T-day food for someone with pancreatitis?

So the MIL now has Pancreatitis. We've had Thanksgiving Dinner at her place, and even though the family is kind of fragmented, she's always gone way out of her way to provide a big meal with the usual.

I think this year it's going to be at our house and since her diagnosis I'm afraid I can't think of good things that are fat free and diabetic acceptable. Frankly, it seems like a terrible way to survive, but what can you do?

I'd like to try and come up with some ideas for things to make that fit that very narrow niche she's relegated to live within. Imagine having to eat salad, but you can't have dressing because of the fat or oil. Not sure if she can even eat baked fish, due to the amount of oil it may have. (I honestly don't know how much of what kind of stuff her body will accept right now, but I know it's not much.)

I am sure there must be some decent recipes that she can eat, but I just can't think of them. Even the "healthy" foods I think of have something or other that she shouldn't eat. The worst thing would be having a pancreatitis attack on T-day afternoon or the next day.

https://www.pancreasfoundation.org/patient-information/nutrition-advice-recipes/

Check out this page and the cookbook (free, PDF) that accompanies it!

EDIT: Ah, Gila beat me to it!

Thanks, guys. The thought of actually Googling recipes didn't even occur to me! :headsmack:

How much do you like your Mother-in-Law?

agrazela said:

How much do you like your Mother-in-Law?

Click to expand...

More than I should...

More like, "How much do I love my wife?"

Homercidal said:

More like, "How much do I love my wife?"

Click to expand...

More than you should?

Mashed potatoes with fat free milk? With bbq sauce

I've cooked Thanksgiving dinner and other big holiday meals for people with major dietary restrictions (Celiac, diverticulitis, complications following colorectal cancer treatment, etc.) I've always found it helpful to come up with some ideas, run it by the guest and ask for suggestions. I certainly don't know your MIL, but at least in my experience people were always appreciative of the effort and they offered helpful suggestions. (And don't get bent out of shape if she offers to make and bring her own dinner. )

And I bet some Yukon Golds sliced or fingerling-type Yukons wrapped in foil with salt and herbs like Rosemary and Tarragon and maybe a little stock would be good - you know, steamed in the foil packet in the oven.

ETA: Hearty root veggies are remarkably satisfying too - beets, carrots, parsnips, etc. Roasted or grilled with minimal or no olive oil might be good too.

Well, as it turns out, we are actually going to her house for T-day. I thought my wife was going to try to make things easier for her by inviting her to just come up and hang out and not have to cook or clean, but alas, we are doomed to travel, and of course I believe dinner will be served just as the second half of the Lions game is starting. (if history repeats itself).

As far as her diet, I know she can have turkey, and mashed potatoes. My wife didn't seem too interested in asking her about her diet needs, so I think it's all in the MIL's hands at this point. Except maybe I'll be asked to bake pies or something, as usual.

Homercidal said:

Well, as it turns out, we are actually going to her house for T-day. I thought my wife was going to try to make things easier for her by inviting her to just come up and hang out and not have to cook or clean, but alas, we are doomed to travel, and of course I believe dinner will be served just as the second half of the Lions game is starting. (if history repeats itself).

As far as her diet, I know she can have turkey, and mashed potatoes. My wife didn't seem too interested in asking her about her diet needs, so I think it's all in the MIL's hands at this point. Except maybe I'll be asked to bake pies or something, as usual.

Click to expand...

I'll take this as a "Yes".

GilaMinumBeer said:

I'll take this as a "Yes".

Click to expand...

Your honor, I would like to plead the 5th.

Stumbled upon this: https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/275880-zwetschgenknodel-plum-stuffed-potato-dumplings

Maybe make some with plums, some with turkey and cranberries? I'd add some stuffing if you're feeling brave. Definitely forego the butter and check the breadcrumbs for fat

Well, it's actually going to be at our house. Apparently there was the extremely rare case of miscommunication between me and my wife

She thought I was talking about going down this weekend for her mom's birthday (ah, crap!), while I was asking about T-day. So, yes, we are hosting T-day. And apparently the MIL is not as bad off as far as fats as I thought. She will eat some amount of butter and whatnot, but only has to keep it to a certain level. From what my wife says, it's much more than I imagined. Last time she went to the doctor they checked her cyst and it was shrinking, so whatever she's been doing has been helping.

I'll still take all the advice and recipes you got. I might try and make something interesting for the fun of it.

Well, I didn't end up making much this weekend. Yesterday I made Turkey and Rice soup with leftovers.

I did plan to make some of those Plum Dumplings, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe this week I'll give it a try.

I'm not sure what kind of diet the MIL is on. She ate a fair amount of fats that I thought she shouldn't.

Homercidal said:

I'm not sure what kind of diet the MIL is on. She ate a fair amount of fats that I thought she shouldn't.

Click to expand...

She is on the "I just don't understand why I am not feeling any better" diet.

Less common than the "I just don't understand why I am not losing weight" diet, but similar.

GilaMinumBeer said:

She is on the "I just don't understand why I am not feeling any better" diet.

Less common than the "I just don't understand why I am not losing weight" diet, but similar.

Click to expand...

Right. It's a hard thing to go from eating everything and anything you want to not being able to eat certain amounts of certain fats.

Diet Pepsi is keeping her alive right now I am sure.