Quinoa ...if she can cook it. it is the only grain at is a complete protein...has all the amino acids our bodies need.
For some extra protein in an otherwise good diet, I'm seconding the quinoa. You can store it (before cooking) like rice.
Yes, I'm hypoglycemic/pre-diabetic so I always have to balance & keep my protein levels up. Quinoa is wonderful. It's dry, so it stores well. It has a bland, yet slightly nutty flavor. So it won't be tasteless, like rice, as it does have it's own taste. However, DN can mix it with whatever flavorful sauces or spices she may have on hand. It's very versatile and can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
She has to make sure she rinses it really well before cooking to get rid of the bitter taste. I rinse it three times, like I would rice, placing it in a pot, and rubbing it through my hands in the water. I do this three times, or rinsing until the water runs clear and nothing is coming off when I rub.
For breakfast, I have it with a little salt, butter, powdered milk & sugar. Other times I may also throw in dried or fresh fruit while cooking and some cinnamon.
For lunch, I may make a cold quinoa salad with diced veggies, tossed in a vinaigrette.
For dinner, I use whatever sauce my entree is: chicken broth, or tomato sauce & cheese, or pesto, etc. The heartier & more flavorful the sauce, the better. Just like rice or pasta, it's a hearty filler, taking in the flavor of the sauce. I also have it with just butter and (shelf stable) grated Parmesan cheese.
For a high protein pasta, you can't beat
Barilla Plus Pasta. Yellow box, not blue. It is is the ONLY pasta I eat now as it is made specially to be high protein and low in carbs. Barilla Plus is made with chick peas & other high protein, fiber & Omega 3 ingredients. Yet it tastes like regular pasta.
It is a better choice for anyone who would still like to eat pasta, but not all the carbs. And it does NOT taste like boiled cardboard the way "whole wheat" pastas do.
You do have to cook it a bit longer than regular pasta.
You can check the chart for the ratio of protein, fiber & Omega 3's vs. other foods:
Barilla Plus pasta. OR:
http://www.barillaus.com/PLUS_information.aspx
If you're sending DN peanut butter, include a bottle of sesame oil & packets of soy sauce & some cayenne. She can then make Sesame Noodles. It can be eaten cold or hot. It does not taste like peanut butter, as the sesame oil & soy changes the taste.
Here is a super easy Sesame Noodle recipe to make with the
Barilla PLUS Pasta and get all her protein in one dish. None of the ingredients have to be refrigerated.
Sesame Noodles
1 tablespoon peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 pound thin spaghetti, (or any pasta) cooked, drained**
** I reserve 2 tablespoons of the hot pasta water to thin the sauce, otherwise it's a thick glob.
Mix peanut butter, soy, cayenne, oil and sesame oil and pasta water together. Add noodles and toss to coat.
This can be made as a cold pasta. Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water for a couple minutes.
If DN is not allergic to soy, she can have this shelf stable brand of tofu. It does not have to be refrigerated or kept in water.
Mori-Nu tofu. It's comes in different firmness. It can be found at most health food stores. It's great as a substitute for egg salad. Go to a deli and see if you can buy a bunch of their shelf stable mayo and mustard packets to mix in.
This tofu doesn't have to be cooked although it can be. Hot tofu scramble for breakfast if there are no eggs. Health food stores also have "tofu scramble" packets of seasonings, so it tastes like a spiced omelette. Tofu taco salad, (instead of meat.) Just season it with taco seasoning while heating. Or add it, cut in cubes, to a sauce or a veggie stir-fry.
As others have recommended, Whey protein. Whey is made from eggs, *I think.* So make sure she does not have an egg allergy. Trader Joes makes a good one as well as Designer (brand) Protein. Chocolate or vanilla flavor in either brand are good.
For snacks:
The mini Babybel, little rounds of cheese wrapped in red wax, are shelf stable, as are the Laughing Cow cheeses. They are usually in the cheese/dairy refrigerated section, as people reach for cheeses there, but they do not have to be refrigerated.
Zone Perfect makes protein bars that taste just like a good chocolate bar but has a high percentage of protein. They also have fruit yogurt bars, great for when I'm not in a nut mood.
Balance Bars and Trader Joe's 40/30/30 protein bars are good, too. They mostly have nutty flavors.
Carnation instant breakfast powder. Has vitamins in it.
This has to be made with milk. Unless there a milk source available, (or powdered milk sent,) she won't be able to make this. Also, last I checked this is HIGH, HIGH in a lot of sugar and chemicals.
I would also recommend Biotin. It is a vitamin that helps with thinning and hair loss.
I have a problem after every surgery I have (and I have had many since my cancer) and my Dr recommended Biotin. I take 1 tablet a day and I hav e seen alot of improvement in my hair. It is still thin but I don't see as much falling out as I did before.
I buy mine at
Walmart, it is about $6 for 100 tablets.
Thanks for this tip. I also have hypothyroidism. I lost a lot of hair.
It used to be stick straight and really thick. Now, it is wavy & thin.) I used to barely be able to wrap a ponytail elastic around it twice. Now I can wind one 3-4 times around.
. Easy to mail, easy to cook, it is tasteless so she can add it to most anything she is eating.
