Routine & food

[Trix]

Hello all,

I am very new to this forum and not quite sure where to post this question, so if it's in the wrong place I am sorry and please move the post to wherever it should be.

My child is starting secondary school (high school) in the next two weeks or so, which is great, a new chapter.
However, the problem I see happening is the following:

I function okay'ish on a very strict routine, so when he was in primary school we would have our dinner when he would come home around 3 and during school holidays we would have our hot dinner between 5 and 7pm.

I know this might sound silly to some, but this new school will provide a breakfast and a hot dinner (so imagine a full on hot dinner with all the sides etc).
This means I will not have to cook a dinner.

Which is great. But also not, because I am worried I will start off by feeding myself simple sandwiches and eventually I will just stop that as well. I wouldn't have a hot dinner anymore. This equals me not eating, because I just don't remember/think about it.

How do other (autistic) parents go about this when their child is fed in school?

I need to find myself some sort of new routine and I don't know what to do. I am not cooking for just myself.

Side note: I am a great cook, it's pretty much the only thing I am actually good at but only when I have a reason to cook and he was my reason.
Second: I do have a partner, but he works long hours and he is never home for dinner unless it's a day off or the weekend.

So, how do you keep your routine working for you and feed yourself during the week if it's just you?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Outdated]

I guess it will become the same as how most of us look after ourselves when we're single - erratically.

A constant battle between looking after yourself properly and being lazy and not bothering. On the plus side many of us can eat the same foods day in and day out and not get bored with it so soups and stews are a good option.

Learning a lot of simple recipes for single people can be useful too.
https://www.autismforums.com/thread...e-and-delicious-meals-you-like-to-cook.45014/
I understand how you feel. For ten years I had a large dog and I used to feed her what I ate, so I was cooking for two. She also knew when I was supposed to be cooking and would help me keep to routines.

[Edit] Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[elgat0verde]

Hi there!

When I lived alone feeding myself was part of my routine, I made it so.

Something that could help you, and if you don't mind eating the same thing twice, is to make a big lunch and the next day reheat it and use it as dinner.

For example, make some spaghetti with meat sauce for lunch one day, the next day you make some chili and eat the left over spaghetti for dinner.

Sorry I can't help you more but I am very good at eating because I'm a foodie. When I lived alone I'd just cook everything for the week on the weekend and just reheat throughout the week and that would help me actually eat because I woudn't feel the burden of cleaning a bunch of plates

 

[Trix]

@Outdated @elgat0verde I can totally eat the same thing every day, until that moment happens where my brain goes nope. So both of your answers are really helpful and maybe I should just batch cook on a Sunday and cook something I could adjust if I do go off something.

My usual routine would have been going to the shops in the morning to buy the ingredients for dinner that evening. I would push myself to do so because it gave me a reason to go outside and get some fresh air and walk.
I pretty much stay inside all day every day, apart from the shopping I would do for dinner.

I am just worried because I think I might stop doing so and I mean, I won't perish anytime soon but it won't be healthy either

Thank you so much for your answers, I was really worried about posting it ♥

I never looked at it as pretty much being alone.
I am not convinced I'll do this right the first go :/ But I need all the tips I can get so I appreciate them all ♥

(Side note, I hate soups and stews for myself, a texture thing, I can make a great stew though but I won't touch it)

 

[Outdated]

Thank you so much for your answers, I was really worried about posting it ♥

You're more than welcome. And you shouldn't be worried about posting in here, we're generally a pretty friendly bunch.

I use a chest freezer too, so if I cook a big pot of soup I break it down in to single serves and freeze them. Living like this can save you a lot of money, I stock the freezer up and mostly live out of that instead of buying a few bits and pieces every couple of days. The act of doing that forces you to budget without even realising that that's what you're doing.

 

[elgat0verde]

I am not convinced I'll do this right the first go

Practice makes perfect homie

It's like riding a bike, the more you do it the easier it'll get.

You've got this!

 

[Trix]

You lot are gonna make me cry with your confidence, thank you for being so helpful ♥

 

[Aneka]

Hello all,

I am very new to this forum and not quite sure where to post this question, so if it's in the wrong place I am sorry and please move the post to wherever it should be.

My child is starting secondary school (high school) in the next two weeks or so, which is great, a new chapter.
However, the problem I see happening is the following:

I function okay'ish on a very strict routine, so when he was in primary school we would have our dinner when he would come home around 3 and during school holidays we would have our hot dinner between 5 and 7pm.

I know this might sound silly to some, but this new school will provide a breakfast and a hot dinner (so imagine a full on hot dinner with all the sides etc).
This means I will not have to cook a dinner.

Which is great. But also not, because I am worried I will start off by feeding myself simple sandwiches and eventually I will just stop that as well. I wouldn't have a hot dinner anymore. This equals me not eating, because I just don't remember/think about it.

How do other (autistic) parents go about this when their child is fed in school?

I need to find myself some sort of new routine and I don't know what to do. I am not cooking for just myself.

Side note: I am a great cook, it's pretty much the only thing I am actually good at but only when I have a reason to cook and he was my reason.
Second: I do have a partner, but he works long hours and he is never home for dinner unless it's a day off or the weekend.

So, how do you keep your routine working for you and feed yourself during the week if it's just you?

Thank you in advance!

I have troubles like these when I'm on vacation. I forget to eat, or I will have an upset stomach when I eat different foods at different times...
It takes my a while to adapt.

 

[Outdated]

I just thought I should add a very old fashioned country farm trick for you. I grew up with it being called The Winter Pot, I've also heard it called a Living Pot and a Perpetual Pot.

Essentially it's a huge pot of soup or stew that lives on the stove. You eat from it every day, and when the level in the pot starts to drop you add a few more ingredients which will change the flavour or style of what you're eating.

There's important health rules for living like this though. Whatever is in the pot must be brought properly to the boil every day. You only serve from the pot while the stew is properly on the boil.

The important part: Replace the lid on the pot while it is still boiling and then turn the heat off. As long as the lid on the pot is undisturbed the contents of that pot is Pasteurised. It will still eventually go off but it takes a lot longer than normal. If someone lifts the lid on the pot then they let germs in to the pot, if this happens you must bring it properly back to the boil and replace the lid to restore pasteurisation.

Pease Puddin' hot
Pease Puddin' cold
Pease Puddin' in the pot
Nine days old.

[Edit] I thought this might be of practical use for you. Your husband might appreciate fresh food always being ready for him if he works long hours, but also now that your son's a teenager he's going to start eating a lot more than you are used to, being able to grab a fresh bowl of stew at any time he's hungry is going to please him too. Just remember to make sure it gets boiled properly again after they've played around in there.

 

[Trix]

@Outdated
'Pease Puddin' hot
Pease Puddin' cold
Pease Puddin' in the pot
Nine days old.'

So much yes for this.
If I had a proper gas / fire stove I would do this, but I have an induction glass cooker and it changes heat constantly so I wouldn't be able to do that But I am totally going to remember that rhyme

 

[Outdated]

If I had a proper gas / fire stove I would do this, but I have an induction glass cooker and it changes heat constantly so I wouldn't be able to do that.

Not true. If it can boil water then you can keep a perpetual pot. As long as it boils for a couple of minutes before you replace the lid it's all good.

And the rhyme is a very old English nursery rhyme, all of them are important life lessons. Hundreds of years ago they thought it was merely going from hot to cold and back to hot again that was preserving their stews for them.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

When my daughter was away at college, I would cook up a pot of soup every couple days, and nosh off of that.

 

[Mary Terry]

I'm confused about why a school would feed a child a hot dinner at night. Schools typically provide a hot lunch to children around noon every day.

 

[Trix]

I'm confused about why a school would feed a child a hot dinner at night. Schools typically provide a hot lunch to children around noon every day.

It's not at night, it's in the afternoon around the same time our routine dinner used to be, so he won't be needing another hot dinner when he comes home.

I have no problems with this school providing this, in fact it's quite handy especially for the kids who don't have much at home. Mine will be fine in that regard, my question was regarding my own routine and finding a way to actually feed myself as well. Our days will change significantly with all the extra after school activities as well, (where might I add, they will also receive soup & bread) so I just asked for some advice for myself.

 

[annO]

 

[annO]

Use oat milk or almond or whatever milk you like really, just don't use water unless you have no choice.

 

[annO]

This stuff has me pooping more regularly too. If that matters to you, consider trying it.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

You could make little egg bites, like they sell at Starbucks. Really cheap to make in cupcake liners. Nosh on those throughout the week.

Also maybe like banana bread, veggies and hummus, casseroles that you portion out every day.

Stuff like that.

 

[Mary Terry]

It's not at night, it's in the afternoon around the same time our routine dinner used to be, so he won't be needing another hot dinner when he comes home.

I have no problems with this school providing this, in fact it's quite handy especially for the kids who don't have much at home. Mine will be fine in that regard, my question was regarding my own routine and finding a way to actually feed myself as well. Our days will change significantly with all the extra after school activities as well, (where might I add, they will also receive soup & bread) so I just asked for some advice for myself.

I guess my misunderstanding is due to terminology. Where I live, we eat breakfast in the morning when we wake up. We eat lunch around noon, which can be a heated meal or not. At night, usually around 7:00 pm, we eat dinner which, again, may be a heated meal or not. Some people call the night meal "supper", but I grew up calling it "dinner".

Why don't you make yourself a healthy green salad for dinner at night? You can add different things to it such as boiled eggs, cheese, meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, croutons, etc. so it doesn't get boring and repetitive.

 

[Aspychata]

Meals are more difficult, because l also don't want to eat later, food just sits in my system, so big meal is totally out. I just have a simple one ingredient or two ingredients type of meal because it's easier on older people's digestive track. So a package of Asian Ramen noodles with green salsa which l ate last nite. Or a splattering of Sriracha/mayo sauce is great during our hot 90 degree days. But protein is important, so protein powder can be mixed into anything to up nutritional value. There is pea protein, whey protein, and probably others. You can buy plain or flavored. Just add to yogurt, cottage cheese, smoothie, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce, lentil soup, and so on. My other go to is protein yogurt which is sold in the US almost anywhere. The good thing about protein powder is it's longevity as a shelf item. It's great with any type of outages, because you can just mix with water if that's all you had. So l will probably just stockpile a little of this. Finally, a old standby, get a panini maker for quick crunch sandwiches of cheese and whatever else you like. It's a warm meal, easy clean up, and quite yummy. Or peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter on crackers, easy and enjoyable.