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Canadian cuisine

Poutine

French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and hot gravy.

With care: in a safer version

Poutine — dish photo
Poutine — Canadian cuisine. Photograph of the dish.

Ingredients

  • potatoes
  • oil
  • cheese curds
  • gravy
  • salt

How it is prepared

Fries are double-fried, topped with curds and covered in hot gravy.

Food safety with low immunity

  • Soft, mould-ripened and market cheeses may be unpasteurised. Choose packaged cheese labelled pasteurised, or use cheese melted in a hot dish.
  • Instead of street food or dishes that have stood on a buffet for a long time, choose a freshly cooked hot portion.

How to prepare it during treatment

Check the curds are made from pasteurised milk. Very fatty and salty — keep the portion small.

Your diet during treatment is agreed with your doctor. Sample 7-day menu for the treatment period →

Storage

Best eaten freshly fried and hot. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within a day.

Reheating

In the oven until hot throughout; a microwave makes it soggy.

Symptoms it may suit

  • Weight loss. Energy-dense and easy to enrich (oil, cheese, yoghurt) — can help with weight loss.

These are general observations: what suits you can change from day to day.

Treatment phases

  • Before treatmentmay suit
  • During a coursemay suit
  • Low counts (neutropenia)Only in the safer version and if your team agreesmay suit
  • Between coursesmay suit
  • After treatmentmay suit

Phase notes are general. During low counts, follow only your care team’s food rules.

If you have other conditions

  • Heart disease, Obesity, Stomach and gut. Fried in oil. With heart or digestive disease or weight concerns, discuss it with your team; baking can be an alternative.
  • Heart disease, Obesity, Liver disease, Stomach and gut. Can be fatty. With heart, liver or digestive disease, or excess weight, discuss fat content and portions with your team.
  • High blood pressure, Heart disease, Kidney disease. Often salty (stock, salty cheese, sausage, pickles). With high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, discuss salt limits with your team.
  • Diabetes. Rich in carbohydrates (rice, potato, dough). With diabetes, discuss portion size and blood sugar with your team.

Nutrition (per 100 g)

Nutrition figures from a reliable source have not been added for this dish yet.

More from this cuisine

Canada: food database → · Country page →

Related topics

Food safetyNeutropenic diet (low-microbial diet)PasteurisedCore cooking temperatureLeftoversCross-contamination

Sources

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safer Food Choices for People With Weakened Immune Systems
  2. FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS). Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature
  3. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
  5. Food Standards Agency (UK). Chilling
  6. World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food manual
  7. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
  8. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment
  9. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2019. Neutropenic diets to prevent cancer infections: updated systematic review and meta-analysis
  10. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FoodData Central — Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS)
Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.

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