The support in my region is mediocre at best, exemplified when I asked for help with two things.
First, I requested advice on a low protein diet, which would hopefully come from a registered dietician and
Second, advice on preparation of vegetables when it is difficult to hold and use a knife.
What did I get? Someone came to my house to discuss cooking lessons for beginners! A waste of time and money.
Hello Artgeek … There are lots of advice on “a low protein diet” on Youtube. Loads of interesting videos.
How about buying bags of frozen vegetable …
Best wishes
Steve2
Thanks Steve2
lots of peas, sweetcorn, broad beans etc in my freezer, but it’s things like onions, potatoes, carrots etc that I have to prep from fresh that’s the problem.
I’ve tried frozen onions, peppers, avocado, carrots, and mushrooms and they all ended up in the bin.
Hi @Artgeek, thank you for sharing with us.
We are sorry to hear you have trouble cooking because of your symptoms.
There is information on our website about different pieces of specialist equipment to support you with eating and drinking which might be a consideration, you can read it here: Equipment for eating and drinking | Parkinson's UK
You can always reach out directly to us by contacting our helpline on 0808 800 0303 where you can speak to our trained advisers who can provide additional support and guidance.
We hope this helps, take care.
Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team
Thanks, Steve2, they are a brilliant tool until they break. I have had three in the last year and they’ve all cracked {the base}. At around £20 a time, they have cost me about £75 so far.
Hello artgeek
knives like these may be easier for you to manage because they require a different grip to that used in a standard knife. They can feel a bit odd to begin with as the grip will seem very strange but once you get used to it, it will become second nature.
Top Tip strong text You may well know this but in case you don’t, the part of the blade nearest to the handle rather than lower down near the tip, as this gives more leverage and takes less effort with less chance of either knife or food slipping. Also, make sure your knife is sharp - it takes less effort than trying to cut with a blunt knife and cuts more cleanly; again this reduces the chance of knife or food slipping’
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0056PQYZY?tag=tptracking-163170-21&linkCode=osi&th=1
Finally try a two step approach to food prep. It doesn’t work with everything and it depends what you are doing but if for eg you are cooking potatoes cook them whole or using one or two cuts if they are large. Once they are cooked they are easier to cut. You can even leave the skin on and remove it after cooking if you wish. With a bit of creative thinking you may be able to find ways to make a minimal number of cuts in raw foods with a second cut into the wanted size when it is cooked.
Hope this helps a bit.
Tot
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Thanks Tot, I’ll be looking at those knives now! The knives I use are top quality chef/professional knives which I’ve had for forty years and have been well looked after, including being razor sharp. It’s the shaking and dropping them all the time that’s my problem. I’ve spent a small fortune trying all manner of kitchen gadgets to try to help me, such as a pull and chop, mandolin, drum grater and others. Most are a waste of money.
With all my recipe repertoire and experience cooking, I never expected to be scuppered by not being able to hold a knife!
I too have tried all sorts of gadgets, some of them worked just fine but trying to get all the parts clean after use often made them not worth the bother. I now use an ordinary kitchen knife I do also make use of fresh prepared veg.
I hope the type of knife I have highlighted will help but do be prepared for a bit of a learning curve - having used high quality, standard knives for a long time as you have, you will be very comfortable with them, the new knife with a different hold is likely to feel very alien. I would encourage you therefore, to take your time to road test it fully before deciding if it helps.
Good luck, I would be interested in knowing how you get on.
Tot