In 2014, to prevent cancer, I had a total gastrectomy in which my whole stomach was removed. Not to worry, one of my nurses told me after my surgery, you’ll still be able to eat your Christmas dinner. It’ll just take you all day!
Cooking for Less than One began life soon after as a small exercise book in which I jotted down recipes I had to devise for myself in my new situation.
Sometime later I saw a television cooking show in which a young man who was learning to cook consulted various professional chefs. One chef did something that looked rather unappetising with instant noodles, and I thought, as one does, ‘I can do better than that.’ This, perhaps slightly arrogant, thought became the inspiration to begin work on a cookbook of my own.
Over time, the book grew to incorporate not only material I had researched, adapted or devised since my surgery, but also everything I had learnt from being a single person who’s never been an enthusiastic cook.
As such, this website is designed not only to cater to the needs of a person with limited stomach capacity, but also to set out an overall approach for the single cook which allows for a healthy, varied diet, while keeping down costs and waste. You might not win Masterchef with these recipes, but you’ll be eating well with minimal effort.
I’m also one of those writers that can never leave well enough alone. Time and again I would think, ‘This is it. The book’s done,’ and send it off to the printer, only to find errors or new recipes I wanted to include, until the book expanded into a creature that could no longer be contained between two covers, and needed to be transferred onto a website that I could add to and fiddle with to my heart’s content.
As Cooking for Less than One began as a resource for myself in my own situation, many of the recipes and recommendations are based on my particular needs and preferred portion size of 300 – 320gm (or 1¼ – 1½ cups), which you might need to adapt. However, I’ve also included a wide range of snacks and mini meals in smaller portions.
I should also add that I wouldn’t consider these recipes as written in stone. Feel free to improvise, adapt and modify, or to just use them as guidelines for adapting your own favourite recipes.
While it may be catering specifically for gastric surgery recipients, this website could also be useful for any single person who’d like to try quick and easy home cooking to improve and vary their diet. There are also plenty of recipes suitable for vegans and vegetarians with just a few adjustments.
As you’ve probably gathered, I’m not a professional food writer, nor do I have access to professional food stylists and photographers, which means this website is not as colourful or stylish as most other food blogs. By the same token, as this is a love job rather than a business, nor is it cluttered up and weighed down with advertising, so access should be fast and easy.
As you’ve probably also gathered, neither am I a nutritionist, so I must make the following disclaimer: The advice on this website has come out of my own experience in my own particular situation. Where it contradicts your nutritionist’s advice, please ignore mine. Your nutritionist knows best.
By the way, I should also warn you that I’m writing from Australia, so some of the products I recommend might not be available where you are, or come with different names, sizes or units of measurement.
Admittedly, Cooking for Less than One caters for people in my, rather limited demographic: the casual, single cook with limited stomach capacity. However, while single people might form a small proportion of the overall population of the recipients of gastric and bariatric surgery, we are the ones most at risk of falling into a restricted and unhealthy diet, so those most in need of a website like this. I certainly wish there had been something like it available when I had my surgery.
So, please help me reach those people. Please share this link with any of your family, friends, acquaintances or online communities you think you could benefit from this website.
Following is an overview of the structure of this website. You can follow the links to explore your area of interest or use ‘Search.’
» Learning to Eat Again – a few thoughts to help you navigate your new relationship with eating and cooking
» Pantry Essentials – an overview of the equipment, supplies and ingredients you’ll need to follow the recipes and suggestions on this website
» Fast Eggs – a wide range of egg dishes starting with the basics
» Quick and Healthy Snacks and Desserts – a range of healthy, homemade alternatives to our favourite snacks
» Vegetable Essentials – a wide range of quick and easy vegetable-based recipes
» Dressing up the Protein – ways to enhance the flavour and add a vegetable boost to your poultry, meat or fish fillet, chop or cutlet
» One Pot Main Courses – recipes for your old favourites adapted for a reduced serving size
» Quick Meals from the Pantry – recipes for making the most of what’s on hand
» Cooking in Bulk – suggestions that will save time and make sure you always have something to eat in the fridge/freezer
» 6 Ways with Something Extra – an eclectic collection of recipes and suggestions for whatever takes my fancy