WWYCook for these dietary restrictions? HELP!!!

[*Inna*]

Dear Hive, I need help!

 

I have a friend who recently came back from a 3 week hospital stay. I want to help out and offered to bring dinners.

 

She's on :

• High Protein
• High Potassium
• High Vitamin K
• High Iron
• No Salt
• No Bread diet

So far I came with Kale and White Bean Soup and chicken breast with sauteed spinach. But I really can't imagine how this would taste with no salt whatsoever.

 

Any advice?

There are other people with her who will be eating the dinners as well.

 

:willy_nilly: :willy_nilly: :willy_nilly:

[snickerplum]

Would it be easier to make your friend a single-serve portion of the special food and make a separate meal for the rest? Just a thought. Beef is high in iron and protein. Good luck! And you sound like a good, kind friend. :-)

[Slartibartfast]

At what point is it ok to just serve a person pile-o-meat?

 

I would do roast beef sandwiches and a salad. The person dieting can eat meat salad.

[lanabug]

Um, a big steak and a bunch of bananas?  Real helpful, aren't I?!

 

That would be a tough one to cook for.  Maybe fajitas?  Could she eat corn tortillas, or just skip the tortillas all together.

 

Lana

[Rosie_0801]

CHICKEN IN ALMOND GREEN SAUCE serves 6

6 large chicken breasts, skinned

1 L chicken stock for poaching

Sauce

1 onion, chopped finely

6 large lettuce leaves from the outside of a cos lettuce, shredded

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 chillies, seeded and chopped

1 cup ground almonds

1 cup chicken stock (should be able to use the poaching water)

*1. Make the sauce by placing the first 5 ingredients in the food-processor and process until a fairly fine puree. Add the ground almonds and ½ a cup of the chicken stock. Tip this into a saucepan and gently cook for 5 mins, stirring constantly. Add the other half cup as needed to keep the sauce to the consistency of thick porridge. Set aside. (It can be kept covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.)

2. To poach the chicken breasts, bring the litre of chicken stock to simmering point. Place the chicken breasts in the stock in a single layer. Avoid overlapping. Cover the pan, Turn after 3 minutes. After a further 3 mins, the breasts should be cooked and will feel slightly springy to touch. Remove chicken and keep warm.

3. Take ½ a cup of poaching liquid per chicken breast (this may be all the liquid) and bring to the boil, stirring in the green sauce puree.  Serve chicken with sauce, mashed potato and a decent salad.

[Soror]

Well, for vit k you have greens, broccoli and brussel sprouts for potassium the highest are white beans, spinach, baked potatoes, yogurt and apricots. Reading that makes me think of a nice beef curry of some sort with some dried apricots, a bit of yogurt in the sauce and some spinach and apricots along with other veggies. I used to eat a dish at an Indian restuarant that had various dried fruits in it but the name escapes me now.  A big pot of lentil soup made with a tomato base with some greens and various veggies. I was just looking at the top 10 foods for iron, k, and potassium and thinking of combos. I think some sort of ethnic cuisine is a good bet but it has lots of spices so the lack of salt isnt so apparent. 

[scootiepie]

I am an RD.   I have never seen a diet like that prescribed when someone is discharged from the hospital.   

Not questioning it, just saying I've never seen it.   It's an odd one.  [if I were working in that facility,  I *would* question it and clarify a few things -  I do wonder

about the "no bread" (why that particular carb...very vague) and high Vit K (uncommom....usually it's low K)....FWIW].

"No salt" usually means no added salt in absence of a prescribed sodium level.

Anyway, your dish sounds great.   I would imagine you have some kind of broth that would add some flavor.   As far as preparing meals, you needn't worry about hitting all those things

she needs, but rather avoiding what she's been told to avoid, so she doesn't feel like she has to turn anything down.     You are already being a huge help.

[LostSurprise]

Absence of salt usually means something with other spices. 

 

For meals, I would concentrate on a protein and supplement with a high potassium/high vit K veggies on the side. This is actually not a super difficult diet, but it's one where you would have to concentrate on paleo type meals and explore other spices. 

 

For a one time meal, I would make Donna Hay's Caramelized Thai Pork Salad. You can skip the fish sauce if you want, I do. Then I would add spinach, mushrooms, and other items to the salad part which would increase the potassium and vitamin K. It also can be eaten cold, which is nice in the summer or if you are delivering these meals. Just keep the salad and pork separate and the family mixes them together when they eat. 

 

For bread eaters, also works well on pitas, naan, or other flat breads.

 

 

 

 

[*Inna*]

Thank you so much for your responses, they are all very helpful.

 

I think I've gotten overwhelmed last night, but now I see that it's doable. I think the no-salt thing scared me a little.

 

Scootiepie, the doctors still don't know what's going on exactly, she is waiting for transfer to a bigger clinic. There is a big problem with her liver and I think rest of it they just base on her blood levels. Bread's just doesn't feel right to her, so she added that to the list.

 

Salads are a great idea, she loves that. And the rest of the family can have that as a side.

[*Inna*]

Lanabug, thank you for your idea - I can make a fajita salad for her and the rest of the family can eat the meat with tortillas.