I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.

He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking him
(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
and what his ideal daily salt intake will be.

He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
day.

wrote in message
...
I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.

He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking him
(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
and what his ideal daily salt intake will be.

He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
day.

wrote in message
...
I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.

He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking him
(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
and what his ideal daily salt intake will be.

He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
day.

Oops! I think I sent a blank post!

What about some sort of egg sandwich? Either egg salad, perhaps made
without the onion or celery, or a scrambled egg on bread?

On May 19, 2:02*am, "Julie Bove" wrote:
wrote in message

...



I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and *tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come *up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. *I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.

He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking *him
(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
and what his ideal daily *salt intake will be.

He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
day.

Oops! *I think I sent a blank post!

What about some sort of egg sandwich? *Either egg salad, perhaps made
without the onion or celery, or a scrambled egg on bread?

Thanks. I'll check the egg salad at work. It probably has too much
salt, so I would need to make some. But I can ask him if he is
interested. He could buy the raw eggs, and I could make the salad at
home.

wrote
Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions.

Do you have any roasted meats? Sliced roast beef, chicken, turkey, or pork
loin would make an excellent sandwich with no added salt.

On May 19, 2:51*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
wrote

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions.

Do you have any roasted meats? *Sliced roast beef, chicken, turkey, or pork
loin would make an excellent sandwich with no added salt.

We sell whole chickens (they do have some seasoning on the outside),
turkey breast, and a pork loin that is heavily sauced.

In the past, he has never been interested as he can't eat a whole one
in one day, and he has a tiny cube fridge. But I may be able to
convince him now. We have the whole chicken on sale on friday. And I
don't mind keeping part of it in the fridge and reheating it for him.
I have the rest of his package of butter in the employee fridge, and
some juice in my locker. He can't carry a lot at once, so when he buys
a multipack of juice, I keep the rest in my locker, and he can take
them one at a time.

I could also chop up the rest of the chicken and make something else
with it. We just need to get creative, and hopefully, he will accept
me helping some from home since it can't all be purchased at the
store already ready to eat.

On May 19, 3:15*am, Janet wrote:
In article e2bdaaf6-f45e-431b-a3fc-
,
says...





On May 19, 2:02*am, "Julie Bove" wrote:
wrote in message

....

I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and *tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come *up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. *I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves

*Do you sell jars of babyfood or pkts of babyrice or cereals? They are
usually saltfree and can be eaten by people with no teeth. He can also
keep a stash safely in the motel room in case he doesn't feel well enough
to go out *to eat.


He can still eat most things that can be done in smaller bites. He can
eat a sandwich with sliced turkey meat. He has trouble with roast
beef, but I just chop it up so that it comes apart easily. He can eat
meatloaf sandwiches although now they will be off limits. He can eat
smaller pieces of chicken. I have suggested a knife for larger pieces,
but he refuses. He is eccentric and stubborn

On May 19, 1:22*am, "
wrote:
He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come *up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.


I know that monosodium glutamate sounds like it is very high in
sodium, but it's not.
Salt is about 2/5 sodium by weight, and MSG is about 1/7 sodium.
Plus, it takes very little to liven up a lowered salt meal.

--Bryan

On May 19, 5:40*am, "
wrote:
. But I may be able to
convince him now. We have the whole chicken on sale on friday. And I
don't mind keeping part of it in the fridge and reheating it for him.
I have the rest of his package of butter in the employee fridge, and
some juice in my locker. He can't carry a lot at once, so when he buys
a multipack of juice, I keep the rest in my locker, and he can take
them one at a time.

You are very nice to do that, and your employer is nice for letting
you.

--Bryan

On 19/05/2011 4:22 PM, wrote:
I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

Well, in recent times, all my friends who ended up in our local hospital
seemed to emerge only in a box. I can well understand his reluctance to
enter such a place. I'm hoping it was all due to my friend's inability
to look after their health than anything related to the care given by
the hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and tomorrow's lunch.

Are there available alternative living arrangements whereby he could at
least cook some basic meals? The only "easy" way he can maintain a
healthy low salt diet without imposing on others is to cook his own
meals from known fresh ingredients. Am I being presumptuous in assuming
that he can cook, even a little?

His meals need not be complex. Some staple meat with, for example, 3
different steamed vegetables plus some fruit to round out the meal.
Steaming is preferable to boiling as more of the vitamins in the food
are preserved. As well, more of the flavour is retained.
Basic stews are also good. Any meats can be stewed a little extra until
they are well softened requiring little if any chewing. Enough stew can
be made in one session to cater to a number of meals especially if some
steamed vegetables or steamed rice is added to the meal. Variety is the
key here. The stew may be the staple but the vegetables can be varied as
desired.

This is how I live when my wife goes overseas to Vietnam, as she did a
few weeks back. I don't have the patience for cooking complex meals,
especially as there's often only myself dining in.


He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

That's a killer diet. I'm surprised he's reached 70.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

There are three low salt sauces in the online recipe book to which I
posted the URL yesterday. Here again is the URL

http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/awa...20cookbook.pdf

You might find other items in the low salt cookbook that you will be
able to prepare with a minimum of fuss.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.

Salad sandwiches with mushrooms or the like to substitute for the meat
might be one way of dealing with the sandwich meat issue.

He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking him
(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
and what his ideal daily salt intake will be.

His ideal salt intake will be a lot lower than you realise and, without
imposing on others, it will be a practical impossibility under his
current living arrangements. You would be doing him a real favour if you
can get him into a situation where he can do some simple food
preparation for himself. His motel lifestyle is not conducive to that.

He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
day.

Try this website for a start.

http://www.saltmatters.org/site/

Processed food that is low in salt is hard to find. She Peter
Chamberlains website for clues on that difficulty in Australia.

http://users.tpg.com.au/pschamb/mls.html


You might want to join in an email discussion group dedicated to the low
salt issue.

http://www.saltmatters.org/site/inde...ail-chat-group

There is a book available that might help you as it provides a lot of
information in identifying the salt in foods as well as many low salt
recipes. I had a copy but I lent it to my doctor and haven't managed to
get it back yet. That was a few years ago. I think it's gone for good! ;-)
Amazon has a few copies available;

http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Matters-T...f=pd_rhf_p_t_2

Krypsis

" wrote:

I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.

He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking him
(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
and what his ideal daily salt intake will be.

He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
day.

He obviously has medical issues that you haven't a clue about. You
need to mind your own business, you're not his doctor, his dietician,
his mother, or his priest... you're a deli clerk, you can't be
dispensing medical advice to customers. You can lose your job, be
sued... your employer can be sued. You'd best not serve anyone
"special diets", if there's some adverse reaction and/or he dies due
to your practicing medicine as a deli clerk you can be criminally
charged, and should be.

On May 18, 11:22*pm, "
wrote:
I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and *tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.


Does he have a microwave at work? Then he could heat his lunch.

According to lowsaltfoods.com, there are several low sodium canned and
frozen products available in grocery stores. Anything involving ground
beef is easily gummable. Motels have ice machines, so perhaps he could
surreptitiously fill up a small cooler that would let a frozen entree
slowly thaw overnight in time for lunch.

I, too, was dismayed to find out that deli roast beef and chicken had
as much sodium as ham.

The water pills should keep his legs at their normal taper. But I
suspect he has congestive heart failure.

On May 19, 2:42*am, "
wrote:
On May 19, 2:02*am, "Julie Bove" wrote:





wrote in message

....

I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
hospital.

He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
by daily for dinner and *tomorrow's lunch.

He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.

So, I am trying to come *up with some alternatives that he can eat as
he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.

In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.

Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
has 4 teeth. *I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.

I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
to give it some flavor.

I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
if it requires something else.

He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).

Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.

He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking *him
(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
and what his ideal daily *salt intake will be.

He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
day.

Oops! *I think I sent a blank post!

What about some sort of egg sandwich? *Either egg salad, perhaps made
without the onion or celery, or a scrambled egg on bread?

Thanks. I'll check the egg salad at work. It probably has too much
salt, so I would need to make some. But I can ask him if he is
interested. He could buy the raw eggs, and I could make the salad at
home.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Tuna salad?

On May 19, 4:36*am, Bryan wrote:
On May 19, 5:40*am, "[email protected] com wrote:
. But I may be able to
convince him now. We have the whole chicken on sale on friday. And I
don't mind keeping part of it in the fridge and reheating it for him.
I have the rest of his package of butter in the employee fridge, and
some juice in my locker. He can't carry a lot at once, so when he buys
a multipack of juice, I keep the rest in my locker, and he can take
them one at a time.

You are very nice to do that, and your employer is nice for letting
you.


He's a really nice guy, and he comes in almost every day. All the long
time employees know him well. I just make sure I keep t he receipts so
anything i have in my locker or the fridge are legal. And my boss
doesn't mind that we spend a little extra time with his order.

On May 19, 5:19*am, Krypsis wrote:

Are there available alternative living arrangements whereby he could at
least cook some basic meals? The only "easy" way he can maintain a
healthy low salt diet without imposing on others is to cook his own
meals from known fresh ingredients. Am I being presumptuous in assuming
that he can cook, even a little?

Yes, but he won't accept them yet. We actually have a rental house
next door and the rooms are less than he is paying now. But he would
have to walk past two bad streets to get here. They aren't as bad as
they used to be. The drug dealers aren't on the corner anymore.
Anyway, he won't consider it even though he would have more space, a
full kitchen, etc.

Basic stews are also good. Any meats can be stewed a little extra until
they are well softened requiring little if any chewing. Enough stew can
be made in one session to cater to a number of meals especially if some
steamed vegetables or steamed rice is added to the meal. Variety is the
key here. The stew may be the staple but the vegetables can be varied as
desired.


I will ask him if he will let me make him stew. I'm sure the canned
stuff is high in salt, but I will check just in case. I can cook
anything in a crock pot and get it really soft for him. And I can
freeze servings to help with variety.


That's a killer diet. I'm surprised he's reached 70.



He walks every day and is very active, so that is what has kept him
going.


http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/awa...wareness_week_...

You might find other items in the low salt cookbook that you will be
able to prepare with a minimum of fuss.


I think he would like the curry, but it looked complicated. I will
look it over some more.



His ideal salt intake will be a lot lower than you realise and, without
imposing on others, it will be a practical impossibility under his
current living arrangements. You would be doing him a real favour if you
can get him into a situation where he can do some simple food
preparation for himself. His motel lifestyle is not conducive to that.



Yes, I'm sure that right now, his goal needs to be just about zero.
I'm pretty sure the meal I made him yesterday was zero, as the cooks
didn't anything other than water to the stirfry. And it had steamed
rice and unsalted butter.

I will offer the room next door again, but he is very stubborn.



http://www.saltmatters.org/site/

Thanks!