The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan for me includes a lot of animal/fish/cheese protein, which is fine. I do not eat enough fish.
I do not like canned tuna, but I do like a lot of Trader Joe's brands, including canned salmon, trout and sardines and probably more things along that line that they have. Can I substitute 2 ounces of that for the 2 ounces of meat or cheese for the sandwich?
I would probably drain it if it is packed in oil, and use lemon and maybe 2 wasa bread crackers along with salad (again with lemon and maybe a dash of oil). Would that work and be acceptable?
Also, I am ok with using skim milk in place of 2% most of the time, so is that substitution ok?
Dr. Gourmet Says...
Both of your substitutions are great choices. Canned salmon will make a fine substitution for canned tuna. The trout is a good choice as well. In both cases look for canned fish that is lower in sodium.
Sardines are something that you might want to have sparingly. There are good Omega 3 fats in sardines and most of them are packed in olive oil. Drain them well. The drawback is that sardines generally have a fair amount of sodium, so occasional lunches are the best way to go.
Skim milk is a great choice. In some cases I find that 2% is a better choice for cooking, in soups, sauces and the like.
Thanks for writing,
Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet