topic Making Meals in Community Chat

Making Meals

ScrapHappy — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:04:39 GMT

A co-worker is having surgery (double hernia) and I would like to surprise her with some meals so she doesn't have to cook. Of course I'll make chicken noodle soup. I though ziti (without meat) is easy to re-heat. Maybe make some brownies for a sweet treat? I've seen her eat the cobb salad from Chick Fil A,. she seems to like that. Does any of that sound good? If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear some. Thank you.

Re: Making Meals

jlkz — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:12:29 GMT

@ScrapHappy

What a thoughtful, caring soul you are !

As for chicken noodle soup: try to make it with orzo. It doesn't break down the way rice does as well as thin noodles, esp. when reheating it stays al dente ! Add some savory crackers or breadsticks. Chicken pieces should probably be small...her diet restrictions may come into play here since the abdomen is involved.

You may want to have something ready to heat in the soup line along with a small frozen container for later !

Re: Making Meals

Mary Bailey — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:13:33 GMT

It sounds wonderful! How thoughtful and caring you are.

Re: Making Meals

Q-Checker — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:15:42 GMT

Check with her, her surgeon, or Google to learn about any potential post-op dietary restrictions before you prepare the meals. And thank you for being such a good friend!

Re: Making Meals

smoochy — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:50:29 GMT

@ScrapHappy wrote:
A co-worker is having surgery (double hernia) and I would like to surprise her with some meals so she doesn't have to cook. Of course I'll make chicken noodle soup. I though ziti (without meat) is easy to re-heat. Maybe make some brownies for a sweet treat? I've seen her eat the cobb salad from Chick Fil A,. she seems to like that. Does any of that sound good? If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear some. Thank you.

what a lovely person you are 🥰

I like to make baked chicken thighs in these situations. Its a bland choice for someone who had abdominal surgery. They are easily reheated for other meals.

Re: Making Meals

AuntMame — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:01:45 GMT

What a lovely thing to do, @ScrapHappy !

When I had abdominal surgery a friend brought over some tuna noodle casserole which I was so grateful for. But I'm a big fan of tuna casserole. She made it with noodles, canned cream of chicken soup, a bag of frozen veggies, and can of tuna all stirred together in a pot with water and cooked until the noodles were soft.

She also did a small bit of grocery shopping for which I was also terribly grateful.

She focused on buying high protein things that would be easy for me to eat in small amounts straight out of the frig. Like cottage cheese. And hard-boiled eggs.

I'm sure your friend will be delighted. After one has been in the hospital it's so hard to get proper food to eat in the days feeling weak after surgery.

Re: Making Meals

spumoni99 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:26:02 GMT

Thats very thoughtful, when I recently had hip replacement surgery my youngest daughter ordered us prepared meals for two weeks and it was very helpful. She lives far from us and wanted to help.

Re: Making Meals

Sooner — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:34:22 GMT

@ScrapHappy Check with her first to make sure she wants and needs them--she may have other arrangements. See what kind of storage/freezer space she would have, and what she can/would eat.

Amazon sells those plastic cube molds to freeze things in all sorts of sizes--from 1/2, 1 and 2 cup sizes. You can also get less expensive ones, but Souper Cubes is a brand to search on Amazon that brings up a lot.

Maybe some less expensive ones (they are silicone and probably much alike) and maybe a small microwaveable tray to cook them on). You can defrost and reheat in the molds.

Wonderful thoughtful sweet person you are!

Re: Making Meals

MoonieBaby — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:46:03 GMT

@scraphappy,

I worked with all kinds of folks, none seem like they were as kind or generous as you. How lovely of you. I mean that. Lovely. Putting love out there as you are doing should come back to you tenfold. As my Italian grandmother used to say, God is always watching, make him proud.

Re: Making Meals

kathie66 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:50:22 GMT

@ScrapHappy, what a wonderful friend you are! How kind and thoughtful!

Re: Making Meals

JeanLouiseFinch — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:59:07 GMT

@ScrapHappy wrote:
A co-worker is having surgery (double hernia) and I would like to surprise her with some meals so she doesn't have to cook. Of course I'll make chicken noodle soup. I though ziti (without meat) is easy to re-heat. Maybe make some brownies for a sweet treat? I've seen her eat the cobb salad from Chick Fil A,. she seems to like that. Does any of that sound good? If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear some. Thank you.

How kind and thoughtful of you, @ScrapHappy, to want to pitch in and help her. It all sounds delicious but I want to caution you about doing too much too soon. She will likely be on a restricted diet for a few weeks post-op. I'm not trying to discourage you from helping, just be mindful of her particular timeline in returning to a normal diet.

Another suggestion is that you might set up a "meal train" for her where other coworkers can also pitch in, but avoid overlapping days and dishes. MealTrain dot com

Re: Making Meals

elated — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:15:13 GMT

@ScrapHappy

A good post-hernia surgery diet focuses on hydration, high-fiber foods, lean proteins, and easily digestible meals to support healing and prevent strain on the surgical site

Immediately after surgery, the digestive system is sensitive. Start with clear liquids to prevent dehydration and reduce strain on the abdomen. Recommended options include water, clear broths, diluted fruit juices, herbal teas, and electrolyte drinks. Avoid carbonated beverages, caffeine, and alcohol, as they can irritate digestion and cause bloating.

After the first few days, gradually introduce soft, easy-to-digest foods such as pureed vegetables, mashed potatoes, applesauce, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and custards. These foods provide nutrients while minimizing pressure on the abdominal wall.

Protein for Healing

Adequate protein is essential for tissue repair and immune support. Include lean meats (chicken, fish), eggs, tofu, legumes, and dairy products. Protein helps rebuild tissues and supports recovery from surgery.

This what I found to be helpful. You are very kind to offer assistance.

Re: Making Meals

River Song — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:45:32 GMT

I was going to suggest something soft, like crust-less quiche, baked in individual muffin-size portions (like those egg bites you can buy).

Re: Making Meals

pdlinda — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 02:27:04 GMT

@elated I had two hernia surgeries: Ventral in 2004. Inguinal in 2006. Both were done in the Emergency Room. I missed work for 3 weeks for the Ventral. I missed work for 1 week for the Inguinal. I never had any complications with either.

I vaguely recall the Inguinal surgeon telling me (he was called into the E.R. to perform the surgery on Labor Day, 2006), that : "This mesh will last you a lifetime. I performed the perfect surgery on you."

I vaguely recall the E.R. surgeon for the Ventral doing a follow-up visit several weeks later in 2004.

This post jarred my memory about those surgeries. The inguinal was very serious. The surgeon told me my life was in danger if it wasn't taken care of IMMEDIATELY. I recall the woman surgeon telling me more or less the same thing (I won't go into clinical specifics) about the ventral repair.

Funny, I don't recall anything about the dietary follow up. Of course, it was so many years ago.

FINAL THOUGHT: I hope your friend has the complete, flawless recovery I had with her hernia to the point where I almost forgot I had both until your post brought back those memories.

Re: Making Meals

wagirl — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:03:24 GMT

Sounds just great!! Very thoughtful of you. My then SIL made me and my family meals when I was going thru chemo----was so nice not to have to think about cooking, altho I still was able to function ok.

Re: Making Meals

gidgetgh — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:21:58 GMT

Forgive my response. I had an irritating phone call about an hour ago so I'm not at my most cheerful.

I am the pickiest, plainest eater on the planet. Unless someone checked with me first, I really wouldn't want them bringing food to me because I wouldn't eat it and then I would feel guilty. What I would love, is someone calling me and checking on me and asking if they could get anything from the grocery store for me or something that I choose from a nearby restaurant. Truly, that's what I would love.

You're a good friend to her.

Re: Making Meals

Lakelife62 — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:25:49 GMT

I would take the money I was going to use to buy the food and get her a gift certificate to a restaurant or market with prepared foods- one that delivers.

Re: Making Meals

Scooby Doo — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:31:51 GMT

I had abdominal hernia surgery 6 months ago. It was a swiss cheese situation (3 hernias) and I was in the hospital for five days.

I can tell you that they had me on a liquid diet for a week just to get my bowels working again. I didn't want anything too solid that would cause straining. I ate Campbells chunky soup, jello pudding, and a very soft diet for 3 weeks. I got my protein from protein drinks. NO salad. Think soft digestive foods.

BTW, that was my second hernia surgery for a total of 5 hernias.

Re: Making Meals

JeanLouiseFinch — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:15:20 GMT

@Scooby Doo wrote:
I had abdominal hernia surgery 6 months ago. It was a swiss cheese situation (3 hernias) and I was in the hospital for five days.
I can tell you that they had me on a liquid diet for a week just to get my bowels working again. I didn't want anything too solid that would cause straining. I ate Campbells chunky soup, jello pudding, and a very soft diet for 3 weeks. I got my protein from protein drinks. NO salad. Think soft digestive foods.
BTW, that was my second hernia surgery for a total of 5 hernias.

@Scooby Doo - my DH is having an operation in September. I've been looking into his post-op diet and it's similar. We will be out of state for it, staying at a rental. The property owner/manager said we could receive Amazon deliveries there so I'm working on a list of supplies. I found some SF chocolate protein drinks with decent ingredients. 👍

Re: Making Meals

Q-Checker — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 02:46:15 GMT

Make sure that whatever food you provide is APPROVED BY HER SURGEON. She or you can ask for an advance copy of the probable recommended post-op diet. You sound like a good friend and a kind person and responsible enough to follow medical directives, not hot tips on a blog, no matter how well-intentioned they are. Hernias can occur in different places in the body and, therefore, recommended post-op diets will vary. Post-op diet directives from her surgeon are, therefore, the best source for making decisions for food gifts. Some of the things that you were thinking about making for your co-worker may have to be postponed until she has a complete recovery and the foods are medically approved for her going forward. Remember -- her digestive tract may be highly involved in the surgery. I know that your co-worker will greatly value and appreciate your care.