Well, here we are on day three of a totally unexpected diet.
This week, the doctor told me my abdominal/digestive troubles were the result of gallbladder problems (not uncommon in pregnant women), and as of that second I could never eat anything that tasted good ever again. Unless I think that saltine crackers taste good. Dang it!
So, like I said, the girl who doesn't know how to cook without delicious, delicious fat, must now follow these completely unexpected dietary guidelines: nothing fatty, nothing fried, no dairy, no eggs, no tomato products, no sauces, no oils.
You may be thinking--as I was--then what on earth am I supposed to eat? Well, saltines. Other than that, I have had plain white rice and plain boiled chicken suggested.
FAT MAKES THINGS TASTE GOOD! FAT MAKES LIFE BETTER! FAT MAKES ICE CREAM!!!!!!
To get to the point, I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing, or how this will really affect Peanut and me (honestly, your prayers will be appreciated). And over the last few days, my new favorite website has become LIVESTRONG.com. And I still don't know what to eat, or what to cook or how to make it taste good. But I have found that while some things do not have fat in them, it is 100% impossible to have a fat-free diet. Fat is everywhere. Cursed, delicious fat!
On the plus side:
- We should probably cut back on fat anyway
- This will force me to get more creative with cooking
- I can still eat salt
- While the doctor may or may not have said anything about sugar (who can remember?!), I am still eating sugar in moderation
- And, hopefully this will be a good resource for others who may run into the same dietary afflictions
And so, without further ado, I present, the first good fat-free idea I've found. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm actually sort of excited about this one!
The Recipe:
Mango Chicken (from LIVESTRONG.com)
1 large mango
4 chicken breast halves
1 can mango nectar (or peach, or apricot, since mango is hard to find)
1 teaspoon red onion, grated
ground ginger
salt
Marinate chicken in apricot nectar for 4 or more hours. Then place chicken and nectar in ungreased 11"x 7" baking dish.
Cut mango into matchstick-size peices, and place in dish with chicken. Top with onion, and ginger and salt to taste.
Bake 30-40 minutes, or until it begins to get firm, at 375° F.
The Verdict:
Maybe it's a mistake to post this before I've made it, but doesn't that recipe sound decent? I will update this post when I've actually tried it out. I think that the fat-free/low-fat recipes will need to be put on a ranking system. I'm thinking something with 5 or 10 stars, and, like, 1 star=AWFUL/inedible, 2 stars=tastes low-fat, 3=not too bad, and so on. Whaddaya think?
In the meantime, any ideas on how to get good low-fat protein, or actually fill my belly every now and then would be appreciated.
***EDIT: Okay, so I knew what I was talking about. This chicken was every bit as good as I expected. The only catch is, it should not be served over rice noodles. Maybe some brown rice, or with potatoes, or something else I'm not creative enough to think of right now. Also, I confess, I am not really supposed to be eating onions, so instead of grating the onion into the marinade or whatever, I cut a few slivers which I tossed on top before baking. At any rate, on its own, this chicken was awesome! I recommend it, for sure.
P.S. Also, if I should have called you about this and haven't, please chalk it up to me actually being really worried and hyperemotional the past few days. I apologize. I know it is just hormones making mountains out of molehills, but that unfortunately doesn't endow me with the power of speech while crying. I know that everything will be fine and Who's in control, so I am finding peace with this.
what about the South Beach diet? We're starting that over here and have some recipes.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe sounds delish!
I just went over to check out the South Beach story and it looks like it uses a lot of the stuff I can't have (cheeses, eggs, oils--I can't even have olive oil, nuts, or avocados). Shoot! Thanks for the suggestion! Let me know how it works out for you guys!
ReplyDeleteOh, sweets, so sorry to hear about this!!
ReplyDeleteA good source of low-fat protein we love is edamame. have you ever had it? it's not as intimidating as it sounds :) Find it in the frozen veggies section. Just microwave however much you're going to eat, then toss the rest back in the freezer. Also, how do you feel about black beans? I have a yummy soup recipe with it. It does have salsa but maybe would work with a non-tomato version, like tomatillo. Would that violate your diet?
I cook a lot with beans as they are cheap and good for you. You can find lots of yummy recipes with them if that sounds any good to you.
PS Where does one find mango nectar in the grocery store?
ReplyDeleteKatie, thanks a bunch for the sympathy and good beans and edamame ideas. I'd love to see your black bean soup recipe, although, I had a bad-ish early-pregnancy experience with some black bean soup, so I'm a teeny bit wary.
ReplyDeleteMango nectar will probably be with the Jumex nectars in the Mexican section of the grocery store. It comes in pop cans, or sometimes boxes, like chicken broth or something. Another place I've found nectars is on the top shelf in the juice aisle. Kerns also makes nectars, and apparently R.W. Knudsen makes an organic one. To find mango, you may need to go to a store with better selection than mine has, or maybe a Mercado (do you have any Mexican markets in your area? Is Jibertito's near you?).
Found it, thanks! We do have lots of mercados around here, including an amazing tortilleria. Yum! Also, I buy frozen mangos at Sam's for a fraction of the price of fresh. The texture of course is not the same but they're still delicious and much less work. I'm going to try it with those.
ReplyDeleteOoo, I can understand you'd avoid black beans for awhile!!! But here it is, anyhow:
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, undrained
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup salsa
1 T. chili powder
Mash one can of beans with potato masher or food processor. Pour into medium saucepan; add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer a few minutes for better flavor. If desired, top with cilantro, green onion and baked tortilla chips (and after baby's born, cheese and sour cream!) Great with cornbread.