Can you help me come up with a meal plan for my parents for one month?

[Anonymous]

My mom is having bypass surgery this week, and I'd love to help out with a meal plan and making meals during the times that I'm there (I'm planning on going up to them every other week at least for the first 5 weeks). They are south asian, but not vegetarian (bangladeshi, if it matters). I'd like to leave them some things that are easy to heat up, and think about lunches and dinners. Any ideas are welcome!!

[Anonymous]

This is the kind of thing AI is good for. Give it a general idea of what you want - then tell it what to adjust.

[Anonymous]

Do they have some sort of community where they live? Neighbors, faith, cultural? When I had heart surgery, we had three meal trains to feed my family while I was healing.

If so, make sure that you provide suggestions to these groups for what to bring. I still remember one mom who sent an amazing over-the-top meal that I would love to eat today but could not then and kids refused, so I had to give it away.

You are a good daughter. Wishing your mom the best!

[Anonymous]

Sending your mom (and you!) good healing thoughts.
I have a number of recipes for things that are easy to freeze/reheat but little to no experience cooking South Asian cuisine. Would they enjoy dishes that are more traditionally European or American?

[Anonymous]

You all are so kind. Food other than south Asian food is totally fine! I’ve seen a few people post with south Asian ideas and recipes so I was admittedly flagging in case they were around. But we eat everything except pork.

I’d love healthy ideas for the patient and other family members. And really good idea on AI I’ll do that!

[Anonymous]

Rajma - boil beans, make a chutney, cook together. Freezes well.
Any dhall also freezes well. I often add either lamb or chicken.
Chicken curry and lamb curry are ok frozen (but not the potatoes)

[Anonymous]

Basically anything without potatoes, cream, or milk would freeze and reheat ok.

[Anonymous]

Meatballs! They freeze beautifully. I make chicken piccata meatballs, chicken parm meatballs, low-carb meatballs in a sundried tomato cream sauce and some others.

[Anonymous]

I did this for my parents and purchaed individual reheatable containers on amazon, like what the single serve meals at Wegmans come in.

Every time I cooked for my family for the few weeks leading up, I would make extra and put into two of the containers and label the outside and freeze them.

It was easy for my parents to store the containers (just stacked in the freezer) and reheat as single servings, basically like homemade tv dinners.

[Anonymous]

Trader Joe’s has so many frozen options (including single serve, TV dinner-type Saag Paneer and Butter Chicken) that are SO good.

[Anonymous]

^ same for Aldi (TJ's little bro) - lots of ready to eat or frozen entrees - tasty and easy to serve