Newbie with Gallstones needs Fat Free Cooking Advice

little_miss_messiah

Hi

I've 'just' had my gall bladder out on Thursday, after almost 20 attacks over the last few months.

I can honmestly say I dont eat a particularly high fat diet and did try eliminating certain foods, but in my case I can say the attacks were random, as in less than 5% fat oven chips with WW lasagne and oodles of salad no dressing would have me in agonies but a full fish and chip from the chip shop had no effect whatsoever.

I also lived on fruit and veg for days on end - this produced 2 attacks on seperate occasions and cyt out salt for a week also 2 attacks

I appreciate everyones different but on my case I think I had the stones anyway and they'd get stuck and cause an attack when they felt like it, not necessarily after having something naughty to eat

maryotuam

Not only have I gallstones but they can't be removed because I have neuroendocrine cancer in the bowel and liver. Luckily the cancer is slow growing but as well as low fat I cannot eat anything spicy, large meals, tomato based meals, fruit salad or uncooked veg. I also don't want to lose weight which is very hard because of the above.

A favourite meal at the moment is plain fish in a small portion of parsley sauce, mash and well cooked veg. Porridge is ok and I'm supposed to eat white rather than wholemeal bread. I choose low fat versions of everything but eat little and often..I like meringue, fat free fromag frais, jelly beans and marshmallows.I would suggest you avoid cabbage and cook your veg till totally tender

I use to love spicy food and look longingly from the side lines whilst others tuck into real food but the pain caused by eating the wrong stuff is so awful that I rarely dabble any more.

MortgageMamma

Hi All

My partner has a problem with gallstones so we can't eat anything fatty - its progressively got worse with 5 hospital admissions in about 3 weeks

We are on a tight budget and need to cook healthy food not just for him but a family of 5 (kids 13 , 8, 6)

Can anyone suggest any cheap recipes as I'm really getting sick of cottage cheese and baked potatoes now! we want filling food thats nutritious and cheap

Thanks in advance of any help

MM

joedenise

How about fish pasta bake? You can use any fish you like such as smoked haddock (I prefer undyed); any white fish or just buy a fish mix from you local supermarket - our local Tesco sell a fish pie mix quite cheaply.
I just cover the fish with boiling water and cover with a lid or cling film and leave for about 10 minutes before flaking the fish. Mix it with cooked pasta and pour over a white sauce and then sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top and grill or oven cook until browned.

Denise

ljonski

when i had gallstones a few years ago i remember wandering around Aldi and coming out empty handed as for the life of me i couldnt face buying and then eating anything there. Im afraid that he will have to have a separate diet from you and the kids. He will eat only cos he has too and not to enjoy.Evne regards fruit bnanas with their high potassium was definitely out. No processed foods or red meats.I t unfair that everyone else has to suffer and eat bland food .
i ate a lot of fish and non fatty foods.but it was awful and how much i enjoyed tasty food after my op Good luckto you all.

Bitsy_Beans

Do you lentils? Cheap, filling and still a good source of protein as opposed to red meat.
Can they still eat chicken (as long as no skin?) - could do a chicken in tomato sauce over cooked pasta.
How about vegetable chilli? Very tasty and should be fairly low in fat. Erm vegetable curry? I guess you could make the sauce a bit creamier using a low fat natural yoghurt rather than cream or milk.

Perhaps have a look at the veggie receipes on the recipe index and see if there is anything you fancy there. Will look for the link for you.....

Here it is - hope there is some inspiration for you http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=8736367#post8736367

MortgageMamma

hi there

unfortunately all the doctors have told us is not fat in diet. didn't say anything about red meats or bananas or anything/ saying that we have been extremely dissapointed in the way the hospital has treated my partner

the thing is we are struggling to eat EVERYTHING low fat. he's been in hospital for two days and the kids were delighted when they got home made rice pudding and fighfingers and chips for their tea. I'm trying to get us all to eat the same or as same as possible as I feel guilty about watching him have to do without all the time. I just can't do it

two days ago he binged on a bit of fruit strudel and custard I made for the kids despite the fact I got him some fat free yoghurts, he's now spent two days in hospital paying for that mistake

I don't know whats worse. seeing him hungry and bored with his food all the time or seeing him rolling around in agony and carted off in an ambulance/

Even if someone has some ideas on how to jazz up a salad other than the usual salad dressings I'd be very grateful

ljonski

ok here is a quick link that i have found.
http://www.chiff.com/a/gallbladder-diet.htm
your husband will need to take multivits to replace the nutrients he wont be getting.
Ginger i think is very important either as tablets or biscuits .
oven chips should be ok.
no cheese, mayainaaise etc
broil the chicken or at worse griil.
i did some acapuncture whilst ill. it did take away someofthe symptoms butwould return after 24hrs
also unprocessed bran is essential and can you make your own bead without additives ?

also use skimmed or semi skimmed milk
lj

ChocClare

Low fat is not zero fat. When my DH was going through this, he was told by his doctor to keep to less than 12% fat. This does then mean no butter, most cheese or chocolate :eek:, but does open up a lot more things. Chicken is fine; pasta with tomato-based rather than cheese based sauces; lentils and *most* veggie dishes (that aren't laden with cheese, LOL!).

If you look on the back of any packaging, it should have fat per 100g - as long as it is 12g or less, you should be OK. It does also mean that you can have things such as low fat yoghurt and some eg go ahead-type bars - I know they are more expensive and not particularly OS, but just in case he needs something sweet so he doesn't go insane. Pastry is of course out of the question, but there is no reason why he shouldn't have eg stewed apple with a HM fatless sponge (eg this one) and Sainsbury's Be Good To Yourself or Ambrosia low fat custard to make him feel like he's had a "proper" pudding. The fatless sponge isn't fat-free - 4 eggs = 20g of fat, but I'm assuming he won't eat the WHOLE cake! (Or perhaps I'm wrong :rotfl:)

If you get a Rosemary Conley book out of the library, most of her stuff is very low fat and there are some quite tasty recipes in there - just remember that her portions tend to be TINY so if you are doing this for health rather than weight loss, then you can up the amounts.

[Deleted User]

As he is in and out of hospital will they not take it out for him.My sis-in-law had hers out via keyhole surgery last friday morning and they let her go home in the afternoon.She had suffered for several years with dreadful pain and eventually the hospital agreed to remove it for her.She had four tiny cuts on the front of her body and three of them she said last night had healed already The stitches are disolvable ones and as long as she takes it easy for three weeks and doesn't lift anything heavier than a cup of tea she will be fine