More Helpful Cooking Solutions for Myasthenia Gravis

In case you missed it, check out part 1 of this article, My Cooking Tips for Myasthenia Gravis.

For those of us who eat and cook meat, standing over a stove or having the oven on can cause problems with our ability to function with myasthenia gravis. So, then the question is ... how we can prepare meals with meat without overheating ourselves in the process?

Low temperatures

If I am preparing a fresh roast of any sort in the oven, I put the oven at the lowest temperature possible that is still safe for cooking that type of meat.

I always check in a cookbook to find out what that temperature is. It may take longer, but low and slow for roasts always produces a tender juicy meal.

Canned options

I have also found there is a variety of canned meats. Many that are prepared the same way as if I were doing my own home canning.

I look for the ones where the only ingredients in the can are meat and salt. The salt not only helps the flavor, but it's also a preservative when canning. That is my personal preference, someone else's preference may be different.

Recipe ideas

Making meals without heating up the kitchen can be quite challenging, so most of the time now I use canned meats. So, what meals do I make out of these canned meats? Pretty much anything I would make using fresh meats. Here are a few ideas.

For canned roast beef or canned chicken:

• Soups
• Stews
• Beef and noodles
• Chicken and noodles
• Barbecue beef
• Burritos
• Enchiladas

For canned ground beef:

• Sloppy joes
• Spaghetti
• Lasagna
• Tacos
• Casseroles
• Pizza
• Chili soup

For all the canned meats, whether using these ideas that I have listed or others that you prefer, just use your imagination!

Making a meal with little heat

Burritos are an example of a meal I prepare with little heat involved.

Burrito ingredients:

• 1 prepared batch of rice from the microwave
• 1 can of refried beans
• 1 can choice of meat (rinsed and drained, I saved the broth and freeze it for later use)
• Shredded cheese
• Burrito shells/tortillas

I mix the rice, beans, and meat together and put it on a burrito shell. I top it with cheese then roll it up. They could be made ahead - during the day or the day before. Or they may be put on a cookie sheet and frozen individually. When you'd like to eat them, just thaw and heat up later.

With cooking rice and pasta, a lot of meals can be created with very little heat involved for the prep work and then finished in the microwave, oven, or stovetop, depending on how I choose.

Learning to be efficient

Like most of us with myasthenia gravis, the heat and my fatigue can make meal preparation a challenge. Finding the most efficient way to cook is important to me.

Working with the highs and the lows of my energies that come each day, I'm trying to stay as active as I can and still make healthy meals.

Do you have any helpful meal tips you would like to share? Comment below with your suggestions! I would love your input.