vegetarianforlife.org.uk Veggie meals to your door Whether you’re housebound or simply don’t want to cook, have ready- made vegetarian and vegan food delivered to your door! 1 Map of companies Contents Introduction and delivery areas Introduction 2 For people who are housebound, 1 page 8 18 page 16 Map of companies and unable to cook for health reasons or 2 page 8 19 page 17 delivery areas 3 simply kitchen-phobic, there is no need 3 page 9 20 page 18 4 page 9 21 page 18 Cooking in sickness and in health 4 to compromise on taste or ethics when 5 page 10 22 page 19 Top 10 kitchen gadgets 6 thinking about having meals delivered 6 page 10 23 page 19 7 page 11 24 page 19 to your door. 29 8 page 11 25 page 20 n Hot meals 8 Across the UK, companies are 9 page 12 26 page 21 n 10 page 12 27 page 21 Something more homely 18 offering to send a variety of mouth- 29 29 11 page 13 28 page 22 n Restaurant food 19 watering main meals, sides, soups, 12 page 13 29 page 22 n 35 13 page 14 30 page 23 Ambient meals 20 smoothies and desserts straight to your 10 n 14 page 14 31 page 23 Chilled meals 21 door. These are often hand-prepared, 15 page 15 32 page 24 n Frozen meals 22 with well-considered ingredients, and 10 16 page 15 33 page 24 Supermarket shopping 27 developed by a group of experienced 17 page 16 34 page 25 35 page 25 chefs. Dishes are available with 36 page 26 inspiration from around the globe to 37 page 26 page 27 suit a plethora of palates. Some are 38 delivered as hot, ready-to-eat meals, while others may arrive chilled or frozen. 13 It has never been easier to find 11 14 10 vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free food 4 10 14 14 from the comfort of your own home. 10 14 Tuck in! UK WIDE 10 22 23 24 25 31 14 2 32 33 35 38 37 10 5 10 12 BRITAIN 26 28 30 36 8 10 8 ENGLAND 20 9 SCOTLAND 34 27 19 21 1 7 18 27 27 27 6 NOTES All foods listed in this guide 6 17 16 16 16 are described by manufacturers as 3 6 being made to a vegetarian recipe. 6 Vg Vegan items are denoted by a 15 icon next to the menu. 2 3 • If standing for too long is a struggle, • Packets of pre-chopped vegetables Cooking in sickness try to get more comfy. Take breaks can make things easier if you’re by having a perching stool or chair struggling to chop and peel veg. and in health in the kitchen. If you find the Frozen or tinned vegetables are kitchen counter is too high to reach also available, and will be less As we get older, there are many • Place the items you use most when sitting, try preparing your expensive than chilled. It’s a good reasons why we might struggle with frequently within easy reach, so they food sitting at a kitchen or dining idea to keep some frozen cooking. Because of health conditions are easily accessible. This could be room table. You could even use a vegetables in the freezer for an or disabilities, we may be unable to on the kitchen counter or perhaps in chopping board on your lap if you easy dinner accompaniment, too. stand for long periods of time to a low kitchen cupboard or drawer. don’t have a suitable table. • Try one-pot cooking – less bending prepare food. Or we might wrangle • Some days will be easier than others. • Only cook what you need. If a for the oven and lifting – and it has with pain, movement restrictions, or If you’re having a ‘bad’ day, make recipe serves 4 you can reduce this the added bonus of less washing up! sight loss. Simple tasks that once were sure you have easy food options in. to 1 or 2 servings so you don’t need • Keep it simple. You don’t need to easy, such as opening tins, reaching Doing so will ensure that you have to prepare as much. cook overly complicated dishes with items in cupboards, and chopping food to eat – even if you are unable • But if you have a friend or family lots of ingredients to prepare. The vegetables can become challenging. to cook that day. Items such as member who can help, or you are recipes in VfL’s Take V guide contain Friend of VfL, Gill, says: ready-meals or pre-prepared meals having a ‘good’ day, you could bulk only five ingredients and are low- in the freezer, or tinned soup in the cook a dish so you can freeze the cost, quick, and easy-to-make – “Since I’ve been ill I have found it cupboard, can be helpful. extras. without lacking flavour or nutrition. very hard to deal with cooking our • Try and plan ahead so you know Order your free copy by calling 0161 meals and managing around the what you’re cooking for the week 257 0887. house. I have always cooked from ahead. scratch, which usually involves quite • If you struggle with the food a bit of washing up and clearing shopping, why not get your away… [So] I have been trying to find groceries delivered? See pages 24 quicker, easier ways of doing things and 27. and cooking with fewer ingredients”. • Know your limitations and take breaks. You don’t have to do all the There are many things you can do to food preparation in one go. You can make cooking less challenging and divide it into tasks and do the prep hopefully enjoyable again, and ensure over several hours. you’re still able to prepare tasty, • If you tire or are in pain, try switching nutritious meals. Here are our top tips: tasks. For example, chopping vegetables and peeling vegetables • Declutter your kitchen and just have will use a slightly different what you need to hand. It will be movement, so alternating may easier to stay organised that way, reduce pain and give you a rest. and to find what you need. 4 5 5 Good grip kitchen utensils such as 9 If sight difficulties are affecting your Top 10 kitchen gadgets: potato mashers and hand jugs have cooking abilities, gadgets such as adapted, easier to grip handles. talking scales and liquid level Many tools are available to make For more info see There are also right-angled knives, indicators may help. These will talk kitchen tasks easier – from electric tin www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care- graters and cheese slicers so to you and tell you how much openers, to boards with grips to hold and-support-guide/care-services- you can slice bread, for weight you have on the scales or veg in place, and even auto choppers equipment-and-care-homes/househol example, while keeping your when the mug is nearly full. There or mini food processors for chopping d-gadgets-and-equipment-to-make- wrist in its are also adapted jugs that make the vegetables. You can also get items life-easier natural liquid level easier to see. such as kettle tippers if you struggle to The websites below recommended position. lift the kettle, and audio liquid level by the NHS can give you personalised 6 If grip is a problem, indicators if you have sight problems. advice around what equipment you adapted cutlery is also available Adjacent are some of the places you may find useful. with larger handles and easier grip. can find these useful tools. You may be • asksara.dlf.org.uk/choose_ eligible to receive funding to cover the topic.php?topic_id=1030 cost of such items or home adaptions. • https://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/ household/kitchen-and-household- 2266/ Or contact the Disabled Living Foundation helpline on 0300 999 0004. 10 You may find a one pot cooker 1 If opening tins or ring 3 Or why not try a 7 Cooking one- easier than cooking on the hob or in pull cans is a struggle mini chopper or handed? A pan the oven. It can be kept on the there are many tools to food processor? holder can hold counter top so you’re not bending help, including electric You might already the pan in place down to reach the oven or carrying tin openers. You can have one tucked so you can stir a pots to and from the hob. Cooking often go and try these away that you dish safely all the ingredients together in one out first and see which rarely use. It can without the dish saves cooking or draining one you find the most save time and pan moving. vegetables separately. It saves on helpful. effort chopping veg such as carrots 8 A plate the washing up too! 2 If chopping is difficult there are a and onions. guard, high- variety of chopping boards that can 4 With a kettle tipper sided dishes or partitioned plates hold the item. Some have spikes or you avoid having to can help to avoid spillages and clamps to hold the food you’re pour a heavy make it easier if chopping in place and some are kettle. You could you’re eating aimed more at one- also ensure you with one handed food only boil what you hand.