Could I join you for a minute to ask for menu planning help?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

A very dear friend was recently diagnosed with Diabetes 2 & pancreatic cancer. He's on chemo for 2 weeks then off for one. On his off week, he feels well enough to come to dinner & DH & I love having him. I want to make him special, comfort foods when he visits. I don't think that I'm getting a clear concept of what he can/can't eat. He tells me that he can eat anything in moderation, but he won't give me any better instructions than that. I think he thinks that it would be too much trouble for me. Well, it's not. I love him & I love to cook.

If I understand the the concept, he has to eat 1/3 in protein, 1/3 in carbs & 1/3 in green veggies. Is one type of protein better than another? Are some carbs better than others? (i.e. potatoes are better than pasta or visa versa?) Any veggies better than others?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

:hug:

[Warpy]

1. Feed him anything he wants to eat

because his "off" time is the only time he'll be taking in adequate nutrition. Have a wide variety of foods available and let him choose them for himself. Do desserts with Splenda if you can, stick to a low simple sugar diet.

Chemo is going to kick his ass. Just give him anything--I mean anything-- he wants.

[sandnsea]

2. Here's some ideas

My favorite is red potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, red onion - spray some olive oil on tin foil, wrap them in packets, grill or cook in oven. Or, Safeway has bagged frozen grill vegetables like this that are good too, red potatoes included. Red are better than russets.

I have a really yummy wild rice, apple, walnut, red onion recipe if you want. It's Emeril's actually and is to die for.

We use sugar free jello, fruit in its own juice, and the fat free cool whip for desserts.

Crystal light has some good peach tea drink.

Whole wheat breads. I read the label and try to omit the high fructose corn syrup and what not too.

Most low fat white cheeses are okay, Swiss, Parmesan, Mozerella.

Nuts nuts nuts.

We eat all low fat meats anyway, so I never paid attention to the recommendations on diabetes.

Each person is different. My husband can't do much dairy, but it doesn't bother me too much. Even so, one night really isn't going to hurt anything, like Warpy said. Sometimes if you're going to have a particular thing to eat, like cheesecake, it's better to just have a really scrumptious piece to satisfy your sweet tooth for a good long time.

Hope that helps.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

3. Thank you! That gave me some good info to get going on.

Cheesecake would be okay? I have a fabulous cheesecake recipe. I really screwed up & made protiferoles for dessert last time. All carbs & sugar. :(

White cheeses are good? & red potatoes better than russets. Is pasta okay? Or is rice better? (I would love the recipe-I'm always on the hunt for new ones)

And I never thought of nuts. I will definitely look for some artisinal whole wheat breads.

Thank you!

:hug:

[sandnsea]

4. No, not exactly

I meant that what Warpy said is true, completely blowing a diet for one night isn't going to matter to the majority of diabetics. I've tried some fat free splenda cheesecake recipes and I'd sooner have cheesecake less often and just go for the real thing when I do. Not that cheesecake is on the diabetic menu, it's definitely NOT. :)

We use whole wheat pasta. Some are better than others and to some extent, it's an acquired taste. At least to me. I think whole grain rice or pasta is better than any of the potatoes. Also, instant potatoes are awful, straight glucose according to our dietician.

Ya' know, it's strawberry season. Angel food cake, strawberries and fat free cool whip, yum.

I'm looking for that rice recipe, will post when I find it.

Here's the recipe. I used a Safeway boxed wild rice. I don't remember what cheese I used, but there isn't that much in the recipe. I do use Alpine Lace reduced fat cheese generally, it's in the deli at Safeway. Never buy the single wraps, like Kraft. Just ewwww.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_17516,00.html?rsrc=search

Oh, and this is good even if you don't stuff the onions. But if you do stuff the onions, get the biggest onions you can find. They shrink some.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

5. Thank you. That looks great & I will definitely try it.

I understand what you say about one night not blowing the diet, but he is really trying & is going strictly by what the dietitians have told him. He had to take a class (or several) & it's really made an impression on him. And, having pancreatic cancer. Right now he's on an experimental drug since the others weren't working.

Dad was just told that he's pre-pre diabetic & he & mom have made a bunch of changes to their diet. We were just down there & mom served a pasta dish with the whole wheat stuff. I didn't even think about asking her any questions. You just jogged my memory, so double thanks.

LOL, if you hung out in the cooking & baking group you would know how I feel about that fake, crap 'cheese'. I would rather eat cardboard than go near it.

:hug:

[sandnsea]

6. Believe it or not

As icky as regular fake cheese is, the fat free is 10 times worse. I know, you didn't think it possible, but there it is anyway.

Good luck with your dinner! And your parents too. It's easy to slide when your numbers first start going up. The most important is likely to be losing weight and exercising an hour a day. Exercise helps the cells use the glucose correctly. So stay after him!!

[The empressof all]

7. I think the whole grain approach to the carbs works best

Barilla has a whole grain pasta or look for a brand called Dreamfields which is made in a way that the the net carbs are reduced and don't cause the spiking in blood sugar that regular pasta will. My rule is to pretty much stay away from white wheat products and white rice. Potatoes although high in vitamins and minerals can also spike blood sugar in individuals. Try a cauliflower casserole (Cauliflower mashed with fat free (or reduced fat) sour cream and green onions). Spaghetti squash with a puttenesca sauce is also another great "starch" side.

Make a beautiful salad. Greek salads are terrific or just some "perfect" greens with some sliced pears, blue cheese, walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette.

Simple grilled meats are terrific as a protein. If he's a meat lover, he'd appreciate a good steak or some nice grilled fish.

Dessert can be an apple (or other fruit) crisp made with oats and nuts in the topping. I can't tell the difference using Splenda in Fruit Crisps. I do agree though that the sugar free and low fat cheese cakes pretty much suck.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

8. The paper just had an article on a couple of wholesale

meat suppliers that sell prime, aged beef. Both also sell to the public. If grilled meat is okay, I will buy some. I don't eat or cook much beef, but I can make an exception for a great friend. I just hope I don't blow it. Grilling or roasting meat is not a strength of mine. I came very close to ruining the last standing rib roast I cooked. :(

Thanks for the suggestions. All are great & most appreciated.

[NorthernSpy]

9. chemo plus diabetes could leave him very prone to infections...

When cooking for someone who may be unusually susceptible to infection, beware things that are raw, rare, or unpasteurized. It's too bad, because lots of great foods -- both exotic (sashimi) and common (red-rare beef, soft-yolked eggs, green salad) fall into those categories. But his system might not be able to handle such things.

My advice would be to serve everything well-done. And it might be wise to have a variety of foods ready (rather than cooking everything as a one-pot meal), because your guest's appetite may be unpredictable, and he may be experiencing unusual food aversions or cravings. Also, please don't feel compelled to manage his nutritional intake too closely: just offer something from each basic food group, and let your guest choose what and how much of each goes in his belly.

Best of luck for your dinner party!