As most of us are in the midst of the dog days of summer, combating the heat and myasthenia gravis (MG) sometimes takes some creativity. We put together some summertime meal ideas for when it is hot, you don’t feel like cooking and you may be dealing with swallowing issues.
1. Cottage cheese is having a moment. Such a moment that you can now buy it in individual containers with fruit on top. Now that might not be your jam, and thankfully you can still buy a plain container of cottage cheese, eat it plain or season with Everything but the bagel seasoning for a twist.
2. Cold Soups- did you know there was such a thing? A quick google search and you can find nearly any type of vegetable soup or fruit soup, made cold.
3. Scrambled Eggs- if you are a big breakfast for dinner person, scrambled eggs provide lots of protein and are generally easy to swallow. They can also offer a lot of variety by changing what ingredients you put in them.
4. Smoothies & Shakes- much like cold soups and scrambled eggs, the world is your oyster with smoothies and shakes. Mix and match your preferred ingredients and for the taste you are looking for.
5. Acai Bowls- You may have noticed Acai cafe's popping up in your community as this trend gains traction. Acai is a berry native to Central and South America that serve as a base for this "smoothie" type of bowl. Acai berries can be purchased as a frozen purree, powder or juice. Other fruits can be added to the bowl and topped with granola or coconut.
6. Chicken Salad/Egg Salad/Avocado Salad- Depending on what you prefer, these types of salads can be served in a variety of ways and changed up to meet your taste buds. Many grocery stores now sell rotisserie chicken already shredded in a container which makes making chicken salad a heck of a lot easier!
7. Loose Meat Sandwiches- I grew up in Iowa, home of the maid rite. What is a maid rite you ask? It’s a hamburger that instead of a patty, is loose meat. If you are having trouble swallowing an actual hamburger patty a maid rite is a great option for a summer BBQ. And even better is you don’t have to stand outside and grill a hamburger patty. You can make a maid rite as easy as using 1lb of ground beef heated over a skilled while you add in a can of beef consommé and some onion powder.
8. Cold Pasta Salad- if you are hungry for pasta but feel like it’s too hot for heavy lasagna or ziti, consider a cold pasta salad. Mix and match what you put in the salad for how strong your swallowing is. The dressing of a cold pasta salad can help soften some of the things you add if you are having difficulty chewing. My favorite cold pasta salad concoction is on the back of the Good Seasons Italian salad dressing packet.
9. Corn OFF the cob- yep, I meant to write that! There is a tool that can help you get corn off the cob if it tires you out to have to chew corn on the cob.
10. Melons- watermelon is a favorite of mine during the summer. I love the watermelon flavor and it’s in my grocery order almost every week. Depending on how I feel, I sometimes buy the whole melon and use my melon baller to cut it up or buy it pre-cut. Be sure to cut the pieces to a size for good swallowing. It makes a great snack or sweet side to a recipe when it's sizzling outside!
Stay cool! The seasons will change before we know it!
