Nutritionally challenged :(

ChayB
ChayB Posts: 50 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm looking for some help here guys, some inspiration perhaps...I apologise for the length of this post in advance...

Recently I've developed cacosmia, its a condition meaning I have a distorted sense of taste and smell (hopefully not for forever)...unfortunately it's not a good distortion and it means many things taste or smell like a rotten egg/sewage combination.

As you can imagine this has started affecting my diet somewhat, I've stopped eating breakfast and lunch and I just have a smoothie or meal replacement shake as I just can't face having to eat. For dinner I'm still trying things to find out what, if anything, still tastes good...
So far I've figured out:
Inedible - chicken, beef, pork, basically all meat including sausages, chorizo, kabanos etc, quorn, eggs, crisps, onions, garlic, leeks, spring onions, broccoli, spinach, rocket, lettuce, nuts, wheat (ie: cereals, bread & wraps), porridge, pretty much any jam/chutney I've tried, coffee

Weirdly cheese and chillies have no flavour at all now...

Basically the only things that really taste good at the moment are fish, prawns, rice, fruits and anything sweet (including chocolate - yay!) but I can't exactly live like that and I'm not sure how to get enough protein in now.

So I guess at the end of all this I'm looking for a little light at the end of the tunnel, I've never had such a restricted diet before and it's a bit depressing...I love my food...I love the tastes and textures and I'm missing the variety I used to have :(
Any food inspiration for me guys? Any protein rich foods I should try?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    if you like sweet then get a flavoured protein powder to mix with full fat milk. add in peanut butter and actual chocolate/cocoa if it improves the taste.

    how are you with dairy? again, full fat stuff with fruit will get you a good amount of protein and fats.
  • ChayB
    ChayB Posts: 50 Member
    Unfortunately peanut butter is out, I've been mixing my protein power with lactofree and some frozen banana which makes a delicious smoothie but I desperately miss texture in my diet :(

    Dairy is flavourless but ok, will it not introduce too much fat into my diet though?
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    Whey Isolate in Chocolate milk, or a chocolate protein powder in full fat milk or mixed into greek yogurt. Rice and black beans (?) with salsa and sour cream. Shrimp/fish and rice with green beans(?). Squash/zucchini?
  • ChayB
    ChayB Posts: 50 Member
    MotherOfSharpei wrote: »
    Whey Isolate in Chocolate milk, or a chocolate protein powder in full fat milk or mixed into greek yogurt. Rice and black beans (?) with salsa and sour cream. Shrimp/fish and rice with green beans(?). Squash/zucchini?

    That's pretty much what I'm living on now...I haven't tried the squash and courgette yet though so I'll give them a try thanks :)
  • kristikitter
    kristikitter Posts: 602 Member
    edited June 2017
    I know someone who (due to various medical reasons) lives on a diet of tuna and rice, and Capri Sun - I imagine she takes supplements too, but she does OK. For variety though? Cucumber, tomato & hummus for snacks, yoghurt and maybe something like the jelly pots you can get, or Angel Delight/custard pots for sweets. You get a bit of dairy in that way too. Stuff some peppers or aubergines with crumbled goats cheese and veggies, roast them in oil, might be OK for you.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    ChayB wrote: »
    Unfortunately peanut butter is out, I've been mixing my protein power with lactofree and some frozen banana which makes a delicious smoothie but I desperately miss texture in my diet :(

    Dairy is flavourless but ok, will it not introduce too much fat into my diet though?

    You need a certain amount of fat in your diet? I got the impression you needed to up your cals? Fat is the easiest way to do that?
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    Luckily seafood has plenty of protein, and as others suggested, protein powder will fill in the gaps. I'd also recommend taking a multi-vitamin just to make sure you're not missing out on any important nutrients. I hope you get it sorted soon, sounds terrible. :(
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    You can manage for a little while on fish: tuna, salmon, tilapia, flounder, prawns, and rice and fruits.
    If cheese has no flavor, eat that. Cheese has fat and protein.
    Have you tried beans and pulses: lentils, garbanzo beans, peas, soy beans, edamame?
    Can you eat pizza? Ice cream? Tofu? Nuts?

    It does not matter whether you eat breakfast and such, but it is recommended that you eat enough calories each day even if that means you are relying on smoothies and shakes.

  • pennygm72
    pennygm72 Posts: 179 Member
    I only eat chicken once a week and ham a couple of times, my protein otherwise comes entirely from fish, beans and pulses, whole milk, yogurt and low fat cottage cheese, I can't eat much fat for medical reasons. I often meet my protein goal with the above diet.
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