Gall Bladder Diet? (What do I cook?!?)

[greenbeanmama]

Oh help! My husband's just been diagnosed with gall bladder issues. They're not serious enough to warrant surgery right now (and there's no way we can afford it either), so he's having to learn what he can and can't eat. Basically, a low-fat diet with a list of "bad" foods (pork, eggs, red meat, citrus, cheese, broccoli, etc).

The problem is, I'm used to cooking with BUTTER. And coconut oil. And cheese. And my husband is a meat-and-potatoes kind of man. Really. That's what he eats, and that's what he wants, pretty much every night for dinner. He's not a veggie kind of guy, and he's very overweight. He's really picky too. No beans, no green peppers, only a very little amount of onion, doesn't really like tomato sauce, etc.

It's been two weeks. And I have no clue what to cook. He's been having lots of salads (which he complains about), and baked potatoes, with some chicken and rice as well as some fruit. He keeps telling me to find things he can eat, but any recipe I look at, it either has stuff he can't have, or stuff he won't eat in it.

I'm trying to look at this as a blessing in disguise - he's lost nine pounds this past month! But if I point this out to him, he says I'm not being supportive. I can't even keep up with two little ones and maintain a reasonably clean house, and now I'm supposed to find the time to devote to learning lots of new recipes? And does this mean I now have to cook two separate meals, one with the fats he can have (margarine, etc), and one for the rest of the family? I'm rather discouraged right now, with no motivation to cook at all, especially new recipes. Anyone else been in a similar situation? Any ideas about what to cook for my husband?

[babygrant]

I am waiting to get my gallbladder out and I've received a tremendous amount of support and ideas from some ladies here.  My meals are pretty much the same every day....but I know what is working for me, so it's easy to follow since my pain has been minimalized and the nausea is pretty much controlled now.

Breakfast: always a smoothie.  Strawberry banana, banana pineapple, blueberry, etc, etc, etc.  Opportunities are endless.  I tried adding protein powder and also spirulina powder and both upset my stomach, so I just stick to fruit and water or fruit and rice milk.

Lunch: turkey sandwich or turkey wrap (Whole wheat bread, roasted turkey breast, a tiny bit of bbq sauce, fat free cheese slice, and lettuce), or a cucumber cream cheese sanwich (whole wheat bread, fat free herb cream cheese, cucumber).  My lunches have a side of raw or lightly steamed veggies or some fruit. 

Dinner: chicken breast or turkey breast.  I always boil them first to get some of the fat out, then I bake in the oven for another few minutes.  Potatoes, rice, or quinoa with some veggies.  Sometimes I'll chop up some chicken or turkey really fine, then mix rice and peas in and sprinkle with some Braggs Liquid Aminos.  It tastes just like fried rice, but it's not fried 

Snacks are always raw or lightly steamed veggies or fruit. 

I've been adding about 1 tsp of olive oil a day into one of my meals and I notice my mental health has greatly improved.  I was feeling more anxious than normal and feeling depressed because of the lack of food I was able to eat.  I also take a liquid D3, liquid B complex, and a flinestone vitamin. 

Does your husband have gallstones or just a low HIDA scan result?

Originally Posted by greenbeanmama 

Oh help! My husband's just been diagnosed with gall bladder issues. They're not serious enough to warrant surgery right now (and there's no way we can afford it either), so he's having to learn what he can and can't eat. Basically, a low-fat diet with a list of "bad" foods (pork, eggs, red meat, citrus, cheese, broccoli, etc).

The problem is, I'm used to cooking with BUTTER. And coconut oil. And cheese. And my husband is a meat-and-potatoes kind of man. Really. That's what he eats, and that's what he wants, pretty much every night for dinner. He's not a veggie kind of guy, and he's very overweight. He's really picky too. No beans, no green peppers, only a very little amount of onion, doesn't really like tomato sauce, etc.

It's been two weeks. And I have no clue what to cook. He's been having lots of salads (which he complains about), and baked potatoes, with some chicken and rice as well as some fruit. He keeps telling me to find things he can eat, but any recipe I look at, it either has stuff he can't have, or stuff he won't eat in it.

I'm trying to look at this as a blessing in disguise - he's lost nine pounds this past month! But if I point this out to him, he says I'm not being supportive. I can't even keep up with two little ones and maintain a reasonably clean house, and now I'm supposed to find the time to devote to learning lots of new recipes? And does this mean I now have to cook two separate meals, one with the fats he can have (margarine, etc), and one for the rest of the family? I'm rather discouraged right now, with no motivation to cook at all, especially new recipes. Anyone else been in a similar situation? Any ideas about what to cook for my husband?