Need help with bland diet

[BarbaraY]

My grown daughter lives with me and has some very serious health issues. The worst of them is interstitial cystitis, a very painful bladder condition that has no know cure.

One of the major problems with this is she cannot consume citrus fruits, tomatoes, soy sauce and other fermented products, cranberries, chilis, nitrates, and foods with large amounts of potassium like potatoes or bananas.

Garlic and other alliums don't seem to bother her so I use a lot of them along with herbs for seasoning.

In addition to all this, she has been advised by her physician to lose weight because there will have to be surgery within a year or two.

I'm just hoping for some new ideas to increase our dining satisfaction. Some non acidic salad dressings would be a real help because she can eat greens and other salad vegetables except tomatoes. Is there such a thing as a non acid salad dressing that isn't gunky sweet?

TIA

Edited April 3, 2007 by BarbaraY (log)

[divalasvegas]

My grown daughter lives with me and has some very serious health issues. The worst of them is interstitial cystitis, a very painful bladder condition that has no know cure.

One of the major problems with this is she cannot consume citrus fruits, tomatoes, soy sauce and other fermented products, cranberries, nitrates, foods with large amounts of potassium like potatoes or bananas.

Garlic and other alliums don't seem to bother her so I use a lot of them along with herbs for seasoning.

In addition to all this, she has been advised by her physician to lose weight because there will have to be surgery within a year or two.

I'm just hoping for some new ideas to increase our dining satisfaction. Some non acidic salad dressings would be a real help because she can eat greens and other salad vegetables except tomatoes. Is there such a thing as a non acid salad dressing that isn't gunky sweet?

TIA

←

So sorry to hear this BarbaraY. Some questions: are cheese, chocolate off limits as well? Is there an acid threshhold she can deal with such as the relatively small amount of acid in mayonnaise which could be used to make a variety of salad dressings? How about buttermilk and/or sour cream used as an ingredient in salad dressings like blue cheese, ranch, green goddess, etc.? What types of cuisines does she like?

[rooftop1000]

In the same direction I was wondering about a thin pesto and perhaps spiking things with lemon, lime or orange zest for brightness.

Hmm roasted garlic oil with lemon zest and a sprinkle of parm

its going to have to be herbs...all the variations on mints and thymes, sorrel, watercress and other bitter herbs may brighten things up too as add ins or purees (back to pesto)

tracey

tart - thats the word I was thinking of ..bitter to replace tart

Edited April 3, 2007 by rooftop1000 (log)

[ludja]

That would be nice if rooftop1000's idea of citrus zest would work.

Maybe wine could be used instead of vinegar in some applications?

Freshly grated horseradish adds brightness. I've recently been making stuffed eggs used horseradish instead of lemon juice and it tastes very good. This would of course also work for egg salad. Grated horseradish is also nice with ham and pork.

Capers? Anchovies? Olives? And as suggested above, strong, dry cheeses add a lot of flavor. (not sure about the nitrate content of any of these). Sardines have an intense flavor as well; you might get some ideas off of the recent sardine thread.

Since tomatoes are out, I was thinking of fruit salsas as a low fat way to add a punch to some entrees. They might usually have citrus (and chiles) but there may still be options that would be tasty using fresh herbs and raw onions.

Various herb pestos (besides the classic basil version) are a good source of flavor.

Best wishes for your daughter's health.

Edited April 4, 2007 by ludja (log)

[The Hersch]

I know if I had to stick to a bland diet, I would eat a lot of eggs, which is not a hardship. Scrambled, poached, fried, coddled, omelettes, quiche, savory custards. I'm making me hungry.

[SuzySushi]

Sorry to hear this!

Need to give it some more thought, but just off the top of my head, some herbs used in Southeast Asian cooking -- eg, lemongrass and lime leaves -- add sprightly flavor without acidity.

If she can eat yogurt and tahini, I make a creamy salad dressing/dip using 3 parts nonfat plain yogurt to 1 part tahini. Add garlic if desired.

[hummingbirdkiss]

what does she like to eat? that would help the most knowing that and then the ideas could surrround it I think?

[debbiemoose]

How about peanut butter, if she can eat that? That can be the basis of a lot of good sauces and dressings.

[tsquare]

Sumac (an herb?) has a citric taste to it. Good for rubs and finishing.

Smoked salt. Truffle salt. Get very good quality products.

Sumac - the spice

Maybe not a good idea - can be an allergen/toxic for some.

Edited April 3, 2007 by tsquare (log)

[Majra]

Can she eat cheese? I make a salad of spinach and romaine, tossed very well with a good fruity olive oil only. Add lots of finely grated parm reggiano, salt, and pepper. Toss and toss and toss. Delicious.

[BarbaraY]

Thanks so much for all the prompt replies.

Peanut butter is a favorite which she dips with apples. Cheese is Ok. We have Gorgonzola or Parmesan on our salads often. Haven't had a buttermilk dressing for some time so I'll try that again.

She doesn't care for sardines. Her favorite proteins are chicken or fish. She has eggs often, too.

Horseradish is another one that we could use more often. We both like intensely flavored food. Smoke flavor is another that she isn't fond of unless it's from the BBQ.

Mmmm! Lime leaves might be good but my tree is just starting to get new leaves. It always gets puny indoors in the winter and I still haven't put it out for the summer when we will (I hope) get lots of new ones.

I do have sumac so I may give that a try. Not sure since it's something I'm not sure she has ever tried.

The really hard part is the fact that she like Oriental and Mexican foods the best and can't have them without suffering.

Thanks again.

[Emily_R]

Also, in addition to the lime leaves -- maybe lemongrass to give some foods a little bit of tartness?

[petite tête de chou]

Flavored oils are great for adding flavor and fat in small, intense doses.

Nut (walnut, hazelnut, pinenut, toasted peanut, etc) oils are my old reliables for green salads, chicken (especially poached breasts), meaty white fish and grilled fruits (grilled apples finished with hazelnut or walnut oil is very good). Considering her ethnic preferences, perhaps tamales with a chicken (and fruit?) filling, fried rice with eggs and favorite vegetables, sweeter curries, Mexican or Greek oregano is an intense, lovely-stinky for fish, chicken, whatever...

Also, consider unorthodox uses for herbs, spices, oils etc.

[cats2]

Perhaps this food list for IC or this food list will be helpful in guiding suggestions.

The second list seems more comprehensive, and they do mention that this is just a place to start from. It's not to say that this is a strict list of restrictions. They did say "The problem foods we've listed below are the most common ones that thousands of IC patients have reported trouble with. Your goal is to determine IF these foods irritate you, perhaps by using an elimination diet! If you are like most, you'll probably be able to eat a few of the foods listed as 'problematic'. You also might have to avoid a few others listed as 'okay'".

From what I can see, aged cheeses/smoked meats/anchovies (basically it seems like anything with a strong flavor!!!) are to be avoided, in addition to a good number of fruits. Alcohol is to be avoided (and needless to say, vinegar), along with yogurt. I'd think that anything that tastes tart, is due to that food's inherent acidity, and so likely should be avoided.

But, at the bottom of both webpages, it's mentioned that there is a cookbook called "A Taste of the Good Life: A Cookbook for an Interstitial Cystitis Diet" by Beverly Laumann. Perhaps that may be a good place to start?

I hope your daughter does well. IC is not a nice thing at all.

[BarbaraY]

Perhaps this food list for IC or this food list will be helpful in guiding suggestions. 

The second list seems more comprehensive, and they do mention that this is just a place to start from.  It's not to say that this is a strict list of restrictions.  They did say "The problem foods we've listed below are the most common ones that thousands of IC patients have reported trouble with. Your goal is to determine IF these foods irritate you, perhaps by using an elimination diet! If you are like most, you'll probably be able to eat a few of the foods listed as 'problematic'. You also might have to avoid a few others listed as 'okay'".

From what I can see, aged cheeses/smoked meats/anchovies (basically it seems like anything with a strong flavor!!!) are to be avoided, in addition to a good number of fruits.  Alcohol is to be avoided (and needless to say, vinegar), along with yogurt.  I'd think that anything that tastes tart, is due to that food's inherent acidity, and so likely should be avoided. 

But, at the bottom of both webpages, it's mentioned that there is a cookbook called "A Taste of the Good Life: A Cookbook for an Interstitial Cystitis Diet" by Beverly Laumann.   Perhaps that may be a good place to start?

I hope your daughter does well.  IC is not a nice thing at all.  

←

Yes, she has found the lists of foods. It isn't so much that we don't know which things cause her problems as it is trying to come up with interesting, low cal, and tasty foods. When she's having a bad day she says, "Nothing but white food today." Chicken, pasta, etc.

She is a moderator on one of the IC boards and they swap a lot of info and give a lot of support.

IC and Me

Edited April 4, 2007 by BarbaraY (log)

[Torrilin]

Is mustard on the list of no-nos? I find that powdered mustard mixed with water has a fiery flavor that I love. People who know me tend to avoid getting in between me and the mustard *g*. If your daughter enjoys spicy food, this might help. Note that if it's made with water it doesn't seem to keep as well as when made with vinegar. I'm also a bit of a chilehead, and mustard punches some of the same buttons for me.

A salad dressing of thin, pourable mustard blended with a nut oil or an infused oil might be fun.

Is she ok with fresh ginger? IME, it can make a nice vegetable in curries. They turn out quite hot, even if you use no chiles. You might be able to do the same thing with galangal root. Daikon might be able to work similarly for her too.

Some greens can be rather intensely flavored. It might be worth trying Chinese, Indian, Thai etc preparations of various greens to see if she enjoys the flavors. Do watch out for the very sour greens like sorrel, since they have a high acid content.

Are bell peppers ok for her? They can make rather colorful stews and soups, so if that's something she misses it might help.

[Chufi]

I don't no if it would be okay, but what about wasabi?

[BarbaraY]

Yes, mustard, wasabi, ginger and horseradish all seem to be OK.

Last night I rolled chicken breasts in a mixture of Dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic, and a bit of butter; then rolled them in Panko with parsley and Parmesan cheese. It was pretty tasty.

Sometimes she can handle small amounts of things that don't work in larger amounts.

[jaynesb]

Maybe you could roast some veggies with herbs and garlic and then use some of the liquids that are given off along with the oil or puree the veggies afterwards with some extra liquid. (If you cover the baking dish for the first part of the cooking you might get some extra juices that you can drain off and save before finishing the cooking.)

jayne