Tips for Less Stressful LID Food Preparation:
- Collect LID recipe ideas as early as possible and make a tentative meal plan and grocery list. If you have ingredient questions/concerns for the recipes you have found, call your physician's office and speak to the nurse.
- Shop for needed grocery items as early as possible in order to stock your pantry and refrigerator. I found I had to visit multiple grocery store chains to purchase needed items- very time consuming and sometimes I could not find a LID ingredient for the recipe I was considering...Always have a Plan B recipe ready.
- Cook and freeze as much as you can ahead of time- so much easier to defrost something than prepare something when you are not feeling well or pressed from time. You are less likely to make a LID ingredient mistake, if you prepare ahead of time.
- If there is a recipe you think you will enjoy, prepare a double batch and freeze in meal size portions.
- Ask friends and family to prepare recipes for you. Give them a bag of LID approved ingredients and a recipe and ask they use only the ingredients you have provided.
- For variety, think of ways you can prepare ingredients once for multiple meals- ex. if you are making hamburger patties, also saute a portion of the ground beef that you could later add to pasta sauce or use for a LID version of nacho toppings- all of this could be frozen for later.
- Be good to yourself. This is a LOW iodine diet not NO iodine. You may make a mistake- it happens. Do the best you can and it will be fine. If you are concerned about an ingredient mistake, call and talk with the nurse in your physician's office.
Unsalted Foods We Used During the LID:
Below is a collection of photos showing the different unsalted products used during my husband's LID. Most were purchased at Whole Foods, Wal-Mart or Harris Teeter grocery store. Since the RAI, we now have a Trader Joe's in our town. If/when my husband ever needs to repeat the LID, I will also shop for unsalted products at Trader Joe's. They stock an impressive number of unsalted and Kosher salted products.
Tip: If you are looking for a particular item, save time and gasoline and call the grocery stores in your area. If they do not have the item, ask if they will order for you. Often they will and since they usually receive shipments a couple of times each week, it should not be a problem. And remember LOW iodine- not no iodine.
Tip: If you are looking for a particular item, save time and gasoline and call the grocery stores in your area. If they do not have the item, ask if they will order for you. Often they will and since they usually receive shipments a couple of times each week, it should not be a problem. And remember LOW iodine- not no iodine.
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| Note- Nutrition facts label shows 0% sodium while the front of pkg says "low sodium"; this bread may contain small amt. of iodine --"sprouted soybeans"; this bread was ok'd in small amounts by my husband's physician--remember, it's a LOW iodine diet- talk w/your physician about bread options; purchased at Whole Foods- freezer section. |
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| Zero sodium; I added kosher salt to the jar. Keep in the refrigerator to avoid oil/ peanut butter separation. |
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| Zero sodium; no Red Dye #3. |
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| Zero % sodium. This granola is delish! Will be using after the LID. Best price is at Wal-Mart. |
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| Frozen Hash Browns. Zero sodium; 80 calories/serving. |
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| My favorite ingredient from the LID. Plan to use this seasoning after the LID! NO salt. |
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| No sodium; no harmful dyes. |
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| Zero sodium in these cranberries; zero red dye #3. |
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| Zero sodium. |
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| See the overnight way to cook these steel cut oats on Day 7 Breakfast Tab! |
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| Also, available in Beef flavored bouillon- both are sodium free. In the soup section near broth and other bouillon products. |
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| Lots of sorbet options out there- most with zero sodium. Sugar is little higher than we generally prefer, but when on the LID....go for it! |
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| Used this product as base for pasta sauce. |
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| Used for the Homemade LID Snack Bar recipe. Zero sodium/zero sugar. 18 g whole grain. |
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| Zero sodium...while it says Sugar Fire sauce is a dessert sauce- we used it on grilled chicken, hamburger patties, etc. It is made from mangoes, papaya, oranges, brown sugar and habanero peppers. Purchased at Whole Foods. |
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| Beef flavor bouillon. Salt free, gluten free and no MSG. Used when making crock pot beef roast. Purchased at Harris Teeter grocery store- found in soup/stock section. |
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| No sodium; 50 calories, 11g whole grain, gluten free. 3g sugar. Purchased at Harris Teeter grocery store. |
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| Looked forever for a bar of chocolate...This was it! No sodium; no milk products. 75% cacao. Purchased at Whole Foods. |
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| Unsalted. |
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| That's right- we're from the south! Zero sodium- make sure they are "old fashioned" and not INSTANT! The instant ones have sodium. 150 calories per serving. |
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| Zero% sodium; 160 cal./serving; gluten free. Purchased at Fresh Market. Will continue to buy these after the LID! Note: Some blog readers reported their physicians told them to avoid beets during the LID- These chips contain mostly sweet potatos with some beet chips- if you have been advised to avoid beets- simply pick out the beet chips and save for another family member :) |
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| Zero % sodium; low sugar. Apple Cranberry juice. No red dyes. |
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| Check with your doctor on the iodine content of quinoa. I did prepare foods with it during my husband's LID since it was zero sodium- we assumed it was ok but, I have recently read that it may contain iodine. You should double check before eating. We love quinoa and use this product regularily. 100% whole grain; zero sodium; 155 calories/serving. Zero sugar/ gluten free. 6g protein/serving. Purchased at Costco- have seen in grocery stores. |
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| Zero sodium; 40 calories/serving. Purchased at Whole Foods. |
Margarine ideas: This seems to be one of the trickiest items to obtain during the LID. Ask you physician for a LID-friendly margarine. Then call your area grocery stores to save time and gasoline. If they don't stock an unsalted margarine, ask if they will order for you.
Here are two ideas:
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On the ConAgra site, you can search for stores that carry their Fleischmann's products by zip code.
Here is a link: http://www.conagrafoods.com/our-food/brands/fleischmanns-margarine-spread
Look for the "Where to Buy button" in the upper middle part of their web page.
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| NOTE: "This does contain "natural salt" and several Thyca Inspire folks have talked to the manufacturer who state the salt is iodine-free. Please be aware that there are no laws and no FDA guidelines that would prevent them substituting iodized salt. However, it's likely very safe for the LID. Also, it MUST be the "Soy Free" variety." Some Wal-Mart's may carry this buttery spread.
This Earth Balance Soy Free product is mentioned by Daria on her LID Blog: : http://thelowiodinediet.blogspot.com/
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