Better Choices in Restaurants

[artbylen]

I am learning to make better choice when we go out to eat. I ask up front if they will cook the food the way I want it, no salt or seasoning with sodium. Olive oil is ok to cook grill, no sugar added and all sauces or salad dressings on the side.
Most places have been very accomadating to me. I get a take out box right from the time my food is served and divide it right then and there unless my husband and I decide to split the dinner.
Sandwiches, I give him the extra meat and cheese.
Fahitas, he gets the quacamole, rice, beans and salsas. They made a special order of salt free chips just for me. Asked for no seasoning so they simply squeezed a little lime juice on for me. I feel good!
I order my steak, fish, and chicken the same way with a side salad of lettuce and onion or a fruit salad.
When in doubt I ask for a poached egg on a dry English Muffin-Yummy!
I also enjoy a teaspoon of fresh (salt free) peanut butter in my oatmeal.
Take home orders usually make great sandwiches the next day.
(I am pre-dialysis, level 5 at 9% capacity) LOL

[Lucas]

Better Choice in Restaurants

Hi LOL,

I think I am on the same boat as you are. CRF at end stage 4 or early stage 5. May I ask you how long you have been on 9% kidney function? When will you start your dialysis. By the sound of it, you seem well prepared for it. Do you mind I pick your brain and share some of your experience? Thanks.

Lucas

[rlofcali]

better choices

Your right most places will acomidate most renal situations even thai food and what not. i find it more fun to dine out now then before i was on dialysis, i am experimenting with new foods and choices lol yeah the fluid restictions are bad but managible of course i always get my thai food with no salt or msg sodium ect lol no peanuts but there are alot of places that will special order my fiance always calls ahead to see if they will do that. my one draw back is i love pickles lol but oh well i always got lemons lol being on the machine is not as bad as it seems if you find a good unit stick with them and also a great dietician so see you all on the flip side
rl of cali

[penguin2000]

Pickles

Our local Save Mart just started carrying Mt Olive brand pickles....low sodium. Our neph. recommends 140mg/serving or less and the sweet ones have 100mg per 1.5 pickles. A treat now and then for my husband.

[tweetykiss]

My husband is going to tell the manager that he needs salt free just in case the waitress rolls her eyes and does not do what we request.....lol....anyway do oil and vinegar for salad dressing not have salt nor MSG.....then he will order the rice and steamed veggies (are steamed veggies in small amounts safe)?

[chefnancy]

Ask for the vinegar and oil (any kind) rather than a vinaigrette dressing, which may be high in sodium. Rice is good if prepared with little or no salt. At home you can cook rice in homemade chicken broth (commercial broths have too much sodium) for more flavor. Low potassium veggies such as lettuces, cabbage, green beans, corn and peas are usually fine.
Avoid potatoes, tomatoes, whole grain breads, bananas, oranges, dark sodas, commercial baking mixes, and anything else high in potassium or sodium. Most people need to restrict proteins and diary foods. Most decent restaurants will try to accommodate special diets, but realize that most commercial kitchens use products such as soup bases that are loaded with sodium. You can only expect them to do what they can.

[BrendaA]

questions about food

Where can you find a chart or informaiton on how much protein is in certain foods, especially raw... I thought all fruits were basically the same and safe, vegetables too.

[shay_pcb]

Here are links to a few sources I have found on the net that may help you::

• Nutrimaps
• List of High Protein Foods
• USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18
• Site with Nutritional Info on MANY foods!

Hope this helps!

[chefnancy]

On another thread you said you were restricted to 40g of protein. That would translate to about 4 oz. lean meat or fish. An egg is about 8g protein. Cheese varies, but you shouldn't have much of it anyway bc it is high in phosporous. I am a professional chef and I had to have help learning to do the proper diet bc at first it seems like if something is not on one list of forbidden foods, it is on another!!! You should really ask about the 40g restriction. That sounds kind of low. The key is to get a consultation with a RENAL dietitian. DO NOT accept the answer that you have to be on dialysis to be referred. The dialysis centers prefer to have people come to their dietitians pre-dialysis so they will be healthier when the time for dialysis comes. When you get the consultation, ask the dietitian to help you plan two weeks of meals and snacks that fit your preferences and lifestyle and to make you a shopping list or go shopping with you. After a couple of weeks on the diet you will have started to get the hang of things enough to plan your own meals and shopping lists.

[Ottawagirl]

I don't really see what is so bad about eating a "regular" take out meal once in a while or maybe just a small portion of one.

I want to enjoy the food I eat when i am out at least.
But I do pay attention at home when making food and most of the time.

I mean if you were having mexican food, I don't see what the big problem with having 1 or 2 spoonfulls of each topping...as long as they are not huge and that you do not do it too often.

[shay_pcb]

I don't think there is anything wrong with eating what you want every now and then either. Just remember to take binders when you do. It's limiting the bad things, not cutting them out completely.

[Jaleeah24]

Denny's

What do you think about Denny's senior lunch and dinners?

[flipw]

It depends on what they consist of. Many restaurant entrees contain a lot of sodium.

[Jaleeah24]

everybody 's body is different

Everybody's is different. 2 chicken wings can clog up my accessor oil and butter. I can only add two high phosphorus food with in a treatment. For ex. 1/2 cup of greens then 1/2 cup corn in another meal.Two weeks ago I ate 10 round fresh peas and i was in trouble .I also take phosphorous binders.

[chefnancy]

Jaleeah, do you not take phosphorous binders? If not, ask about them and you will have a great deal more flexibility in your diet as far as phosphorous is concerned.