PKU Christmas Tips
Here are 5 tips to help you make the most of the celebrations during the festive season.
Plan your Christmas Day menu in advance
Reduce the stress of cooking for a special diet by planning ahead. Look through magazines and recipe books for ideas. Which ingredients can be changed to make a traditional Christmas dish low protein? Simple substitutions can often be made to make a dish suitable for a low protein diet. The Fate cookbook & Nutricia website has many low protein Christmas recipes. What type of meals are usually eaten on Christmas Day – is it a barbecue with lots of cold salads or a traditional hot Christmas dinner with all the trimmings? Consider your child’s favourite foods and the types of dishes usually served. Many foods can be prepared and cooked in advance and frozen, reducing the time spent in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
Let your child be involved in food preparation and menu planning
Children like to be involved in decision making. Offer them a few choices for the menu. Even young children if closely supervised can help with simple food preparation tasks such as washing and peeling vegetables, measuring ingredients, or mixing and stirring. Children are often more likely to eat a meal if they help prepare it.
Encourage family members and friends to bring a suitable dish
Christmas is often a time spent with family but often family members or friends can be unsure of suitable low protein dishes to make. Provide them with a simple recipe for a salad or treat.
Make a special drink or treat that everyone can enjoy
Low protein food doesn’t just have to be for the person with PKU! Fruit and vegetables are for everyone to enjoy. Combine orange juice, cranberry juice and soda water or lemonade for a colourful Christmas drink. Try a Christmas red and green fruit salad that includes cherries, strawberries, and kiwi fruit for colour and flavour.
Don’t forget flavour and texture
Texture and flavour are important components of any diet – but can sometimes be lacking in a low protein diet. Low protein breadcrumbs/croutons can be used as a topping on vegetable bakes, pasta bakes and salads for added ‘crunch’
Put leftover low protein bread in the oven to for 5-10 minutes and add dried mixed herbs and crushed garlic for a delicious savoury crunchy topping
For a sweet topping, crushed low protein breakfast cereal loops can be combined with margarine or butter, brown sugar and ground cinnamon
Make the most of seasonal fruits and vegetables and herbs and spices. Consider food pairings. The flavour of many fruits and vegetables can be enhanced by adding complementary herbs and spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cloves are all aromatic spices that are associated with Christmas.