Pancreas-friendly Recipes

[Nathalie_MC]

For many patients, it is difficult to find recipes that comply with a low-fat diet and serve individual needs at the same time. Nutrition plays a key role in managing pancreatitis, and exchanging experiences can be very valuable to others.

Do you know some pancreas-friendly recipes you want to share with others? What did you eat this week?

[KarenB12 Ambassador]

I can't say I have any 'special' low-fat recipes, but I have started making my own soup. I eat it for lunch almost every day and it is a great way to avoid all the extra salt & fat in canned foods.

Every 10 days or so, I roast a chicken in the oven. But first, I Spatchcock it which is like a butterfly cut.

1. Place the chicken on a cutting board breast side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone.

2. Turn the chicken around and cut along the other side of the backbone to remove it. (This step is optional - it will flatten with just the cut in step 1, without removing the backbone)

3. Using a paring knife, make a 1/2″cut from the tip of the breast bone down on either side, which will make it easier to flatten.

4. Turn the chicken over breast side up. Place your hands over the middle of the breast and press down hard to flatten.

I only add a few lemon slices and some Rosemary, maybe a little Ms. Dash for seasoning. Slide it up under the skin.

Cook at 400 for approx. 1 hour.

While that's cooking, cut up the veggies for the soup. (see below)

Once the chicken is done and mostly cooled, pull off all the meat, and cut or shred it into bite-size pieces. Discard the skin.

**ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe makes a fairly bland broth. Good for those times you need to lay low for a day or two. But if you want more flavor, you'll need to add the drippings from the roasting pan as well.

Generally, there's quite a bit of grease in with the goodies at the bottom of the pan. I find if I let the pan cool to nearly room temp, I can pour off the grease. It will run over the top of the gooey, burnt bits.

Then add 1 cup of water to the bottom pan and place it on medium-high heat. Let it bubble for a second, then scrape up all the flavoring from the pan and pour it into the Instapot.

This is another reason I cool the broth and skim for fat before putting the soup together. (See below)

Pop all the bones into an instapot or large stockpot along with:

12-14 cups of water

2 Tbls. Apple Cider Vinegar (it helps draw the nutrients from the bones)

12 Peppercorns

Add the discarded bits of veggies (the ends you cut off, peels if you peel your carrots, everything you'd normally toss in the trash)

Add whatever herbs or spices you prefer. I use:

4 cloves garlic, smashed

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

And pan drippings if used

Bring to a boil (Saute on the Instapot) and skim off any impurities

Set the instapot to pressure cook for 1 hour. When it's done, release the steam and strain through cheesecloth or a colander.

Once that's done, I usually put it in the fridge overnight. That way all the fat congeals on the top and the next day I can just skim off most of the grease.

Heat the bone broth in a large stockpot along with 2 large boxes of low-sodium chicken broth.

Add in your veggies: I use approx. 6-8 carrots, 8 stalks of celery, 2-3 med-sized Leeks, and 6-8 oz. sliced mushrooms.

Add 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Add 3 (or to preference) large strips of fresh ginger, finely chopped

Add 2-3 sprigs of fresh Rosemary

Season to taste

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until the Rosemary is soft enough to chew)

Remove the Rosemary sprigs/stems (Most of the leaves will have cooked off into the soup)

**This next step is my way of getting as much of the grease & oil out of my soup as possible.

Once the soup is fully cooked, add in the chopped/shredded chicken, and remove from heat.

Once the pot is cool enough, pop it into the fridge, again, overnight. The next morning, skim off the congealed grease and portion the soup into smaller containers.

This amount will last me at least a week and often up to 10 days of meals. This soup only gets better with time.

**I know that there are many excellent nutrients in bone broth and that many are in the 'fat' I skim off, but for someone with pancreatitis, it's better to miss a few nutrients and not have all that fat to digest.

The ginger, garlic, black pepper, and rosemary all have healing/anti-inflammatory effects on the body. So try not to skimp on those ingredients.

Enjoy!

[Nathalie_MC in reply to KarenB12]

Thank you for this great recipe! It sounds so delicious, and your methods of removing fat are really smart. I especially love the idea of cooking a big amount of something and eating it over several days. I sometimes cook vegetable soup in a similar way, and I will definitely try your chicken soup 🙂

I never really see recipes for low fat desserts or sweets. Do you have a go-to pancreas-friendly dessert?

[Sshe]

This is a great topic, Nathalie! I hope more people will contribute with ideas because I'm always on the hunt for better options.

For me, I limit my fat to 20-30 grams per day and I'm gluten free and somewhat lactose intolerant, so it's been a lot of experimentation in terms of getting in the nutrition I need and still enjoying what I'm eating. An added complication for me is that I also need convenience because of my busy schedule. I don't have a ton of time to cook or, quite frankly, the energy to do it most days.

So, I've learned how to adapt recipes so they're lower fat or fat free, plus seeking out packaged options that make cooking faster and easier.

I substitute no fat plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt for sour cream. I use a vegan butter that's coconut oil based in limited quantities. Fat free lactose free milk instead of 2%. Apple sauce for butter when baking.

The biggest help for me has been learning more about spices, salsas, and sauces that give more flavor and no fat. Turmeric, ginger, miso (in limited quantities for flavoring), tamari, chili paste, fish sauce, curry, cumin, paprika, mint, oregano, basil, dill, garlic, onions, mustards, lime, lemon, balsamic vinegar, sriracha, hot sauces and salsas... There are a ton of ways to prepare chicken, low fat fish, and beans when you expand your spice and sauce options.

Rice is a main staple of my diet every day--ALL kinds of rices so I don't get bored with it. Kimchi (bought packaged from the grocery store) is one of my daily staples too. Egg whites, no fat refried beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, lentils, mahi mahi, cod, tilapia, potatoes, rice noodles... Of course, fruits and veggies are a must. I try to cut up fresh fruit in the morning so I have it to snack on when I'm craving something sweet.

When recipes call for sauteeing, I use coconut oil. My body seems to tolerate that oil better than any other, but I know some people can't tolerate any cooking oil at all.

Getting an Instant Pot was also a huge time and sanity saver for me. There are a lot of nights where I just search up "Instant Pot recipes" and whatever ingredients I have on hand, then modify the recipe to be as low-fat as possible. An air fryer is also great for modifying recipes to be low or no fat.

I usually start my day with brown rice, egg whites, and salsa (sometimes with nutritional yeast to add a cheese-ish flavor). Some of my favorite recipes are Kedgeree, baked potatoes with my cravings of the day mixed inside, No Bake Cookies (with butter swapped out for apple sauce), Turmeric Chicken No-Noodle soup, White Bean Chili, Instant Pot Burrito Bowls, Dal Bhat, Honey Balsamic or Honey Garlic Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Dijon Chicken, Fish Tacos (but since I'm GF, served on rice like a burrito bowl), Lentil burgers, White Bean and Tomato and Cucumber salad with vinegar of choice...

One of these days, I'll learn how to roll my own sushi rolls! But for now, that's something I still get from restaurants.

I hope that helps! It's been four years for me and I'm still learning

[madonbrew Pioneer]

Butternut squash soup is really good too…I just chop the squash, add an onion 🧅 and a potato 🥔 or few…depending how many you’re cooking for. Boil it all up on the stove with some vegetable stock and when soft enough, pop it in the blender, and there’s some good, tasty 😋 soup! You can add extra flavouring for your own taste.