Simple Recipes To Rebuild Your Strength After Surgery!

Any kind of surgery takes its toll on the body, so you need to be considerate of what you are eating afterward to help your body with the healing process! Every surgery is different and of course, some will take much longer to recover from, so you need to listen to your surgeon and their advice first and foremost. However, these recipes contain so many healthy foods that can help your body to heal and regain its strength gradually, without pushing yourself too far. 

Right, let’s get stuck in and find out a few easy recipes that can be bulk made in advance to make your postoperative recovery as simple and healthy as possible! 

Simple Recipes To Rebuild Your Strength After Surgery!

Pulled Chicken and Mixed Bean Chilli

This recipe is super high in protein, it contains so many different vitamins and minerals, and it is super delicious! If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can simply not include the chicken and replace it with more beans or perhaps a plant-based mince. This will make around 4 portions, but can be doubled to make more if you’d like! 

Ingredients:

● 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

● 2 large white onions

● 4 chicken breasts

● 4 garlic cloves

● 3 peppers

● 500g passata

● 1 teaspoon of each: chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper

● 400g tin mixed beans

● 1 vegetable stock cube

Method:

● In a large saucepan, add the oil and chopped white onions and cook until soft and starting to brown. Then, add the garlic cloves and cook for a further 2 minutes. 

● Transfer this to a baking dish with a lid and add the whole chicken breasts, chopped up peppers, 500g passata, and all of the spices. 

● In a jug, combine the vegetable stock cube the jug with around 250ml of water and add that to the dish. 

● Stir everything well and place in the oven for 35 minutes, making sure that the chicken breasts are fully submerged in liquid. 

● During this time, chop up the peppers into small chunks. After 35 minutes, add the peppers and mixed beans to the dish, again mixing well, and place it back in the oven for a further 15 minutes. 

● Grab the dish out of the oven & slice the chicken with 2 forks. Combine everything indeed well & you are done!

● This freezes well and then you can just buy microwavable rice packets to make life easier after surgery. 

Cashew, Chickpea, and Butternut Squash Curry

Even if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, this is such a delicious and nutritious recipe that is full of goodness and protein! This will soon become your new favorite recipe. Again, it can easily be frozen so you will have great dishes on hand!

Ingredients:

● 1 large butternut squash

● 2 tablespoons of oil

● 1 white onion

● 4 cloves of garlic

● 1cm piece of ginger, grated

● 2 tablespoons mild curry powder

● 1 tablespoon turmeric

● 1 teaspoon cumin

● 400ml coconut milk

● 200g chopped tomatoes

● 400g tin chickpeas

● 100g cashews

● 100g raisins 

Method:

● Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Peel, deseed, and chop your butternut squash into 1-inch pieces. Place on a baking tray with oil, salt, and pepper and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. 

● During this time, heat your oil in a large saucepan and fry the white onion until soft and slightly brown. Add the chopped garlic and grated ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes. 

● Then, add your curry powder, turmeric, and cumin and give a good stir. Then add the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, and chickpeas. Cook this for 25 minutes so the curry sauce thickens.

● Toast your cashews in a separate pan until brown. 

● Take your butternut squash out of the oven and add it to the curry, along with the cashews and raisins. 

● Your curry is now ready! Again, you can serve it with microwavable rice and this is such a great dish to have on hand. 

Final Thoughts

If your surgery is planned, then you can easily batch make these recipes in advance and then freeze them, so you have plenty of healthy foods on hand without having to put your body under strain by doing lots of cooking. In general, try to eat a range of different fruits and vegetables and lean protein sources. As mentioned, your recovery for a mummy makeover is going to be very different from stomach surgery, so follow the advice from your surgeon or the dietitian in the hospital!