In our area of Southern California, there are four of us in the family and all four of us eat a different diet.
I have to watch caffeine and sodium.
Another relative won't eat animal products.
There's one on a diet to try and spare failing kidneys, and another with coronary artery disease and gout.
What does that mean when it's time to share a meal? There are a lot of considerations, and I usually have to do a few extra things so that everyone can have a decent meal without resorting to foods that are either bad for them or not something that goes against personal ethics.
It's a little more work, but can be done.
Here are some examples: CAD + Gout: Of the four, this is actually the trickiest.
With CAD, fat, cholesterol and sodium are things that have to be worked around.
Most of the protein comes from seafood, lean poultry and beans.
With gout, most flare ups come from seafood and beans.
This does, by the way, include soybeans.
The doctor has prescribed a small amount of red wine, which is usually appreciated.
The answers include small servings of poultry mixed with other things (pasta, tomato sauce, etc.
) and lots of fresh vegetables.
Fresh cherries and strawberries plus unsweetened cherry juice can all be useful.
Low Sodium, no Caffeine: At a family dinner in our small group, no caffeine isn't really a problem.
Those that drink it do some from cans, and I can always bring a bottle of water.
The sodium part is what's hard to get around.
Most processed foods contain a great deal of sodium, so this means cooking from scratch as much as possible.
That's actually better for everyone else, anyway.
We use the grill a great deal at family gatherings, so picking up some fresh poultry and fresh, grilling veggies is a good idea.
Potato chips and fries are not.
There is a lot to be said for grilled corn on the cob and grilled asparagus.
Veggie/vegan: If fish is in the acceptable range, I often get salmon or halibut.
Even with gout, a small sample is usually OK (unless it's a personal trigger).
If not, there are many soy based meat substitutes.
You don't have to just depend on tofu anymore.
It must be pointed out that too much soy can pose a problem.
It can raise the risk for hormone related cancers in both men and women.
If you go the soy route, make sure to be tested often and do so with caution.
Kidney Diet: You'd think the CAD/Gout diet would be the hardest to handle, but in reality this is.
When the kidneys are not functioning well, there truly isn't a lot that's safe to consume.
It needs to be low protein, which rules out using a lot of meat or vegetables that contain it.
Sugar is difficult to process, which rules out even more vegetables.
With that and the low sodium needs, most processed foods are ruled out.
Tomatoes, potatoes and even avocados are supposed to be avoided.
When I can't avoid one of these vegetables, leaching can help get some of the constituents that cause problems.
Lettuce and cucumber can be eaten.
Fat free dairy may also be used, if the doctor agrees.
What's best is to talk to the doctor to find out which foods are the best.