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Re-formulating dishes for Bariatric and Weight loss patients


Jason Perlow

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As part of a series of blog posts that I am going to be doing I will be re-formulating various kinds of dishes from various cuisines for people looking to lose weight or have had bariatric surgery.

 

For now, I've started with Caribbean/Latino cuisine. Let me know what other things you would like to see or have any recommendations. 

 

Picadillo de Pavo

 

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1 large Tomato, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup Sofrito (Daisy Martinez’s recipe)
20 oz Jennie-O Ground Turkey Breast
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
12 oz chunk Calabaza, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Goya Alcaparrado Pimientos & Capers Manzanilla Olives, juices reserved
1/2 cup Black Beans (or more to taste)
1 Sour Orange
2 hard boiled Eggs
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chopped Tomato.

Once the liquid starts to cook out (about 5 minutes) add the Sofrito and again, cook for about 5 more minutes until the liquid starts to evaporate.
 
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Add the ground Turkey Breast and mix and chop it into the vegetables until it is mostly white and well crumbled. Add the Stock, cubed Calabaza, Alcaparrado, and Raisins. Stir to combine, reduce heat to very low, cover and braise for 15 minutes.
 
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Meanwhile, separate the egg whites and yolks, grating the yolk and dicing the whites, set aside. Juice the Sour Orange.
 
When 15 minutes are up, gently fold in the Black Beans, Sour Orange Juice, diced Egg White, and grated Egg Yolk. Taste for seasonings, add a couple of spoonfuls of the Alcaparrado juice instead of adding salt, and add some fresh ground pepper.
 
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If you wanted, you could serve this over brown rice or a high protein grain like quinoa, or just by itself. And yeah, you could stuff it into an empanada too.
 
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Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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I find Thai food in general to be low calorie as long as you don't deep fry or use curry.  Just mix fish sauce, lime juice, little sugar, cilantro stems, and chilies.  This basic sauce can be used over minced chicken breast, pork tenderloin, or vegetables.  

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What criteria are you using to decide how to reformulate a particular dish? Is it a question (for instance) of reducing fat, changing fats, changing carbohydrates, reducing glycemic index? Are some foods assumed to be easier on the gut than others after surgery?

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Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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Most post-bariatric diets are very high in protein. Generally speaking even with 3 meals a day (assume 4 to 6 ounce portions) you still need to take in additional protein supplements (bars, shakes) to get between 80 and 100 grams of protein in per day otherwise you end up with malnutrition and can actually slow or halt weight loss. Sugars, simple carbs of any kind (white flour, rice, pasta, etc) are on the bottom of the totem pole (basically, it's poison) and inhabit weight loss. So when formulating for bariatrics it is protein, veg and carbs (complex optimal but in small amounts) last.

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Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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Is it ok that, if you don't put the picadillo over rice, you don't have a complete protein from the black beans? Quinoa on the other hand is complete in itself.

Edited by Deryn (log)
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The black beans are basically there for flavor and texture and you can omit them if you want, since the turkey is providing a ton of protein.

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Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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Like a gazillion other adults in North America, I weigh far more than I should.  Plus I am now battling a number of ailments, some of basically my own doing and neglect, and others for which I have little or no responsibility...like crippling Spinal Stenosis.  (Well, I don't think it's my fault.)   But with every extra pound I carry, I suffer x amount of extra pain,...etc, etc.  So I am very interested in keeping my weight as low as I possibly can.  Which is, as we all know, very, very hard to do, particularly if you love food. 

 

Thus I am very interested in your thread.  If you can make it both weight helpful and still interesting to eat, I'm for it. 

 

We have recently stumbled across the concept of eating reheated rice and other grains and carb-laden foods.  As I understand it: cook it with some coconut oil, let it cool for a period, reheat it and eat it, and presto chango, it is transformed into a lesser caloric-laden dish.  Love it. 

 

Are you intending to work that concept into your re-formulating of recipes?

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I find using Sofrito, but draining most of the oil, is great flavor booster for topping lean meats and seafood.  Calorie wise it takes about 3 tablespoons of Sofrito to equal 1 tablespoon of oil.  This helps keep the calories low.

 

Ginger scallion sauce is also very low calorie.

 

Miso, soy sauce, fish sauce, dried scallops, dried shrimp, shitake mushrooms, Kombu, kimchee, are all great for adding flavor and umami to a dish.

 

I lost 30 pounds and was eating mostly lean meats and veggies.  I tried to find creative ways to make food taste better.

Edited by torolover (log)
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Hey all, as you have (I hope) noticed, the OP chose to post this discussion in the Cooking forum, so the focus needs to remain on actual cooking, rather than the medical issues underlying the reasons for reformulating recipes. Although brief, explanatory comments related to the health and science behind various decisions are fine, extended explorations of them will not remain in this discussion (also, please go to the moderation topic, for any discussion of this post).

Michaela, aka "Mjx"
Manager, eG Forums
mscioscia@egstaff.org

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I'm glad you're posting this, it gives me inspiration. Please don't stop.  I love all types of cuisines, although my favorite dish is chicken tikka masala (with brown rice).  Looking forward to the next installment!

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Indian Food might be easier to reformulate if the ghee is replaced with smaller amounts of olive oil and more protein is added. Tikka Masala might be tough because of the high butter and cream content, but it's worth exploring. Most tandoor dishes or vegetable curries are probably ok.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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  • 2 months later...

Why replace the ghee with olive oil? Ghee made with butter (not veg fat) is easy to make at home.

I have been on a high protein low fat low carbohydrate diet for a year or two for weight loss purposes and provided I stick with the formula it works well. I reformulate my recipes keeping in mind my increased protein intake per meal and the severe decrease in carbohydrate. I am more likely to not have enough fat in my diet rather than too much. Carbohydrate intake is more difficult to manage as the average diet is so high in carbohydrate compared to this diet. The only dishes I have ceased to make are pasta dishes. Dishes that include rice as part of the tradition serving portion contunue to be made the same way but I limit severely my rice/carbohydrate portion and gross up the protein portion. I still eat eggs and bacon but pancakes have disappeared from my menu. Sandwiches for me are openfaced with a large (150 or more grams) amount of protein.  French fries are a rare indulgence. Soups are broth based with meat and veg and a max portion size of 50 gm of dried noodles per serving if noodles are part of the soup that day. I weigh all the meat and measure the fat and milk by volume in order to help to figure out on a daily bases my protein, fat and carbohydrate intake. In short the diet works.

"Flay your Suffolk bought-this-morning sole with organic hand-cracked pepper and blasted salt. Thrill each side for four minutes at torchmark haut. Interrogate a lemon. Embarrass any tough roots from the samphire. Then bamboozle till it's al dente with that certain je ne sais quoi."

Arabella Weir as Minty Marchmont - Posh Nosh

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