Low Salt Entree Ideas

[luvmarypoppins]

I am planning to cook a entree/meal for an elderly couple at church.

The sweet lady just had colon surgery.

They are asking for small portions, low salt, nothing spicy or gassy etc.

Anyone have any good recipes that will feed 2. I dont think they want a lot of leftovers etc.

 

[Malibustyle23]

What about a garden salad with lots of fresh veggies and topped with a grilled chicken breast. The chicken could be cold or served hot. There is nothing like fresh tomatoes and vegetables in the summer. You could also add a low sodium soup if that would not be enough for a complete meal.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Cooking from scratch and keeping it simple will make it easy. Fresh chicken that you grill or broil or bake etc. Steam fresh veggies, maybe some fresh local fruit. I would consider a larger bowl of fresh fruit even if you keep portion size low as that is great to snack on or have for breakfast. Sometimes when I do a meal, I will add a few fresh baked muffins and tell them they are for breakfast the next day. Fresh Blueberry would be nice right now. We sometimes also like to add paper products and a drink so they have nothing to clean up or need to add anything.

 

[CaliBear]

In this case I would serve baked fish or chicken, peas, plain rolls or corn bread.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Chicken and rice is always an easy, blandish kind of meal that works well. Use low sodium broth and cook it all together.

 

[minkydog]

I have been cooking low salt since DH's recent heart issues. Since his valve replacement his taste buds have changed--he no longer likes beef or seafood (and that's saying something for a guy from the Gulf Coast~)

I've been making a lot of low-sodium grilled chicken with my George Forman grill, since my gas grill decided to spring a propane leak... I take boneless chicken thighs and cut each one in two. Sprinkle a little onion powder and garlic powder on top, grill about 15-20 min--very tasty.

My family loves when I make these crispy oven chicken nuggets.
Buy the boneless chicken thighs and cut them into strips. Set them aside. Crush 3 cups corn flakes in a large Ziploc bag; add 1 tbs parsley and 1-2 TBS parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Whisk some eggs in a bowl. Set aside.
Put flour in a large bowl. Set aside.

Now put it together--
Roll the chicken strips in flour. Dip in egg wash. Roll them in the crushed corn flake mix. Lay them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 min. Serve with honey or honey mustard or BBQ sauce. These things are really crunchy and you don't even miss the salt.

If your friend just had colon surgery she's probably not up for a lot of salad or fresh fruit just yet. She may prefer bland, easy to digest foods like green beans and mashed potatoes. No corn, squash, cruciferous vegetables, greens. No citrus or tomatoes either--they have a lot of acid and can be quite upsetting to a post-surgical colon.

 

[etoiles]

I did a lot of low sodium cooking when my little one started eating solid food so he could eat what we ate.

Trader Joes makes an awesome salt free organic tomato sauce which is great. I combine it with sauteed veggies to make a sauce and you could also add meat (I add lentils since we are vegetarian.). Just go light on the cheese since parmesan has a lot of sodium.

Trader Joes also has a sodium free bread which you could use to make french toast for a nice breakfast meal.

You could also make a stew or soup with low sodium broth. Check the labels because I found one that the salt free broth had higher sodium than the low sodium broth!

 

[RitaZ.]

I am planning to cook a entree/meal for an elderly couple at church.

The sweet lady just had colon surgery.

They are asking for small portions, low salt, nothing spicy or gassy etc.

Anyone have any good recipes that will feed 2. I dont think they want a lot of leftovers etc.

I'd do a search online for what foods to eat and avoid after colon surgery. While veggies are great, some can produce a lot of gas. Good luck.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Are those the only restrictions? Colon surgery patients often have trouble digesting fresh fruit and veggies, and do better if they're processed. Go figure. A nurse told me that white breads instead of whole wheat -- stuff that normally isn't considered healthy eating -- is easier to digest. Definitely avoid broccoli, citrus, and beans of any kind.

 

[dawnball]

I'd go for soft and easy to digest.

Chicken and rice. Chicken/turkey and dumplings or ala king. Pasta in a mild, creamy sauce. Well cooked vegetables or fruits. Probably not beef or pork, but if you want to do beef I'd do either a very tender pot roast or something with ground meat.

They probably also mean smaller servings than you're thinking. Post-surgical recommendations are frequently to eat 6 times a day to reduce pressure on your colon. I'm on a stomach/colon-friendly diet right now, and my dinner was 2 ounces of chicken tenders (made with chopped/ground meat), gravy/sauce and a half cup of mashed potatoes, made extra thin. Having two servings like that magically appear in my house would be fine - more than that would be a burden.

 

[anniemae]

I would do a soup of some sort. Maybe a minestrone using low sodium broth. Send it along with a loaf of nice bread and you have a meal.

 

[dawnball]

Soup is good.

If you want to use summer produce, I just made a corn soup. Cut the kernels off 8 ears of corn, then scrape the milk out of the ears into the bowl. Add just enough cream to moisten (maybe a half or 2/3 cup) and a tablespoon or three of butter. Cook covered on the stove or in a 350 degree oven until corn is tender.

That was creamed corn for the rest of the family.

I took a couple cups of the creamed corn and tossed it in the blender. Add a splash of white wine, another splash of cream and enough water to puree. Blend the heck out of it. Press it through a sieve or strainer to remove the fiber and simmer for a bit to cook off the alcohol taste from the wine. It was good hot or cold, had a decent number of calories and needed a minimal amount of salt.