How fiber-deficient it is will depend on what kind of bread he’s using for those sandwiches. Though I’ve a hunch that it’s probably Wonder Bread or the equivalent, in which case, yeah, basically no fiber.
That sounds like Wiki vandalism by an ideological vegetarian. I can’t find any reference that says that beef is not a complete protein, and plenty that say that it is. The closest I can find to what you’re saying is one study on amino acids in beef that says that their methods didn’t look for cystine.
He used to be on crack. Before his stroke, he only ate Egg McMuffins and KFC sandwiches.
Hes in rehab right now since he fell last week and they are trying to help him walk better. A dietician came yesterday while I was visiting, and I told her all he ate (plus the coffee all day and night), she didn’t seem concerned.
Yes, its white bread, pepper jack cheese.
When depressed, people tend to eat lots of carbs, which can have a calming effect. I’m guilty. Your ex seems to be doing this. He needs to discover poke bowls and the like.
Suntan, question for you? Is this all he can afford to eat? Bread, eggs, and processed cheese are fairly cheap. Veggies tend to cost more unless he grows them. Or is it possible this is simply what he knows how to make? Are their any good cooking classes in the community that can teach him how to add a little variety, such as chicken soup and hot dish (casseroles)? Those are both ways of sneaking in some veggies because they are part of the flavor of the dishes.
My go-to for information about nutrition is nutritiondata.com, which pulls data straight from the government and prettifies it.
And yes, beef has all the essential amino acids, and all but one of the non-essential amino acids - maybe that’s what wiki was thinking but the one it’s missing is one our body can make.
He gets food stamps now, he decides to buy this because he prefers to eat it. Hes not able to stand for long enough to cook for himself so I do it.
Yes, I would like to sneak in vegetables, didn’t Jerry Seinfelds wife write a book about that?
I don’t really like vegetables. But… it turns out that I like some vegetables some of the time.
If you are cooking for him, you could try introducing a couple of fruits and veggies around the margins. Grilled cheese is really good with a slice of tomato. A roast sweet potato is dead easy to make, and is sort of comforting to eat. I literally put the whole yam in the oven on an easy-to-clean surface (or a disposable one) and just leave it there until is is soft all through. Then I peel it and eat it with a fork and knife.
Many vegetables are tasty when they’ve been sauted or grilled, and slightly charred.
If you eat with him, you could treat him like a child, and cook enough to share. You eat your share and encourage him to just taste it. I think common wisdom is that most people are shy of unfamiliar flavors, but will learn to like new foods if they taste them 7 times (or some such number.)
His diet isn’t great, but honestly, it sounds like it may be low on the list of stuff he needs to deal with. Moving gently towards a better diet in baby steps might be the best option.
A lot depends on what is in the breakfast omelet - some are loaded with vegees, some have none. It would not surprise me if he comes down on the “none” side, but you don’t know until you ask.
So… in part his diet is crap because it was crap during his active addiction.
In part his diet is crap because he’s recovering from both addiction and a stroke.
Wow, you know, his diet may be the least of his problems in one sense, although eating better would probably help him a great deal.
I have a few notions to throw out since you seem to be volunteering to help him (which is good of you, really, because not everyone would do that for an ex). You’ll want to introduce this stuff very slowly, not just because he’s not used to it, but also because his system needs time to adjust to additional fiber and what not.
I’m assuming most of what he’s eating comes in a box and gets reheated in the microwave, but if not, let me know.
As I mentioned, omelets can contain vegetables. Get a bag of frozen, diced vegetables of some sort - ask if him there is anything he likes. If he’s already eating pepperjack cheese he might like a “southwest” mix of bell pepper and onion. Start with adding a few dribbles of the vegees, think “garnish” to start. This works best if you’re making the omelet/scrambled eggs from scratch but it can be rolled up in/on top of microwave items. If you can get him to eat the “wrap” version of omelets/eggs sandwiches you can sneak them in, too.
As others have mentioned, a slice of tomato on a grilled cheese might work. Or you could offer a slice of tomato or orange with the breakfast.
The dinner sandwich has possibilities, too, starting with lettuce. At this point any lettuce would be a plus, even iceberg, but if you can get him to eat something like red romaine or red leaf lettuce that would pack a bigger nutrient punch. You can add thin slices of, again, tomato but also cucumber, zucchini, carrot shreds, spinach, etc. DON’T pile all that on at once. Start with lettuce then add another item. Do lettuce+1 one day then lettuce+a different one the next.
Food stamps does complicate this, but if you can get him to make his own breakfast (or if you’re taking that on anyway - not sure how involved you intend to be, or should be here) then raw eggs are cheap. cheaper than pre-made stuff. Ditto making the grilled cheese instead of buying it pre-made. That should leave enough for a bag of frozen vegees (just one to start - you don’t want to scare him off!) that he won’t have to eat all of in a hurry, they’ll keep in the freezer. Add a tomato and lettuce.
Is that great nutrition? No, not really - the important things is that it is an improvement. This might also be a case where a multi-vitamin makes sense, as he’s probably deficient, but that might be something to discuss with a dietitian or doctor.
If you could get him to start eating potatoes or sweet potatoes that would be a major plus. I do my “baked” potatoes in the microwave these days - 1 large potato, stab a couple times with a fork, nuke on high for 8-10 minutes, let it sit for another 10 minutes, then eat. He might be more comfortable doing them in the microwave than in the oven. There are a lot of toppings you can put on those, too - his pepperjack cheese, for example, and maybe some diced bell pepper and onion…? Or serve with a tomato slice.
(I’m assuming he likes tomatoes. If he doesn’t then, of course, ignore that bit.)
This is exactly what I was thinking, plus he may just plain old be a picky eater.
How long did it take for him to gain those 50 pounds? 130 pounds on a 5’7" man is borderline underweight, and 180 pounds is not obese, unless he’s not getting regular exercise. And you mentioned that he drinks a lot of coffee; how much is “a lot”? Too much caffeine can cause the same heart problems that crack does.
The meals themselves would bore the hell out of me, but merely eating those meals wouldn’t raise his weight: he’s eating a lot of those things. Does he actually enjoy the food, or merely stuff it in?
I think his P.C doctor could refer him to a nutritionist or dietician. They could maybe help him to take charge of his diet and change some things.
Good luck, it sounds like he’s had a tough go.
The omelets are homemade, with peperr jack cheese in them. Yes, hes on anti anxiety meds.
He only started gaining weight after he got off of his drugs, and got on prescribed medications.
At home, he had three 24 ounce coffees a day, at the rehab, hes requesting a pitcher in his room and it looks like hes having more than that, even at night.
We used to live together, it didn’t work out, I now live pretty much across the street, he thinks he shouldn’t have to compensate me for all this cooking etc, but he at least says if I need something, he would buy it.
All true, but there’s quality of life, too, and diet and exercise have a big effect there. People who are too weak and sick to do much anything are kept alive for years these days.
(Meaning, does he care about his health?)