Eating out with CHF

[Nancy]

Joe has CHF and can eat almost no sodium. He's on a very strict diet, but his CHF is at least controllable now, and we would like to get out once and a while and start enjoying life a little.

Maybe those who have CHF will have some good ideas for how to order "safe" meals in restaurants.

Do you call ahead and have a special meal prepared w/o sodium. Are restaurants amenable to that? And do you trust that if you ordered something like broiled chicken made w/o sodium, that the meat isn't pre-salted.

What do you typically order?

I'd appreciate any ideas.

 

[Marge]

I am not on "no sodium," but I am definitely on "low sodium," and I have been interpreting that very strictly. I would rather do without salt than swell up and need diuretics.

Eating out is the toughest part. I think that your best bet is to go to places where you know the owners, and know you can trust them. Also where you know the dishes are made to order & have not been prepared (with salt) ahead of time.

Last night, we went out to a restaurant owned by an Italian guy we know. We have been going there for years, but hadn't been since my diagnosis, because normally Italian food is a no-no if you are on low-sodium.

I had a plain salad -- lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced mushrooms, with some oil and vinegar that I put on myself. Then I asked them to just grill me a petrale sole, (they normally saute it in an egg batter) with NO SALT. I saw Luigi peering out from the kitchen to see who was putting in this strange order on New Year's Eve. He saw us & came over to the table to say hello, & I explained. He said, But of course. I got the sole, beautifully grilled, in butter (unsalted butter), with just a bit of parsley sprinkled over it. It was amazing -- absolutely delicious. I am sure there was no salt. At this point in time, I have gotten so that I can taste even small amounts of salt in food. Besides, I trust Luigi.

 

[Harpoon]

If there's a particular place you'd like to go you should be able to call ahead and ask about food preperations for a sodium restricted diet.

There are some obvious things to avoid, foods you know are loaded with salt anyways like corned beef or most fish recipes. Cheese usually has a fair amount of salt in it so you can try to avoid that, or at least go sparingly.


My wife and I went to Niagara Falls Canada and then Toronto for our honeymoon. We ate out for every meal (kinda have to when you don't have access to at least a fridge) and I asked about sodium restricted diets a lot. I had a lot of success at TGI Fridays, they actually had that kind of a request on a regular bases and pointed out menu options for me that could be sodium reduced. Hard Rock Cafe was pretty good about it too.

Some stuff is kinda hard, they pre-make certain ingredients or sauces and can't make it from scratch for you without the salt, but it's always worth asking about.

It can be done, just takes asking a few pointed questions and being smart about the choices you make. Obviously sausage is out, but a good steak without the marinades may be OK. I have heard of some people bringing their own condiments like no-salt ketchup, but personally, I can't see myself walking into a steakhouse with a jar of homemade steak sauce just so I can eat a steak out on the town...

Inspect the menu and ask lots of questions. If they won't answer or give you "fussy" responses then get up and go somewhere else. =)

 

[catwoman]

Nancy:

Had a co-worker once with congenital heart defects who did call up restaurants ahead of time. Even asked McDonalds to forgo salting his fries. Fries had to be dumped into a container other than what they did for other fries, to keep from contaminating them with salt.

Some chef-owned restaurants may have nutritional analyses of their menu items. One of my CIA (Culinary Institute of America) books lists software that do breakdowns. You might ask whether a restaurant has done such on its menu items. If they're touting something as being "healthy" or "healthful," seems they should be able to substantiate such.

 

[Harpoon]

---always orders "no salt on the fries" when at McDonald's, which isn't very often....

Een then though, I think there's a fair amount within their french fries as is, pre-cooked.

About the only thing that comes close to "healthy" at McD's besides maybe the water or the orange juice are their salalds, and then you have to use the dressings sparingly (or not at all) and watch the chicken they put some of them, I always get grilled and I only eat half of that.

 

[M&M]

Hi Nancy, I always love reading your posts. Thanks - your so informative. So, I thought I would tell you what I do when I go out to a restaurant. I'm not on a low sodium diet - per se - but having high blood pressure and heart disease - I try to keep under the 2000 grams of salt a day. I generally make my own soups and try to stay away from high contents of sodium.

I always - ask for 'broiled' in lemon juice - especially seafood. I can't say for sure what the content of sodium is in lemon juice - might want to check. Its very 'tasty' - if you like lemon juice and it keeps the seafood flavor in as well.

I think I may have a list at home of 'sodium' content in general foods and I'll check this weekend and post it on Monday if I find it.

I also will always, ask for 'steamed' vegetables - those are generally safe I think.

Of course salads are big for me. I think I have leafy green lettuce growing out of my ears !! I just walk into virtually any regualar restaurant and they 'know' exactly what I'll order..

I find all the restaurants like Applebee's - or Restaurant 99 don't mind fixing it 'special' - I think lots of restaurants are becoming very heart healthy. You may need to take it one step further with the sodium though.

Going out to dinner is not a 'treat' per se - as far as eating for me - but the people watching can be fun...

I also found - grinders at Subway - are very low in fat - not sure about the sodium though. I don't eat those to often - but if I get a hankering for grinders those are the 'best' and tasty too.

There are lots more things to eat today - then ever before and like I said they cater to us heart healthy eaters - there are more and more of us all the time..

We don't go out to breakfast to often - but I generally order french toast - although there is an egg in it - its probably not a 'great deal'. Of course I don't put butter on it - just the syrup and some restaurants have the 'berry' syrups - they are very tasty.. Mmmm

Take Care
Marilyn and **** (runner)

 

[Harpoon]

Sodium in lemon juice is minimal if not none. I think they say trace amounts. There's a little more in one whole lemon, but I don't know too many people who actually eat those whole.

Watch what kind of fish you're eating. Farmed fish is a LOT healthy and has much less sodium in it than fish caught in the sea. Some fish, like tuna, are higher in sodium than others (Starkist makes a low sodium tuna fish now, good stuff!)

I love the Subway, but all their meats and cheeses have a fair amount of sodium. Some more than others of course (swiss is the lowest) and you can ask to cut back on some of the meats if you want. There's a lot of salt in the bread too.

I do that once in a blue moon generally.

I'll have to ask Applebees about low sodium next time I'm in there, supposidely they have a new heart healthy menu, but I think it's just low fat low cholesterol and such. I haven't been there since the new menu came out.

 

[Harpoon]

Oh, forgot I was going to give a shameless plug for the kumara soup recipe I just posted in the recipes forum... =)