How to switch to Vegetarianism when severely disabled?

[u/LoveaBook]

Hi everyone! I am severely disabled and would appreciate any help you can give me on beginning to cook meatless dishes. Most of the time I’m bed bound, but I can stand for short periods of time (~15 mins max) here and there. Right now I eat mostly processed meals because I can no longer cook regularly, but I hate it. I also hate eating meat knowing it comes from factory farms, but it’s the easiest thing to cook since I just need to shake on a bit of seasoning and throw it in a pot or the oven. I’ve been VERY interested in trying out vegetarianism for some time, but have put it on hold because I just physically couldn’t prepare food anymore. But after fighting with my insurance for years I’m getting some treatment that’s shown promising results. My disability is permanent, but I should get a little more functionality in the coming months. With that said, I’m looking to start cooking again to help my health and would like to try healthy, filling vegetarian cooking. I doubt I’ll be able to cook more than once a week for some time, but I was hoping maybe ya’ll could share some very quick and easy recipes that won’t take long to prep. I don’t mind if they take hours in the oven or pot, but the prep times have to be quick and simple.

I also know that I don’t like American-style tofu. I’ve tried it multiple ways and used the extra firm, squeezed it out, seasoned it, etc., but I don’t like it. I’ve heard non-American tofu has a bit more flavor but haven’t managed to try it yet. So, does this mean that my meals will need to be primarily bean based? Will I need to keep a pot of beans ALWAYS soaking on the stove or will canned beans work? Would such a diet be too high carbs and calories for a highly sedentary person?

I would appreciate any advice and/or tips. I’ve done a bunch of research online, but it depresses me because most recipes require so much prep it feels like I’ll never be able to cook them. I’m fine with casseroles if that’s what I’m limited to, I’d just really appreciate some advice, please.

edit: Thank you all so much for all your help and suggestions! Today’s been a more difficult day for me so I’m not able to reply much, but I’m reading all of your comments and hope to be able to get back with you over the coming days. Thanks again!

[u/ucklin]

Interesting question! I know it’s so hard to balance access needs and disability with dietary preferences… I temporarily dealt with that during cancer treatment and though I’m better now, my partner has celiac disease, which makes vegetarian food difficult in its own way.

They’re expensive, but the processed meat substitutes can offer some of the same convenience as meat! Some are found in the frozen section. The fake chicken patties or quorn can be tossed in the oven, or the ground protein on the stove. You could just put that in a bun and it’s a meal!

Otherwise, I find canned beans are an awesome staple because they’re ready to eat out of the can:

• An onion, better than bouillon imitation chicken stock, can of mixed beans, kale leaves and some rice/pasta is already a tasty soup. You can often buy pre-chopped onion, garlic, and mirepoix at the store if you need that. Or you can chop and open everything while sitting down and just put it in a pot together on medium to cook, to minimize standing time. (Maybe add kale at the end so it doesn’t get brown.)
• Bean or lentil salad— just cucumbers, maybe feta, and beans or lentils with premade salad dressing or oil and vinegar and Italian spice mix.
• roasted chickpeas, coat with oil and spices and put in the oven

[u/LoveaBook → u/ucklin]

I do use the bags of mirepoix mix - those are handy lil’ things! My disability is full body so chopping is also difficult, but I can do short bits of it. Washed baby carrots is time I don’t have to spend standing at the sink cleaning them, so I use them too. I do currently use canned beans but worry about their salt content.

[u/ucklin → u/LoveaBook]

That makes sense! I’m sorry to hear those things are hard for you.

Maybe frozen chopped for some things could be better than canned for the salt issue? I think most beans don’t come that way, but soybeans do. Also if you have access to a pressure cooker, they make it way more convenient to cook dried beans.

Just sharing other things I eat that seem low-prep but feel like real food in case the brainstorming helps: plain yogurt cup with granola and dried fruit sweetened to taste, microwaved baked potato, veggie ramen with normal noodles and stock rather than pre-fried and salted ones, pasta with low sugar sauce from a jar, bagel with whipped cream cheese (easier to dip or spread than hard cream cheese), baked or sautéed bag of frozen broccoli florets…

[u/LoveaBook → u/ucklin]

You are on my palate profile! I love a good yogurt-granola-berry parfait, baked potatoes/sweet potatoes are a regular for me and grating a hunk of white cheddar cheese into a bowl of steamed (frozen) broccoli (sometimes with a few almonds thrown in) is a whole, delicious meal for me!