If you’re living with HIV, you know that the disease can make day-to-day living a lot harder. But just because it’s sometimes complicated doesn’t mean it can’t also be delicious! Presented below are seven of our favorite recipes for HIV patients that one of our expert suggested to us. Simple and delicious, these recipes are easy to make and can satisfy even the pickiest eater. Best of all? They’re low in sugar and carbs, so you don’t have to worry about your sugar levels spiking!
Green Smoothie
A green smoothie is one of our favorite go-to recipes when we need something refreshing but nutritious too. The fruit, yogurt, and milk in this recipe give you a great mix of healthy macronutrients as well as the fiber from the leafy greens and banana. If you sub in a small amount of nut milk (preferably cashew), you can skip other milk altogether and enjoy the benefits of all that protein without the added sugar or fat.
Ingredients: 2 large pitted dates, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup almond milk (or cashew milk if your not vegan), 1 cup frozen spinach, 1/2 banana, and anything else you want to taste along with your smoothie (optional – fresh blueberries/raspberries/strawberries)
Directions: Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Ready to drink.
Cauliflower Rice and Eggs (Vegan/Gluten Free)
If you’ve been craving vegetables, this recipe is here to help. It’s made from shredded cauliflower crisps and fried in a little olive oil, with chopped chard and red peppers for some fresh flavor. We think it would be wonderful paired with the leftover steamed zucchini from last night’s dinner service or used as a side dish at the brunch tomorrow morning.
To cook: Steam your cauliflower until it’s close to being done but still has some bite, then pour it into a bowl and smash up the pieces. Make sure to leave a few big chunks so that it looks like rice!
Put your pan over medium heat and coat in olive oil. Throw in the shredded cauliflower, chard, and pepper. Let it sit for five minutes and then turn with a spatula. Let it sit another five minutes until they start to brown (it will look almost like fried rice).
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Read More: Try These Foods For Keeping Your Liver Young & Healthy
Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Escarole Salad
This is one of our favorite recipes to teach patients how to make on their own, as you can make nearly all of the dressing and filling ahead of time! This recipe is also a really easy way to sneak in a handful of vegetables at the same time. Serve this side dish to your next dinner party, especially if you’re feeling decadent and want to impress the guests.
I. To make the dressing, blend all the ingredients together until everything is smooth and creamy. You can blend it ahead of time and store in an airtight container!
II. Cut off both ends of your sweet potatoes, then cut them in half crosswise or lengthwise depending on how big they are. Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato until you form a shallow bowl in each one (save some to mash, if you’d like).
III. Slice up your broccolini or green beans lengthwise into thin strips (about 1/8 inch thick) and layer them around the inside of your potato bowl.
IV. Pour your dressing in each potato and season with salt, pepper, and any other herbs you’d like. Let it sit for five minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
V. Mix the mash with your reserved cooked sweet potato, broccolini, or green beans.
Chicken Salad Sandwiches (Gluten Free/Vegan)
Named after the delicious sandwich made popular at the Dean & Deluca in NYC, this recipe is no less impressive! If you have some chickpeas leftover from last week’s meal-prep, now’s a great time to use them up. It’s also a great dish for those who are allergic or highly sensitive to certain foods like peanuts or gluten.
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked and rinsed chickpeas (or canned or cooked organic canned chickpeas), 2-3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, 3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill, 1 avocado (sliced or cubed), 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (or other nut butter) 1 large chicken breast or any leftover chicken you might have on hand, 4 slices of bread of your choice.
Sandwich Directions:
I. Mix together all the ingredients except the bread and chicken.
II. Cut your chicken breast into 1/4 inch slices and lay them on a plate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
III. When you’ve made it this far, you can set aside the chicken and chickpeas for another recipe or future meal! Simply store in airtight containers in the fridge until you’re ready to use it again.
IV. Toast your bread (we like gluten free pretzels!) then layer on some of your chickpeas, chicken, avocado, and top with dill or parsley (optional).
V. Enjoy!
Read More: What is HIV Patient Diet? What To Eat or What Not To Eat?
Pesto Chicken Zoodles (Gluten Free)
We love pesto, and when pesto is made with fruits and vegetables you can eat it even if you’re allergic to or sensitive to certain foods, like nuts or gluten. This recipe also eliminates the need for refined pasta so it’s a great one for students on campus who want to go gluten free but don’t want to sacrifice nutrition. These zucchini noodles are delicious with pesto and chicken, but feel free to substitute with any vegetable you’d like!
Ingredients: 1 large zucchini (or two small ones), 2 tsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. basil pesto, 1/2 cup cooked diced chicken breast or other meat of your choice, salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
I. Wash your zucchini thoroughly then slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the insides into a bowl until you’ve formed a shallow bowl in each half. Set aside the hollowed out zucchini in a separate bowl (you can eat this as well!).
II. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a pan over medium heat and cook your chicken until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
III. Mix the cooked chicken with pesto in a bowl and season to taste (you can dress your zoodle noodles with pesto at this point as well).
IV. Next, cook the zucchini noodles according to package directions (we like them al dente) then drain, rinse, and continue on with this recipe. Mix the zucchini noodles along with the pesto chicken mixture and season as desired before serving.
Broccoli Soup (Vegan/Gluten Free)
We love this soup for days when we just can’t eat another salad or plate of steamed vegetables. It’s a great comfort food that’s also packed with vitamins and minerals to help keep you healthy! This recipe also calls for turmeric, which is a spice that helps reduce inflammation in the body. Plus, it adds a lovely deep color to this creamy soup so it looks fancy enough to eat at the fanciest of restaurants.
Ingredients:
5 cups of chopped broccoli (about 2 heads), 1 cup chopped cauliflower, 4 cups water, 1/4 tsp. turmeric, salt to taste, one small garlic clove
Directions:
I. Chop your broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Combine the florets with water and turmeric in a pot over medium heat. Simmer for about ten minutes until the vegetables soften (the longer you cook it the creamier it will get).
II. Salt the veggies (use about 1/4 tsp. of salt at a time and taste until it’s to your liking).
III. Puree the soup and add salt to taste.
IV. Enjoy!
Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwiches (Gluten Free/Vegan)
Not only are these sandwiches absolutely delicious, they’re also really easy to make and can be made in just fifteen minutes! The savory flavors of the honey mustard give this sandwich a burst of flavor that’s out of this world. These sandwiches are also a great option for anyone with nut sensitivities or allergies because there are no nuts involved.
Although this recipe calls for a can of chicken, feel free to substitute with any other meat you have on hand! It also calls for breadcrumbs, but you can easily leave them out if you don’t want the extra crunch.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (or any other variation of breadcrumbs), 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper, 1/2 tbsp. honey, 2 tsp.
Final Words
These are the 7 Recipes for HIV patients, according to a one of our friend struggling with HIV. He Says that “You don’t have to be sick to be creative, but I think being creative is something that many people who are affected by HIV struggle with,”
