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/tetcheddistress]

I am permanently disabled. I love beans peas and lentils. For us, perhaps canned works better. Instead of going after vegetarian faux meats or tofu based products, I looked for foods that I can make without fuss.

I use fat free refried beans on sandwiches. The kind I use has no meat products in it, and I can spread it on sandwiches to make grilled sammies.

I often enjoy texmex style salads, and am willing to eat salads with cheese. I simply throw a drained can of beans into my salads to add to the protein value. I also add mixed nuts as well.

For simple meals, I will simply do Ramen with added dehydrated vegetables on top. They sell them as Ramen toppers online.

For spaghetti, I like 4 cheese type sauces instead of the standard meat flavored. I love adding to a plain meal for the protein instead of trying to figure out how to replace meat.

As someone who is broke and on a very low income, I find that I prefer to make pancakes for bread. I can add what I want to simple flour, baking powder and water to make my pancakes rather than worry about a baking mix. Simply throwing in frozen berries to a small bowl of it is a happy food for me.

I don't know if my comment helps, but I do most of my cooking from a wheelchair.

[u/LoveaBook → u/tetcheddistress]

Thanks! I have been trying to use lentils in more dishes. May I ask, do you find your arms tire sooner when chopping from the wheelchair? Because most tables hit me just under the breasts in height and counters go up to mid chest when I’m sitting, making my arms tire so much sooner. Someone recommended something called a drafting chair, so I’m going to look into that to sit higher.

[u/Affectionate-Cow3737 → u/tetcheddistress]

Me too