Low-acid, non-irritating, easy-to-make, non-dairy recipes & snack ideas?
November 10, 2019 12:28 AM Subscribe
Mr. Pup often gets canker sores. Eating anything acidic or spicy hurts / delays healing, so he eats bland food (basically rice and bread) when he’s on the mend. He ends up losing weight because the food is so boring, and he’s trying to gain weight. What low- or no-acid recipes and snack ideas can you share to keep Mr. Pup eating while he heals?
Here are our snowflakes:
- We don’t eat dairy.
- We eat mostly vegetarian, but we’re open to chicken and salmon. Eggs are fine.
- We’re looking for fast, easy-to-make recipes without a ton of steps.
- We have a pressure cooker, air fryer, dehydrator, immersion blender, food processor, oven and stove.
- Inexpensive options would be great.
- Higher-calorie snack ideas would be great.
Also—we’ve tried many canker-healing and canker-protecting products on the market, and we’re really looking for food recs here. Thanks in advance!
Here are our snowflakes:
- We don’t eat dairy.
- We eat mostly vegetarian, but we’re open to chicken and salmon. Eggs are fine.
- We’re looking for fast, easy-to-make recipes without a ton of steps.
- We have a pressure cooker, air fryer, dehydrator, immersion blender, food processor, oven and stove.
- Inexpensive options would be great.
- Higher-calorie snack ideas would be great.
Also—we’ve tried many canker-healing and canker-protecting products on the market, and we’re really looking for food recs here. Thanks in advance!
Would you consider food that takes a bit longer but can be easily frozen and quickly reheated? If so then Coconut dal can be made without any chilli or tomatoes and can be wonderfully flavoured without heat. You can also add more coconut to up the calories without adding dairy.
Or a vegetable stir fry (add chicken if you wish?) with a satay sauce and rice noodles.
One of my favourites is risotto made in the pressure cooker. I use the Serious Eats Pressure cooker risotto as a base, but we don't use mushrooms and we certainly don't make our own stock. We use olive oil to fry in, you could omit the white wine if that is too acidic, the soy sauce and miso paste make it wonderful but you could skip. It is creamy enough without the cheese added. If you miss the cheesy taste then I do like adding nutritional yeast but it isn't essential. Non acidic versions could be butternut squash (pre-roasted) with sage, or mushroom, or pea and mint. We do pea and lemon, which you could possibly do with just the lemon zest rather than adding acidic juice.
You can make a miso-ish soup using miso paste, grated ginger, soy sauce then add chicken/tofu, rice noodles, green vegetable (we tend to use broccoli but choi sum, pak choi etc all work well), a few spring onions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Pasta with green pesto, spinach, maybe some cooked chicken or salmon, peas, maybe green beans. Obviously you need to get pesto that is dairy free but that's easily available here.
If you use fake meat then try shepherd's pie with soya mince. Don't use tomatoes but otherwise add any veg you like. We quite like adding turnip to the mashed potato for the topping. This isn't necessarily quick but can be cooked in advance and frozen then baked in the oven.
I have had some success making a creamy and comforting "lasagne" layered with roast butternut squash/red onions, cooked chopped spinach and a white sauce made with oat milk or soya milk and flavoured with nutmeg. Best with fake cheese on top.
I wonder if you have considered if there is a food-related cause? My sister developed severe intermittent mouth ulcers as a teenager and eventually it turned out she had developed an allergy to chocolate. She cut it out and they went away. Apparently the other suspected foods were cinnamon, benzoates and some fruits (she can't remember now).
posted by kadia_a at 2:05 AM on November 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
Or a vegetable stir fry (add chicken if you wish?) with a satay sauce and rice noodles.
One of my favourites is risotto made in the pressure cooker. I use the Serious Eats Pressure cooker risotto as a base, but we don't use mushrooms and we certainly don't make our own stock. We use olive oil to fry in, you could omit the white wine if that is too acidic, the soy sauce and miso paste make it wonderful but you could skip. It is creamy enough without the cheese added. If you miss the cheesy taste then I do like adding nutritional yeast but it isn't essential. Non acidic versions could be butternut squash (pre-roasted) with sage, or mushroom, or pea and mint. We do pea and lemon, which you could possibly do with just the lemon zest rather than adding acidic juice.
You can make a miso-ish soup using miso paste, grated ginger, soy sauce then add chicken/tofu, rice noodles, green vegetable (we tend to use broccoli but choi sum, pak choi etc all work well), a few spring onions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Pasta with green pesto, spinach, maybe some cooked chicken or salmon, peas, maybe green beans. Obviously you need to get pesto that is dairy free but that's easily available here.
If you use fake meat then try shepherd's pie with soya mince. Don't use tomatoes but otherwise add any veg you like. We quite like adding turnip to the mashed potato for the topping. This isn't necessarily quick but can be cooked in advance and frozen then baked in the oven.
I have had some success making a creamy and comforting "lasagne" layered with roast butternut squash/red onions, cooked chopped spinach and a white sauce made with oat milk or soya milk and flavoured with nutmeg. Best with fake cheese on top.
I wonder if you have considered if there is a food-related cause? My sister developed severe intermittent mouth ulcers as a teenager and eventually it turned out she had developed an allergy to chocolate. She cut it out and they went away. Apparently the other suspected foods were cinnamon, benzoates and some fruits (she can't remember now).
posted by kadia_a at 2:05 AM on November 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
Best answer: How is his blood pressure? I ask because if he can handle a bit more salt than you might otherwise use, it will bump up the deliciousness of simple foods pretty effectively.
Try making a really umami-rich vegetable stock with kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms plus some scallions, diakon, carrots and a little cabbage. You can do that in your pressure cooker. This will make a savory base for any kind of soup or sauce for stir fry, and he can sip it too like a hot drink as is or stir in some miso paste. Braise root vegetables in it for a nice side dish, and you can add maple syrup or honey as the braise reduces into a glaze for a sweet and salty flavor. If you roast a chicken use this to deglaze the pan and make a gravy - spoon over rice. Do some slow cooked onions so they lose all their bite, deglazing with the stock a couple times, and then use this plus a bunch more stock to simmer tougher greens like collards or string beans for a while until tender - also a good use for your pressure cooker.
Basically yuminess comes from the combination of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. So unfortunately he can't have one of these, the sour. To compensate try bumping up at least one or more of these other flavors. Try very sweet things, or particularly salty things. He might enjoy bitterness more than before especially if tempered with saltiness - try a cup of green tea and some salted edamame for a classic combo, or salty kale chips.
Trying to gain weight is so hard, especially with dietary restrictions. Look into lentils, barley and chickpeas as staple foods with slightly more calories and protein. Set aside a prep day to make a bunch of bases, stock, cleaned veggies and so-on so grabbing a snack or completing a meal becomes a lot easier during the week.
posted by Mizu at 2:42 AM on November 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
Try making a really umami-rich vegetable stock with kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms plus some scallions, diakon, carrots and a little cabbage. You can do that in your pressure cooker. This will make a savory base for any kind of soup or sauce for stir fry, and he can sip it too like a hot drink as is or stir in some miso paste. Braise root vegetables in it for a nice side dish, and you can add maple syrup or honey as the braise reduces into a glaze for a sweet and salty flavor. If you roast a chicken use this to deglaze the pan and make a gravy - spoon over rice. Do some slow cooked onions so they lose all their bite, deglazing with the stock a couple times, and then use this plus a bunch more stock to simmer tougher greens like collards or string beans for a while until tender - also a good use for your pressure cooker.
Basically yuminess comes from the combination of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. So unfortunately he can't have one of these, the sour. To compensate try bumping up at least one or more of these other flavors. Try very sweet things, or particularly salty things. He might enjoy bitterness more than before especially if tempered with saltiness - try a cup of green tea and some salted edamame for a classic combo, or salty kale chips.
Trying to gain weight is so hard, especially with dietary restrictions. Look into lentils, barley and chickpeas as staple foods with slightly more calories and protein. Set aside a prep day to make a bunch of bases, stock, cleaned veggies and so-on so grabbing a snack or completing a meal becomes a lot easier during the week.
posted by Mizu at 2:42 AM on November 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
For a snack or dessert you could try banana smoothies. They're a lot of calories, too, especially if you load them up. All you have to do in advance is let bananas get overripe and then chunk them up and freeze them in a baggie.
One smoothie (all quantities are more or less, make it how you like it):
10 chunks frozen banana
a half to a whole cup almond milk depending on how thick or thin you like it
four medjool dates, pitted (that is the sweetness, if you prefer another sweetener such as sugar or agave etc., use that instead of the dates)
6 ice cubes
heaping tablespoon cocoa powder or more
heaping tablespoon peanut butter or more
Blend it till smooth. Very filling! You didn't mention a blender, so try it in your food processor if that is your only option.
posted by the webmistress at 5:33 AM on November 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
One smoothie (all quantities are more or less, make it how you like it):
10 chunks frozen banana
a half to a whole cup almond milk depending on how thick or thin you like it
four medjool dates, pitted (that is the sweetness, if you prefer another sweetener such as sugar or agave etc., use that instead of the dates)
6 ice cubes
heaping tablespoon cocoa powder or more
heaping tablespoon peanut butter or more
Blend it till smooth. Very filling! You didn't mention a blender, so try it in your food processor if that is your only option.
posted by the webmistress at 5:33 AM on November 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
Hummus? It's dead easy to make yourself, which is almost always tastier than store-bought.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 AM on November 10, 2019
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 AM on November 10, 2019
Puddings! There are so many great non-dairy puddings out there based on avocado or coconut milk -- Genevieve Ko's Better Baking has many. For savory protein options, individual flans or baked eggs.
posted by Hypatia at 7:25 AM on November 10, 2019
posted by Hypatia at 7:25 AM on November 10, 2019
Hummus is actually quite acidic - often contains lemon juice or other acids. Eat hummus with a tiny cut in the corner of your mouth and you'll quickly discover just HOW acidic it is...
posted by Murderbot at 7:46 AM on November 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Murderbot at 7:46 AM on November 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
Pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, assorted root vegetables are filling alternatives to rice and bread.
Variety may be found in all green leafy things, members of the brassica family, green beans and peas.
Pulses can contribute protein and different textures.
For calories add oil, vegetables pesto, nut butters to everything.
Herbs, salt, oils, sugar can all add flavours.
I guess it comes down to what you consider too many steps. A tray of roasted vegetables with a flavourful paste or marinade would entail peeling and cutting veg into chunks, drizzling with oil and while they roast you have to mix a few acceptable ingredients into a flavourful dressing of sorts. Let’s say 10-15 mins prep time all in all.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:15 AM on November 10, 2019
Variety may be found in all green leafy things, members of the brassica family, green beans and peas.
Pulses can contribute protein and different textures.
For calories add oil, vegetables pesto, nut butters to everything.
Herbs, salt, oils, sugar can all add flavours.
I guess it comes down to what you consider too many steps. A tray of roasted vegetables with a flavourful paste or marinade would entail peeling and cutting veg into chunks, drizzling with oil and while they roast you have to mix a few acceptable ingredients into a flavourful dressing of sorts. Let’s say 10-15 mins prep time all in all.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:15 AM on November 10, 2019
Hard boiled eggs make a great snack. If you make them in an Instapot they take about 10 mins total and are super easy to peel.
Rice cakes spread with sunflower seed butter (Sprouts has a good one) and bananas.
Chia seed pudding (recipes on line). I like mine made with coconut milk, maple syrup and coco powder, but there are lots of variations.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 9:30 AM on November 10, 2019
Rice cakes spread with sunflower seed butter (Sprouts has a good one) and bananas.
Chia seed pudding (recipes on line). I like mine made with coconut milk, maple syrup and coco powder, but there are lots of variations.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 9:30 AM on November 10, 2019
- yess to chia pudding! so yum!
- soy yogurt, granola & fruit
- refried beans with tortillas (do you guys do dairy-free cheese?)
- buckwheat & butter (i'm not a huge fan, but this stuff is loaded with minerals and goodies. my husband will cook a pot and eat it like ice cream. it's beyond me.) amaranth, on the other hand, is hella yummy though.
- i'd look into home made energy/protein balls (basically ground nuts, figs and stuff)
- porridge (overnight is yum too) with chia seeds, fruit, shredded coconut..
hum. tougher than i thought!
this is sort of a dumb question, but are there ways to cut back the acidity in foods? I've noticed coffee tasting a lot less bitter when you add ground cardamom to it - could this type of thing work with other foods?
posted by speakeasy at 10:05 AM on November 10, 2019
- soy yogurt, granola & fruit
- refried beans with tortillas (do you guys do dairy-free cheese?)
- buckwheat & butter (i'm not a huge fan, but this stuff is loaded with minerals and goodies. my husband will cook a pot and eat it like ice cream. it's beyond me.) amaranth, on the other hand, is hella yummy though.
- i'd look into home made energy/protein balls (basically ground nuts, figs and stuff)
- porridge (overnight is yum too) with chia seeds, fruit, shredded coconut..
hum. tougher than i thought!
this is sort of a dumb question, but are there ways to cut back the acidity in foods? I've noticed coffee tasting a lot less bitter when you add ground cardamom to it - could this type of thing work with other foods?
posted by speakeasy at 10:05 AM on November 10, 2019
Do you know meat eaters? Meat fat - chicken, beef, bacon, etc., will make anything you cook extremely desirable and it is high-calorie. Second to that is broth from chicken or other meat.
posted by theora55 at 10:16 AM on November 10, 2019
posted by theora55 at 10:16 AM on November 10, 2019
When I had this same issue, I really relied on dairy. Some of the stuff I ate would still work with dairy substitutes though, I think:
I would make pastina with jarred Alfredo sauce (I have seen nondairy versions of this; not sure how good they are), and mashed potatoes with butter (So margarine). Also lots of pudding, yogurt, and ice cream, and Scottish Oats (so cut into tiny bits, not just rolled) with peanut butter mixed in. Cream-style soups were also good. I used to be vegan (before the sore issue) and did enjoy stuff like cream of mushroom soup made with soy, and coconut ice cream, but if you guys don’t like the substitutes my suggestions are fairly useless.
I made a lot smoothies with frozen banana, soy milk, and big globs of almond butter. Plain applesauce was also tolerable, and I’d sometimes have it in the snack pouches so it wouldn’t even touch the sores. I didn’t make congee but I bet it would be food with tour restrictions as long as you keep the seasonings minimal.
Very important to rinse out your mouth after having sweet stuff, since supposedly the sugar makes your mouth more acidic (sorry if this is old knowledge for you).
Sore mouth is a common chemo side effect so I found good official medical recommendations on foods that might help by searching for that term.
posted by sometamegazelle at 10:31 AM on November 10, 2019
I would make pastina with jarred Alfredo sauce (I have seen nondairy versions of this; not sure how good they are), and mashed potatoes with butter (So margarine). Also lots of pudding, yogurt, and ice cream, and Scottish Oats (so cut into tiny bits, not just rolled) with peanut butter mixed in. Cream-style soups were also good. I used to be vegan (before the sore issue) and did enjoy stuff like cream of mushroom soup made with soy, and coconut ice cream, but if you guys don’t like the substitutes my suggestions are fairly useless.
I made a lot smoothies with frozen banana, soy milk, and big globs of almond butter. Plain applesauce was also tolerable, and I’d sometimes have it in the snack pouches so it wouldn’t even touch the sores. I didn’t make congee but I bet it would be food with tour restrictions as long as you keep the seasonings minimal.
Very important to rinse out your mouth after having sweet stuff, since supposedly the sugar makes your mouth more acidic (sorry if this is old knowledge for you).
Sore mouth is a common chemo side effect so I found good official medical recommendations on foods that might help by searching for that term.
posted by sometamegazelle at 10:31 AM on November 10, 2019
If you want to make rice a bit more interesting, you can make coconut rice, essentially replacing half the water normally used for rice with coconut milk and adding a little sugar and salt.
posted by ShooBoo at 11:05 AM on November 10, 2019
posted by ShooBoo at 11:05 AM on November 10, 2019
For a snack or quick breakfast, these almond flour scones are non-dairy, high in protein, and quick to make. You can easily adjust the added nuts and dried fruits according to your taste/texture preferences.
posted by 4rtemis at 11:16 AM on November 10, 2019
posted by 4rtemis at 11:16 AM on November 10, 2019
Response by poster: Great suggestions so far. Keep them coming! A few things I forgot to mention:
- Mr. Pup hates sweet potatoes and root vegetables.
- Sweets are not really his thing. Savory is better.
- We’re trying to pack snacks for him to eat during the workday. Easily packable snack suggestions would be very much appreciated.
posted by saltypup at 11:17 AM on November 10, 2019
- Mr. Pup hates sweet potatoes and root vegetables.
- Sweets are not really his thing. Savory is better.
- We’re trying to pack snacks for him to eat during the workday. Easily packable snack suggestions would be very much appreciated.
posted by saltypup at 11:17 AM on November 10, 2019
My mom made me mung bean soup whenever I had canker sores.
On preview: it's not savory but it doesn't have to be very sweet either.
posted by typify at 11:21 AM on November 10, 2019
On preview: it's not savory but it doesn't have to be very sweet either.
posted by typify at 11:21 AM on November 10, 2019
Best answer: Savoury snacks is pretty challenging with no dairy and a sore mouth! I am not surprised you are struggling.
You can make savoury muffins but many use cheese. If you find a recipe that doesn't use too much cheese then I expect nutritional yeast or fake cheese would work. I have seen pumpkin muffins and some with spinach and red onion. I also had some amazing broccoli ones made by a friend but I don't have recipes.
Does he have access to refrigeration during the day? If so then mini frittatas are easy and excellent. Flavours can include spinach and salmon, roast veg (pepper courgette aubergine onion) or maybe asparagus and chicken.
Here in the UK pasties are common lunch food and are a calorie bomb! Maybe look up some recipes.
posted by kadia_a at 1:06 PM on November 10, 2019
You can make savoury muffins but many use cheese. If you find a recipe that doesn't use too much cheese then I expect nutritional yeast or fake cheese would work. I have seen pumpkin muffins and some with spinach and red onion. I also had some amazing broccoli ones made by a friend but I don't have recipes.
Does he have access to refrigeration during the day? If so then mini frittatas are easy and excellent. Flavours can include spinach and salmon, roast veg (pepper courgette aubergine onion) or maybe asparagus and chicken.
Here in the UK pasties are common lunch food and are a calorie bomb! Maybe look up some recipes.
posted by kadia_a at 1:06 PM on November 10, 2019
On the recipe front, I actually just made a great barley risotto - sautee onions and shallots, add garlic and carrots and celery (and mushrooms if you like them), then 3/4 cup of rinsed pearl barley and 1 1/2 cups heated broth of your choice. Let it cook and absorb, and add another 2 cups as it disappears. I added shredded chicken and sun-dried tomatoes towards the end. Season with thyme, S&P, a little bouillon or something, maybe a dash of wine vinegar. Add a pat of butter to grease it up at the end. Recipe calls for parmesan to add a salty tang but you could substitute something else there!
And on the canker front, I'm going to be that guy who answers the wrong question, so I'll keep it brief: I inherited a walnut allergy that causes canker sores. It developed in my 20s (some in my family were born with it, lost it, etc). Just thought I'd mention this just in case something like it could be the culprit!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 1:25 PM on November 10, 2019
And on the canker front, I'm going to be that guy who answers the wrong question, so I'll keep it brief: I inherited a walnut allergy that causes canker sores. It developed in my 20s (some in my family were born with it, lost it, etc). Just thought I'd mention this just in case something like it could be the culprit!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 1:25 PM on November 10, 2019
Avocados and string cheese are both reasonably portable, pretty gentle on canker sores, and filling.
posted by karayel at 8:23 PM on November 10, 2019
posted by karayel at 8:23 PM on November 10, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 12:46 AM on November 10, 2019