Preparing and
calculating
low-protein
meals
The Horizon UCD
Support Services team
is here for you.
1-855-UCD-SUPT
(1-855-823-7878)
Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 8 PM (EST)
HIGH-PROTEIN FOODS TO AVOID
It’s important to maintain a low-protein diet as
part of your treatment. Before making changes
to your diet, you should always check with your
healthcare team.
Preparing low-protein mealsa
INSTEAD OF THIS
Meat with vegetables
Vegetables with a low-protein sauce
or dressing
Quiche
Grated vegetables (zucchini, parsnip,
carrot, etc) baked with herbs with a lowprotein pasta sauce stirred through and
a low-protein bread crumb topping
Grilled meat and
steamed vegetables
Fried or baked zucchini or eggplant
slices with bread crumb topping and
steamed vegetables
Substitute: rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk,
imitation or low-protein cheese
Stir-fry with rice
or noodles
Stir-fry vegetables and low-protein
rice or pasta with an MSG-free sauce
(eg, sweet and sour sauce)
BEANS (INCLUDING SOY)
AND LEGUMES
Hamburger
Grilled portabella mushroom or a
low-protein meat alternative patty
made from vegetables on low-protein
toasted bread or roll
Pizza
Low-protein bread (or pizza base made
with low-protein flour) spread with
tomato paste and topped with grilled
vegetables and low-protein cheese
Barbecue
Barbecued vegetable and fruit skewers
with low-protein bread or pasta salad
Macaroni and cheese
Low-protein macaroni and low-protein
cheese powder
Spaghetti bolognese
Low-protein spaghetti with meatless
tomato sauce; use low-protein
meatball alternative made from
vegetables, not soy
MEAT (INCLUDING BEEF, PORK, AND
LAMB), CHICKEN, AND FISH
PREPARING MEALS:
Cooking the low-protein way
Substitute: roasted vegetables
Meal planning
Learning to cook for
someone on a special
diet takes time. It might
seem challenging at
first, but it gets easier.
Here are some recipe
ideas to get you cooking
the low-protein way.
TRY THIS LOW-PROTEIN ALTERNATIVE
MILK, CHEESE, AND OTHER DAIRY
Substitute: low-protein rice or pasta
NUTS AND SEEDS
Substitute: fruits such as apples, apricots,
blueberries, strawberries, or grapes
Whether you and your family need financial resources,
medication shipment assistance, or personalized service,
the Horizon UCD Support Services team is here for you.
For more information, please visit ucdsupport.com
1-855-UCD-SUPT (1-855-823-7878)
Monday - Friday, 9 am - 8 pm (EST)
© 2015 Horizon Therapeutics, Inc. All rights reserved.
0043RVT01 Printed in USA.
Low-protein does not always mean low-calorie.
Adapted from the ASIEM Low Protein Handbook for Urea Cycle Disorders.
a
ucdsupport.com
CALCULATING PROTEIN IN YOUR DIET
Calculating protein
in your diet
Understanding how much protein you need
is an important part of managing your diet.
To count grams of protein, you will need
to use information from food labels.
Making healthy
choices
People with urea cycle
disorders (UCDs) have
problems eliminating
ammonia, which is a
waste product from
digested protein.
UCDs are treated with
a special diet and
medications, and each
person’s treatment plan
is unique. Your dietitian
will advise you on your
specific diet needs.
TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH PROTEIN
YOU’RE GETTING:
1
Start by checking the serving size.
2
Check the amount of protein.
3
Multiply the amount of protein
by the amount of servings.
SAMPLE RESULT
1 serving size = 1/4 cup or 30 g
Protein amount = 5 g/serving
If you eat 2 servings (or 1/2 cup):
2 servings x 5 g of protein =
10 g
of protein
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