Q: My 56 years old father is suffering from liver cirrhosis and the doctor has asked him to keep a low protein diet. Can you give me a diet sample that is low on proteins?

A:To reduce the amount of protein consumed, protein foods in recipes can be stretched or reduced as against more of the low- or non-protein foods, making a smaller amount seem just as satisfying.

• Sandwiches: Use thinly sliced chicken/ paneer. Fill with salad items like lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, chopped carrot, apple, tomato or cabbage.
• Soups: Use lower protein foods (rice or pasta) to make soups as filling but with less protein.
• Main Dishes: Make the main dish of vegetables and grains, and treat meat/ paneer/ fish as the side dish to your meal. Use small pieces of meat/ fish / chicken/ paneer and more vegetables in kebabs. Make fried rice with vegetables.
• Other food items:For salads use crisp, fresh vegetables. Use arrowroot biscuits and water chestnut flour. Use low-protein pastas and breads in the diet. For cheeses, use smaller amounts of stronger-tasting cheeses (sharp cheddar, parmesan or romano) for plenty of flavor.
• Boost calories to compensate: Decreasing protein in the diet may also mean a reduction in calories. To compensate so as to maintain a healthy weight, increase calories by substituting or adding certain ingredients with minimal protein content, such as increase heart-healthy fats like polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, soybean or sunflower oils), olive oil, mayonnaise-type salad dressings. Also, use candy and sweeteners (hard candy, gum drops, jelly beans, marshmallows, honey, jam and jelly - even sugar (diabetics need medical advice). You can use canned fruits in heavy syrup.
Cited below is a sample low protein menu:-
Breakfast: Oats cereal or equivalent three-fourth cup; Milk half cup; a small banana, half a cup orange juice
• Snack: a bowl fruit
• Lunch: two chapattis made with half waterchestnut atta; chicken breast; lettuce; tomato; green beans; one medium apple
• Snack fresh coconut water, two arrowroot biscuits
• Dinner: Paneer - 2 oz/56 g; Brown rice – half cup; broccoli – one-fourth cup; cauliflower – one-fourth cup; tossed salad; pineapple – half cup
The above explained sample low protein menu contains approximately 39 gm protein, 1476 calories, 48 gm fat, 237 gm carbohydrates, 1270 mg sodium and 2282 mg potassium.