High fibre, low fibre and low fermentable carbohydrate diets workshop

Todays recipes demonstrate the practical aspect of how dietitians can manipulate the fibre content and type in foods to bring about changes in gastrointestinal function.  The sorts of changes that we can make to bowel patterns using diet include: firming up loose bowel motions, softening hard bowel motions, reducing flatulence, reducing bowel bloating and pain and making bowel motions more regular.  For people who have had surgery to 're-plumb' their gastrointestinal system (for example if they were in a car accident or had cancer and had to have all or some of their stomach, intestines or bowel removed) manipulating the fibre type and content can be quite important to reduce the chances of a blockage occurring (called an obstruction) and to reduce any ongoing pain or discomfort they may experience.

First up is LOW fibre: Panfried chicken tenderloins in white sauce with strained soup.  The parsley is for decoration only.  The sauce has been infused with peppercorns and the flavours of vegetables.  It would usually be served with a variety of peeled, cooked low fibre vegetables.

RECIPE:  Panfried  chicken tenderloins with white sauce and vegetables

Ingredients

Method

250g chicken tenderloins ½  tblsp Olive oil 300 ml milk 1 onion 1 stalk celery 1 carrot 6 peppercorns 1 bay leaf 30 g butter 30g plain flour S and P Potato, carrot and cauliflower to serve

Peel the potatoes and carrots.  Cut into chunks and boil with cauliflower until tender.  Pan fry chicken in olive until golden brown and cooked through. Infuse milk with flavour by heating milk with onion, celery, carrot and spices slowly until boiling point is reached. Remove from the stove and cover for 30 mins. Melt butter in a heavy pan, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute over med heat. Add milk and heat, stirring constantly until boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

And now for HIGH fibre: Bircher muesli with berries

RECIPE:  Bircher Muesli

Ingredients	Method
2c rolled oats ½ c wheat germ 300ml pear juice 2 pears, skin left on and grated 200g natural low fat yoghurt 1 tblsp honey 4 tblsp toasted almonds Fresh fruit, optional	Soak the oats and rye in the pear juice overnight. Mix in yoghurt, grated pears and honey. Serve on its own or with fresh fruit.

And finally, a recipe that is LOW in FERMENTABLE CARBOHYDRATES (also referred to as FODMAPs), that is, a recipe that produces minimal gas in your bowel - great for people with the sort of IBS that is charactarised by excessive flatulance.  If you're gassy, it may be because you're eating too much wheat bran, onion, garlic, apples, pears, too much milk (lactose) or chewing too much sugar free gum (sorbitol and zylitol).   

RECIPE:   Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

Method

1 eggplant 1 c cooked white rice Olive oil 50g fetta, crumbled 25g chopped cashews ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp cumin 1 tblsp chopped parsley Salt and pepper Crushed corn flakes to top

Preheat oven to 220°C. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise within 5mm of the skin to make a border. Slash the centres 3 times diagonally to enable the heat to penetrate evenly. Transfer to the baking dish, season with salt and drizzle with oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and, when cool scoop out the flesh, leaving a 5mm border. Chop the flesh roughly. Heat oil, fry spices gently for 1 minute and add other ingredients, including eggplant flesh, mix together, cook and then pile into the eggplant shells. Sprinkle with crushed cornflakes and bake in the oven for 30 mins or until tops are golden and crisp.

If you are troubled with gas, pain, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, please see a dietitian who specialises in gastrointestinal troubles.  Of course, any of our dietitians at NutritionSense Dietitians would be pleased to help. Call Fiona on 0413 248 123 or see http://www.nutritionsense.com.au/ for details.   

Have a fantastic week,

Fiona xx