Food Cures (56 page)
Authors: Carol Svec
½ cup dry oatmeal (or 1 instant packet) prepared with ½ cup water and ½ cup fat-free milk. Top with ½ cup blueberries (or cranberries or chopped strawberries), and 1 to 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or wheat germ. (If you like, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar, honey, or jam to taste).
LUNCH OPTIONS
(Approximately 400 to 500 calories)
Grilled Chicken Salad with Cranberry Basil Vinaigrette
Large portion of a mix of romaine lettuce and baby spinach leaves topped with 4 ounces cooked skinless chicken breast. Feel free to add: chopped pepper (red, yellow, or green), broccoli, sliced mushrooms, cucumbers, beets, carrots, and/or celery. Toss with 2 tablespoons Cranberry Basil Vinaigrette.
Turkey Burger over Greens with Baked Potato
5 ounces turkey burger (or extra-lean hamburger) on bed of leafy green vegetables (lettuce, endive, spinach leaves, etc.). Enjoy with a 1 baked potato topped with optional 1 teaspoon soft tub, trans fat-free margarine spread.
Spinach Omelet with Rice Cakes and Fresh Fruit
Beat 1 whole egg with 2 to 3 egg whites. Cook in heated skillet coated with 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil. When bottom is cooked, gently flip over. Top with unlimited fresh or cooked spinach. Fold omelet over and cook until egg mixture is firm. Enjoy with 150 calories of whole grain crackers or 3 rice cakes and ½ cantaloupe, 1 green apple, or 1 cup cherries.
Chicken and Tri-Colored Pepper Wrap
5 ounces grilled chicken mixed with unlimited red, yellow, and green peppers sautéed in 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil. Wrap in a whole wheat, spinach, or tomato tortilla (150 calories or less).
Turkey Roll-Up with Baby Carrots and Fruit
1 Fresh Turkey Tortilla Roll-Up. Serve with 1 cup baby carrots and ½ mango (or 1 peach or 1 cup blueberries, sliced strawberries, or blackberries).
DINNER OPTIONS
(Approximately 500 to 600 calories)
Sirloin Steak with Sautéed Spinach and Baked Potato
5 ounces grilled sirloin steak (or other lean beef). Serve with unlimited spinach sautéed in 1 teaspoon olive oil and garlic. Enjoy with ½ baked potato with optional 1 teaspoon soft tub, trans fat-free margarine spread.
Grilled Salmon with Brown Rice and Broccoli
1 serving Easy! 3-Step Microwave Salmon, or 5 ounces grilled salmon with 1 teaspoon olive oil and seasonings. Enjoy with ½ cup cooked brown rice (or amaranth or quinoa), sliced cucumbers, and 1 to 2 cups steamed broccoli or cauliflower.
Rosemary Chicken with Sautéed Swiss Chard and Potato
5 ounces grilled Rosemary Chicken with 1 serving (1 cup) Sautéed Swiss Chard. Serve with 1 medium, plain baked white or sweet potato.
Whole Wheat Linguini with Vegetables
In a large pan, sauté minced garlic in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add 1 cup broccoli florets, 1 cup sliced zucchini, and 1 cup cut asparagus spears and sauté until slightly soft. Add 1½ cups cooked whole wheat linguini or penne with 1 additional teaspoon olive oil. Thoroughly mix until pasta is coated with vegetables and oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Baked Fish with Brown Rice and Asparagus
6 ounces grilled or baked fillet of sole, flounder, trout, black cod, or tilapia. Season with preferred herbs, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon olive oil (or 1 tablespoon soft tub, trans fat-free margarine spread). Serve with 1 cup cooked brown rice, quinoa, amaranth (or 1 plain baked potato) and 1 cup steamed asparagus, cauliflower, or kale.
SNACK OPTIONS
100 calories or less
- Best Vegetables:
1 cup raw or cooked spinach, kale, red/green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, celery, cucumbers, or zucchini- Best Fruits:
1 apple or pear (yellow and green only), peach, or nectarine; 1 cup blueberries, blackberries, cherries, or watermelon; 20 strawberries; ½ mango; ½ cantaloupe- 8 to 10 olives
- 1 hard-boiled, omega-3–fortified egg
- ½ whole wheat matzo with 1 tablespoon fat-free or reduced-fat cream cheese
- Celery with 2 to 3 tablespoons fat-free or reduced-fat cream cheese
- 2 rice cakes, lightly salted
- Hot Spiced Tea
100 to 200 calories
- 1 whole wheat matzo sheet with 1 tablespoon strawberry jam (or ½ cup fat-free or 1% reduced-fat cottage cheese)
- 2 hard-boiled, omega-3–fortified eggs
- ½ cup fat-free or 1% reduced-fat cottage cheese mixed with 1 cup berries
- 1 cup whole grain cereal with ½ cup fat-free milk
- 2 rice cakes, each topped with 1 tablespoon fat-free or reduced-fat cream cheese and 1 teaspoon strawberry jelly
EASY! 3-STEP MICROWAVE SALMON
If you’re looking for the easiest way to prepare salmon, you’ve found the perfect recipe—dinner will be ready in less than 10 minutes. Plus you’ll receive a healthy dose of omega-3 fats, olive oil, and magnesium—three ingredients that have been shown to help fight migraines. If you serve with green vegetables (such as asparagus, broccoli, or spinach) then you’ll also add riboflavin to the mix.
Makes 2 servings
2 | | wild salmon fillets (6 ounces each), ½″ thick |
1 | | tablespoon olive oil |
2 | | cloves garlic, minced |
¼ | | teaspoon kosher salt |
| | | Ground black pepper |
Arrange the salmon fillets in microwaveable dish, skin down. Brush the oil evenly over the salmon and sprinkle with the garlic. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Cover and microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes, until the edges are flaky and the fish is cooked through. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
PER SERVING
306 calories, 34 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 93 mg cholesterol, 219 mg sodium, 0 g fiber; plus 50 mg magnesium (13% DV)
FRESH TURKEY TORTILLA ROLL-UP
This safe-food wrap also provides a good amount of riboflavin and magnesium. For some extra flavor, try adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of my Cranberry Basil Vinaigrette (below).
Makes 1
4 | | large romaine lettuce leaves |
1 | | whole wheat tortilla wrap (150 calories or less; check label to make sure it is yeast-free) |
¼ | | pound fresh sliced turkey breast |
4 | | medium-thick slices red tomato (omit if tomatoes are one of your migraine triggers) |
Layer the lettuce on the wrap. On one side of the wrap, arrange the turkey. (This makes the roll a little neater.) Top with the tomato. Now roll!
PER SERVING
275 calories, 38 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 94 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 6 g fiber; plus 50 mg magnesium (13% DV), 0.17 mg riboflavin (16% DV)
CRANBERRY BASIL VINAIGRETTE
Salad dressings are often filled with ingredients that could trigger a migraine—the wrong vinegars, MSG, citrus fruits, artificial coloring, and more. The next time you’re craving a salad at home, try this one. It’s a tasty combination of safe ingredients…and easy to make. Be sure to whisk thoroughly before each use (oil will separate) and store in the fridge.
Makes 13 servings, 2 tablespoons each
1 | | cup olive oil |
¾ | | cup cranberry juice |
¼ | | cup plus 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar |
¼ | | cup fresh basil, finely chopped |
½ | | teaspoon sea salt |
½ | | teaspoon black pepper |
In medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, cranberry juice, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Whisk thoroughly for a few minutes. Store leftovers in the fridge.
PER SERVING
150 calories, 0 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
ROSEMARY CHICKEN
While you conduct an elimination diet, it’s important to have a scrumptious, staple chicken recipe that uses only trigger-free ingredients. By the way, this chicken is a huge hit with kids—my own and the neighbors’! Serve with Sautéed Swiss Chard for a blast of magnesium.
Makes 4 servings
1 | | tablespoon olive oil |
2 | | teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced |
1 | | teaspoon sweet paprika |
1 | | teaspoon sweet chili powder |
1 | | teaspoon crushed coriander seed (optional) |
½ | | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
4 | | skinless chicken cutlets, pounded to 1/8″-thickness (6 ounces each) |
| | | Salt |
- Preheat a grill pan over medium-high? heat or an outdoor grill.
- Mix the oil, rosemary, paprika, chili powder, coriander (if using), and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture over the chicken and season with salt.
- Grill the chicken, turning once, about 8 minutes, until no longer pink and the juices run clear.
To bake the chicken in the oven, preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick olive oil spray. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and coat with olive oil spray. Bake, turning once half way through cooking, until no longer pink and the juices run clear, 6 to 7 minutes.
PER SERVING
227 calories, 40 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 98 mg cholesterol, 263 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Tip: Once your grill is preheated, rub it lightly with canola oil to season the surface. If it’s not grilling season, a wide variety of easy-to-care-for grill pans, some nonstick, are available for healthy, tasty grilling indoors. In a well-ventilated kitchen, simply preheat the grill pan on a gas or electric stovetop over high heat. Seasoning with canola oil is not necessary with a nonstick grill. If you would like to use nonstick spray, apply a thin layer to a clean grill before you heat it
.
SAUTÉED SWISS CHARD
This vegetable is naturally loaded with magnesium. Sauté in olive oil, and you’ll get the added benefits of monounsaturated fat. If you’d like to save some calories, skip the oil. When steamed or microwaved, 1 cup of Swiss chard contains only 35 calories!
Makes 4 servings, 1 cup each
2 | | tablespoons olive oil |
2 | | cloves garlic, thinly sliced |
2 | | pounds red or green Swiss chard, thinly sliced |
| | | Salt |
| | | Ground black pepper |
In a large nonstick skillet over high heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly 1 to 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the Swiss chard is soft and reduced by half in volume. Serve immediately.
PER SERVING
106 calories, 4 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 483 mg sodium, 4 g fiber; plus 185 mg magnesium (46% DV), 0.21 mg riboflavin (19% DV)
HOT SPICED TEA
Delicious and low-calorie, this hot beverage treat delivers a shot of riboflavin, thanks to the fat-free milk!