thinking tins of baked beans, wholewheat/seeded bread, fruit you can pick up and eat, microwaveable rice, juice, fortified breakfast cereal with long-life milk that will last if their electricity gets cut off. I know this should be something I can work out on my own, but the situation's not left me in a good place and I could really use some relevant insight.
My father lives about 200 miles away with my 17yo brother. They're reliant on state welfare, but my dad's an alcoholic and my brother's got a drug habit, so the money they get doesn't last. I've tried sending them money directly, but second-hand family sources say it's just being spent on alcohol/drugs/cigarettes, so I'm doing the online-supermarket home-delivery instead. I've read this question and this question and these ones too, but they're for people who are trying to eat healthier and able to put in the effort. Advice from other family members has been "it's their problem, leave them to it", but I just worry about how they're doing.
As far as I can tell, they mostly live on chips/bread/beer/frozen meat, and my dad's not in good health (currently going through investigations for possible cancer diagnosis, also gets confused sometimes). So I need things that a) They will actually cook/eat, b) Will provide some decent taste and nutrients (I'm not talking uber-healthy, just malnutrition avoidance), and c) they can't easily resell for cash.
This means nothing that needs soaking/long prep like lentils/grains, or anything that needs specialised equipment (blender/steamer/processor) or a lot of cooking effort. They've just got a portable hob-stove and a small refrigerator. If they can't work out how to cook it or eat it right away, they'll just throw it in the trash (learned that from last time).
At the moment I'm thinking tins of baked beans, wholewheat/seeded bread, fruit you can pick up and eat, microwaveable rice, juice, fortified breakfast cereal with long-life milk that will last if their electricity gets cut off. I know this should be something I can work out on my own, but the situation's not left me in a good place and I could really use some relevant insight.
Best answer: Bananas! Bananas are nature's convenience food.
Celery sticks and baby carrots.
Canned soup, chili, ravioli, stew.
Canned tuna.
Pickles.
Apple sauce.
Canned fruit.
Peanut butter and jelly.
Cheese.
Raisins or Craisins.
posted by maurreen at 4:08 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Celery sticks and baby carrots.
Canned soup, chili, ravioli, stew.
Canned tuna.
Pickles.
Apple sauce.
Canned fruit.
Peanut butter and jelly.
Cheese.
Raisins or Craisins.
posted by maurreen at 4:08 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Avocados are ridiculously nutritious (fiber, potassium, "good" fat, vitamin E, B vitamins, folic acid), can be incorporated into many dishes, or just eaten on their own. Fresh avocados can stay out on the counter for quite a while depending on the climate. You can also get frozen mashed avocados (Trader Joes Avocado's Number is really good).
Also, alcoholics are often deficient in B vitamins. So, you could either pay for a B vitamin supplement, or get food that has lots of B's. Quinoa might be a good grain to get, both because it cooks quickly and because it's got lots of B's.
You mentioned they have frozen meat, but what about fish? Canned or frozen tuna or salmon might be good. A lot of people are deficient in the essential fatty acids from fish, and the resulting poor mood can play a role in addiction as well.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 4:09 PM on January 21, 2015
Also, alcoholics are often deficient in B vitamins. So, you could either pay for a B vitamin supplement, or get food that has lots of B's. Quinoa might be a good grain to get, both because it cooks quickly and because it's got lots of B's.
You mentioned they have frozen meat, but what about fish? Canned or frozen tuna or salmon might be good. A lot of people are deficient in the essential fatty acids from fish, and the resulting poor mood can play a role in addiction as well.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 4:09 PM on January 21, 2015
I really like tuna in those little envelopes, because you don't even have to drain it. Dried fruit is dead simple to eat, as are shelf-stable puddings and apple sauce. Granola bars, protein bars.
posted by xingcat at 4:09 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by xingcat at 4:09 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Frozen Vegetables and frozen precooked chicken, and a variety of sauces. Chicken and vegetables can get you pretty far and is pretty healthy. Go for unbreaded chicken and it stays healthy.
I also recommend a slow cooker. I have seen exceedingly lazy people that are capable of buying a $3 3 lb pork shoulder and put it in a slow cooker. Wait 6-12 hours and it's pulled pork. Add sweet baby rays.
Fresh berries are easy to do hand-to-mouth but don't have a long shelf life.
I think they may appreciate meals that involve just adding everything to a pot. Rotisserie chicken meat, chicken stock and frozen veggies in a pot for 30 minutes is delicious and rewarding. Order meals at a time and give instructions.
Corn beef hash is a healthy and yummy meal-in-a-can when you add egg and fresh veggies.
You should mix in some less-healthy snacks so they don't get discouraged/throw away all your groceries. Maybe a small box of cookies.
posted by bbqturtle at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2015
I also recommend a slow cooker. I have seen exceedingly lazy people that are capable of buying a $3 3 lb pork shoulder and put it in a slow cooker. Wait 6-12 hours and it's pulled pork. Add sweet baby rays.
Fresh berries are easy to do hand-to-mouth but don't have a long shelf life.
I think they may appreciate meals that involve just adding everything to a pot. Rotisserie chicken meat, chicken stock and frozen veggies in a pot for 30 minutes is delicious and rewarding. Order meals at a time and give instructions.
Corn beef hash is a healthy and yummy meal-in-a-can when you add egg and fresh veggies.
You should mix in some less-healthy snacks so they don't get discouraged/throw away all your groceries. Maybe a small box of cookies.
posted by bbqturtle at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2015
The Tasty Bite Indian entrees I've had have all been pretty good, and I pretty much never eat boxed prepared meals (they were a staple for everyone at an office where I worked for a while). They seem to have decent ingredients, and they're vegetable-heavy (vegetarian, actually).
posted by jaguar at 4:20 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jaguar at 4:20 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Noodles of all sorts. With parmesan cheese and marinara sauce, you have a simple Italian meal.
Send salsa and cheese dip to go with their chips if you think they will eat it. I would send something hearty, like corn and black bean salsa. It can get some actual veggies into them in a way they might not protest.
Good quality beef jerky.
Babybel cheeses come in several flavors, go well with chips, do not need to be refrigerated (but can be) and will keep well as long as the wax remains unbroken.
Dried fruits (and veggies even) can be expensive, but can be as easy to eat as chips. If you can find a few that appeal to them, you can improve their diet this way, assuming you can afford the expense.
Nut butters. Peanut butter is not your only option here and, if it were me, I would be disinclined to send peanut butter because it is pro-inflammatory and might make some of the health issues worse. But there are also hazelnut butters and almond butters, which work better for me (as someone who tolerates peanut butter poorly and has to limit it).
If they can take a small amount of instruction, you can add an egg to boiling water before pouring it into cup-a-soup so it becomes egg drop soup. You can also add instant brown rice to cup-a-soup (with a tiny bit of salt). If you add both and serve with some hearty crackers (I like Stone Ground Wheat Thins for this), you have a pretty solid little meal for very little effort. This is something I used to cook myself when I was still waaaay too sick to do real cooking. It takes hardly any effort.
Buitoni refrigerated pastas and sauces make putting together fresh Italian about as easy as boiling water. I used to cook the pasta and spoon the cold sauce on top of it in small portions. That way I could make just enough for me, since no one else in the family ate it.
posted by Michele in California at 4:20 PM on January 21, 2015 [5 favorites]
Send salsa and cheese dip to go with their chips if you think they will eat it. I would send something hearty, like corn and black bean salsa. It can get some actual veggies into them in a way they might not protest.
Good quality beef jerky.
Babybel cheeses come in several flavors, go well with chips, do not need to be refrigerated (but can be) and will keep well as long as the wax remains unbroken.
Dried fruits (and veggies even) can be expensive, but can be as easy to eat as chips. If you can find a few that appeal to them, you can improve their diet this way, assuming you can afford the expense.
Nut butters. Peanut butter is not your only option here and, if it were me, I would be disinclined to send peanut butter because it is pro-inflammatory and might make some of the health issues worse. But there are also hazelnut butters and almond butters, which work better for me (as someone who tolerates peanut butter poorly and has to limit it).
If they can take a small amount of instruction, you can add an egg to boiling water before pouring it into cup-a-soup so it becomes egg drop soup. You can also add instant brown rice to cup-a-soup (with a tiny bit of salt). If you add both and serve with some hearty crackers (I like Stone Ground Wheat Thins for this), you have a pretty solid little meal for very little effort. This is something I used to cook myself when I was still waaaay too sick to do real cooking. It takes hardly any effort.
Buitoni refrigerated pastas and sauces make putting together fresh Italian about as easy as boiling water. I used to cook the pasta and spoon the cold sauce on top of it in small portions. That way I could make just enough for me, since no one else in the family ate it.
posted by Michele in California at 4:20 PM on January 21, 2015 [5 favorites]
I'd vote for frozen veggies and fruit that's easy to eat out-of-hand and lasts a while (i.e. apples, tangerines, oranges, bananas). Campbells' also has a few new lines of slightly more upscale soups that might be more appealing than plain old condensed soup (we've enjoyed the Slow Kettle varieties, and the Campbell's Go soups look pretty good too). Whole wheat tortillas + cheese? And honestly, if you know they're looking for really quick food, maybe some Healthy Choice microwavable meals? They're not exactly the most amazing thing in the world, but they're reasonably healthy and you can't get much easier.
posted by rainbowbrite at 4:21 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by rainbowbrite at 4:21 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Oh, you guys/girls are terrific! Thanks for all the amazing ideas, I promise you that they'll definitely come in handy, am incorporating a lot of them into next week's delivery right now.
posted by The Zeroth Law at 4:25 PM on January 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by The Zeroth Law at 4:25 PM on January 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Oh! I just thought of something. The first meals I cooked that didn't feel like junk food was frozen skillet meals.
They are usually in the frozen foods isle, there's a line by p.f. changs (chinese) and a couple of other brands, and they have a veggie and a meat. Usually you just dump the whole thing into a saucepan and cook it.
Yum. If you pair it with extra frozen peas/carrots and whole grain bread, you can feed 2-3 with just one bag.
posted by bbqturtle at 4:28 PM on January 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
They are usually in the frozen foods isle, there's a line by p.f. changs (chinese) and a couple of other brands, and they have a veggie and a meat. Usually you just dump the whole thing into a saucepan and cook it.
Yum. If you pair it with extra frozen peas/carrots and whole grain bread, you can feed 2-3 with just one bag.
posted by bbqturtle at 4:28 PM on January 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
All this sounds good, but could I also recommend apples? They are shelf stable and last FOREVER - and would get them to eat some fresh fruit. Other fruit would be less desirable, because if they miss the window to eat it they'll just end up in the garbage.
posted by Toddles at 4:35 PM on January 21, 2015
posted by Toddles at 4:35 PM on January 21, 2015
Best answer: My father did not have the issues that your family does, but was of the generation where the men did not cook, so our experiences with trying to keep him nutritionally well fed may be in interest. Fortunately after my mother died (since she was the cook), he lived in a retirement community that provided him dinner daily. He generally made breakfast and lunch for himself. Unless we seriously intervened, things he would eat voluntarily included microwaved hot cereal or cold cereal, scrambled eggs, peanut butter or cashew butter, nuts, dried fruit, canned tuna, canned sardines, soups of various kinds, hot dogs, cheese, bananas, and individual serving size containers of applesauce. If we got him something that he felt involved "cooking", even if it was just a microwave meal, he would not "cook" it and eat it unless it had explicit microwaving instructions on it, and preferably was in its own microwavable container.
Besides things in cans, I agree that cheese covered in wax will last quite a while, and aged cheeses don't really need to be refrigerated. You should consider getting the shelf stable stuff that is aseptically packaged, which now includes everything from milk and juice to soup, and often comes in individual serving size containers.
posted by gudrun at 5:04 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Besides things in cans, I agree that cheese covered in wax will last quite a while, and aged cheeses don't really need to be refrigerated. You should consider getting the shelf stable stuff that is aseptically packaged, which now includes everything from milk and juice to soup, and often comes in individual serving size containers.
posted by gudrun at 5:04 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You mentioned rice, so do they have a microwave? If not, I'd definitely consider getting them one.
For the sake of getting some breakfast into them, there's oatmeal bars or instant-oat serving packs. They both microwave quickly and go down fast. Granola bars and small trail mix pouches could also be good. Canned vegetables might go over better than frozen ones, at least at first. Canned pasta likewise; really almost anything is going to be a major step up by the sounds of it, so I'd start as easy as possible. Frozen pizza, 100% apple/grape/orange juice, sliced/shredded cheese, deli meat slices and condiments for sandwiches -- not all at once if losing power is an ongoing possibility, but enough that they can get a taste for food. Upgrading from there is much easier than jumping from living off of beer and chips to making meals, however simple.
Will they be okay doing more dishes? Don't let that be the hang-up; disposable plates/bowls/utensils are cheap.
posted by teremala at 5:06 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
For the sake of getting some breakfast into them, there's oatmeal bars or instant-oat serving packs. They both microwave quickly and go down fast. Granola bars and small trail mix pouches could also be good. Canned vegetables might go over better than frozen ones, at least at first. Canned pasta likewise; really almost anything is going to be a major step up by the sounds of it, so I'd start as easy as possible. Frozen pizza, 100% apple/grape/orange juice, sliced/shredded cheese, deli meat slices and condiments for sandwiches -- not all at once if losing power is an ongoing possibility, but enough that they can get a taste for food. Upgrading from there is much easier than jumping from living off of beer and chips to making meals, however simple.
Will they be okay doing more dishes? Don't let that be the hang-up; disposable plates/bowls/utensils are cheap.
posted by teremala at 5:06 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Tortillas and cans of refried beans along with cheese is enough to make a quesadilla. I spent a LOT of time in college eating quesadillas and still do on lazy days. I like to pan cook mine but I think a microwave would be sufficient. If they get a roast chicken (which many grocery stores sell) or used canned chicken they can have meat on it. If they brown some ground meat with taco seasoning they can have meat on it too.
Eggs last a decent amount time in the fridge, wouldn't even go bad fast if not refrigerated, and making scrambled eggs can even be done in the microwave. To get even fancier you can put in a creamy swiss cheese wedge or two.
It would be good to make sure they have a some basic spices if they do any simple cooking along the lines of: taco seasoning, pepper, lemon pepper, onion powder, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, an italian mix maybe.
You could also try protein bars--Premier Protein bars have a decent chunk of protein in a palatable shelf stable package.
posted by foxfirefey at 5:09 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Eggs last a decent amount time in the fridge, wouldn't even go bad fast if not refrigerated, and making scrambled eggs can even be done in the microwave. To get even fancier you can put in a creamy swiss cheese wedge or two.
It would be good to make sure they have a some basic spices if they do any simple cooking along the lines of: taco seasoning, pepper, lemon pepper, onion powder, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, an italian mix maybe.
You could also try protein bars--Premier Protein bars have a decent chunk of protein in a palatable shelf stable package.
posted by foxfirefey at 5:09 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Sometimes my mental health Agita gets overwhelming and I find it really difficult to prepare food (and then I'm hungry and cranky which makes me feel worse) and this is what gets me through those times:
-cold cereal and milk
-Lean Cuisines/Healthy Choice frozen dinners. You can eat two if you are hungry. They are moderately more nutritious than their Hungry Man/Marie Callendar cousins.
-deli soups (like, they come in plastic containers, not cans, and are sold in the deli section of the supermarket. Panera has a distribution of their soups this way and there is often a grocery market house brand as well)
-frozen skillet meals like bbqturtle mentions; you just heat them in a frying pan although some brands have a frozen sauce you have to put in warm water, too. Bertolli has a line of these now.
-the heartier canned soups
-bagged popcorn, granola bars, fruit leathers sometimes
Also, maybe you will consider sending some "treats" as well. It seems friendly somehow to send a package of chips or sausage along with the "new, better" stuff. More like a gift, less like a judgment. I don't know, just thinking out loud and you know more about the relationships and dynamics than I do obviously.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 5:42 PM on January 21, 2015 [4 favorites]
-cold cereal and milk
-Lean Cuisines/Healthy Choice frozen dinners. You can eat two if you are hungry. They are moderately more nutritious than their Hungry Man/Marie Callendar cousins.
-deli soups (like, they come in plastic containers, not cans, and are sold in the deli section of the supermarket. Panera has a distribution of their soups this way and there is often a grocery market house brand as well)
-frozen skillet meals like bbqturtle mentions; you just heat them in a frying pan although some brands have a frozen sauce you have to put in warm water, too. Bertolli has a line of these now.
-the heartier canned soups
-bagged popcorn, granola bars, fruit leathers sometimes
Also, maybe you will consider sending some "treats" as well. It seems friendly somehow to send a package of chips or sausage along with the "new, better" stuff. More like a gift, less like a judgment. I don't know, just thinking out loud and you know more about the relationships and dynamics than I do obviously.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 5:42 PM on January 21, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I just sent my mother a bunch of stuff I ordered off Amazon, as they don't have a fresh delivery in their area (as far as I could find out.)
Here is a partial list of what I sent:
Peanut butter, jelly and whole grain crackers
Canned tuna, mayo
Canned fruit in juice (peaches, pears, mandarin oranges)
Canned vegetables (green beans, peas, corn)
Whole grain cereal
Rice milk (in no-refrigeration-needed package)
Instant oatmeal
Canned chili and cornbread mix
Canned chunky-style soups
Canned pork and beans
Dry spaghetti and spaghetti sauce
Cooking oil
Stuffing mix
Boxed macaroni & cheese
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:38 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Here is a partial list of what I sent:
Peanut butter, jelly and whole grain crackers
Canned tuna, mayo
Canned fruit in juice (peaches, pears, mandarin oranges)
Canned vegetables (green beans, peas, corn)
Whole grain cereal
Rice milk (in no-refrigeration-needed package)
Instant oatmeal
Canned chili and cornbread mix
Canned chunky-style soups
Canned pork and beans
Dry spaghetti and spaghetti sauce
Cooking oil
Stuffing mix
Boxed macaroni & cheese
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:38 PM on January 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Clif bars, applesauce? Some but not all of what Costco has under "emergency food" might be of interest -- easy prep, solid nutrition, keeps forever, doesn't need refrigeration, etc. 275 servings of freeze-dried yoghurt that can be eaten as is or reconstituted? "236 Total Servings of EasyPrep Cook in Bag Instant Favorites Entree Bucket"?
posted by kmennie at 8:38 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by kmennie at 8:38 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
It sounds like you need stuff that is really easy. If you can find them: ready made quiches, vegetarian pizzas, fresh pasta/ ravioli, or ready made Hummus with Pita chips. Grab and go veggies: cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, mini Cucumbers. Small quantities of veggies are less overwhelming. Canned beans is a great idea. I know you didn't ask for it, but please accept my praise for what you are doing.
posted by leslievictoria at 9:34 PM on January 21, 2015
posted by leslievictoria at 9:34 PM on January 21, 2015
Best answer: Maybe get them a multivitamin? Would they take vitamins?
Also - zucchini and yellow squash! They can be cut up and microwaved for a few seconds to soften them up. Add salt and pepper, and it's really good to eat. They're so easy to prepare that I often did so at my old job.
If they eat rice, a small rice cooker might help them.
Penzeys also has gift boxes of different spices and seasonings; maybe a little gift box will give them some seasonings to experiment with, to perk up whatever they're eating.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:39 AM on January 22, 2015
Also - zucchini and yellow squash! They can be cut up and microwaved for a few seconds to soften them up. Add salt and pepper, and it's really good to eat. They're so easy to prepare that I often did so at my old job.
If they eat rice, a small rice cooker might help them.
Penzeys also has gift boxes of different spices and seasonings; maybe a little gift box will give them some seasonings to experiment with, to perk up whatever they're eating.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:39 AM on January 22, 2015
Shelf-stable milk in single-serving containers might be useful.
posted by crush-onastick at 9:12 AM on January 22, 2015
posted by crush-onastick at 9:12 AM on January 22, 2015
Response by poster: Many thanks to everyone that contributed; I incorporated about ten/eleven of the ideas from the thread and they were really pleased with it this time!
posted by The Zeroth Law at 3:18 AM on January 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by The Zeroth Law at 3:18 AM on January 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
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