Food and eating: preparation

• Keep a good range of foods in your cupboard and freezer that have a long shelf life as these are always a good back up if you are unable to shop as planned
• If you can, go shopping yourself or go with someone, as this is a social outing whilst also helping maintain mobility. Remember to choose a time when the shops are not busy. But do ask someone to go for you when you really feel unable
• Plan meals in advance and write a list of the ingredients before going to the shops
• Think about how long you can stand preparing your meal and don’t decide on a menu that will take longer to prepare than you can cope with
• If you’re cooking a meal that can be frozen for other days, remember to double or treble the quantity so that you have a few quick and easy meals on standby
• Make use of ready prepared meals as they can be simply reheated if you don’t feel able to cook at any time, and can save on electricity or gas as well as your own energy! Remember that frozen and tinned vegetables and fruit can be just as nutritious as fresh
• Individual packs of frozen vegetables that can be micro-waved are very convenient
• When preparing a meal make sure you have everything you need before you start
• Store items that are regularly used somewhere easy to access, not in an awkward corner
• Don’t stack items on top of each other on shelves as they are more likely to fall out
• Don’t stack lots of plates and pots when washing up – use a dish-drainer to spread them out and hold them safely in place
• Keep the ingredients for making tea and coffee, or other drinks, in the same cupboard.