What to eat the day before a sonogram?

February 6, 2007 5:32 PM

So my girlfriend needs to eat a special diet tomorrow, the day before a scheduled sonogram. Only thing is, most things she likes are verboten. Help me ensure she's so full throughout the day, there's no room for

She has a sonogram Thursday at 9am for a cyst in one of her kidneys. Starting tomorrow morning, she's been instructed to consume no dairy (in particular milk), meat, fat, gaseous vegetables like beans and cabbage, carbonated drinks and maybe some other criteria I'm leaving out, but no doubt will be safe from her for the time being.

Milk and other dairy, I imagine, are to be avoided so that the kidneys don't have calcium to process/ confound the ultrasound. Fatty and gaseous foods likewise can interfere. What ideas/snacks/recipes might be safe and easy for me to prep on such extremely short notice? Should I look towards vegan fare?

Soy milk and coffee? Dried fruits, nuts and granola? No fat muffins? Jello?
Bread and water? Egg-white omelettes? Veggie sushi? Help me hive mind: a hungry girl is a cranky girl!

posted by now i'm piste to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

make pasta, drain it, and crack a couple of eggs over the hot pasta and mix it up. the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs and make a creamy sauce. a little salt and pepper or other herbs, and that should be a satisfying dinner.

she could probably have some soy milk and cereal w/dried fruit for breakfast, and veggie soup for lunch.
posted by thinkingwoman at 5:45 PM on February 6, 2007

you could make some pizza dough pretty quick and put spinach and mushrooms on it with no cheese. I can't eat dairy, and I make pizzas all the time with vegetables on top. Make one with carmelized onions on it if she can have that. It's the best. I'm having that for dinner tonight. No cheese. It's still good. I promise. (look at america's test kitchen for a dough recipe).
posted by bash at 5:52 PM on February 6, 2007

Best answer: I would have her call the physician that ordered the test tomorrow a.m., first thing for ideas, instead of just guessing. Many times they have information printed up that they could give her. Or, call the place where she is having the test, (if it's at a hospital, chances are you may be able to speak with someone tonight).

I wouldn't "assume" that soy milk is okay.
posted by 6:1 at 5:53 PM on February 6, 2007

It sounds like pasta with tomato sauce would work just fine.

Probably also a vegetable fried rice (rice, peas, peppers, carrots, olive oil, soy sauce, mirin) would do as well, if the olive oil doesn't count as a fat. Bits of scrambled egg can go in too, as long as that's not considered fat or meat.
posted by xo at 5:55 PM on February 6, 2007

breakfast: toast with jam or Nutella, coffee with soymilk. Or, for more elaborate set up: make crepes (1 cup soymilk, one cup flour, one eggs) and fill them with raspberries and chocolate.

snack: fruit/vegetable or granola with soy yogurt and berries

lunch: veggie sushi is a good idea.

dinner: pasta with baked tofu and pesto sauce
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel at 7:53 PM on February 6, 2007

Best answer: Most soymilk is enriched with calcium so if you think calcium is the issue, don't drink soymilk.
posted by chairface at 8:15 PM on February 6, 2007

baked corn chips and salsa (make sure it's no fat)

a fruit plate with all her favourites, cut and beautifully presented for snacking.

oatmeal with maple syrup
posted by carmen at 8:18 PM on February 6, 2007

eh, there are lots of things left to eat. scrambled egg whites+salsa+potatoes in a tortilla = breakfast wrap. For lunch and dinner there's salads, soups, pasta, gnocchi (sooo easy to cook), french fries, tuna sandwiches (or tuna melt using rice wannabe cheese), waffles with banana slices in the batter (cooks real yummy) and real maple syrup (no sugar added), peanut butter and apples, man, it's endless. Go to allrecipes.com and look up vegetarian dishes. If there's a Whole Foods nearby, you're in luck - half the store is dairy free.

Just keep it simple and you'll find lots of options. Ask her what she's craving and google-search that item.

Also, many asian foods are dairy free. Order delivery for Japanese, Thai, or chinese and you'll be fine. Good luck to you!
posted by iamkimiam at 9:03 PM on February 6, 2007

I echo 6:1's recommendation: Call the doctor's office and ask about the exact dietary restrictions.... so then she'll only have to do the test once.
posted by skillet at 9:10 PM on February 6, 2007

Response by poster: Seems some soy milks have calcium added. Something I most certainly didn't know about. Also, for anyone finding this later: chickpeas have calcium out the wazoo.

Thanks for all the ideas and leads guys.
posted by now i'm piste at 7:13 AM on February 7, 2007

I have never ever heard of a special diet before a renal ultrasound, but I found this on a Saskatoon Hospital website. Must be a North American thing:

Renal Arteries (Native Kidney) Ultrasound

Preparation

Light diet 2 days prior to the test (soup, juices, clear fluids, Jell-O etc.)
Nothing to eat or drink for 8 hours prior to the test. Full bladder is not required.
posted by roofus at 8:03 AM on February 7, 2007