Smørrebrød (open sandwich)
Rye bread topped with herring, shrimp, roast beef, egg and vegetables — a cold lunch.
With care: in a safer version
Ingredients
- rye bread
- butter
- pickled herring or shrimp
- roast beef
- egg
- mayonnaise
- cucumber
- onion
How it is prepared
The bread is buttered and neatly topped with cold ingredients.
Food safety with low immunity
- Raw, lightly salted or marinated fish is considered risky with low immunity. Choose cooked fish instead.
- Avoid dry-cured or cold-smoked sausage and ham with low immunity, or heat them in the dish until steaming.
- Homemade mayonnaise uses raw egg — use commercial pasteurised mayonnaise. Keep the salad chilled and eat it the same day.
- Wash raw vegetables and herbs well under running water. During neutropenia some teams advise avoiding raw salads and herbs — ask about your own rules.
How to prepare it during treatment
Pickled herring, cold shrimp, cold cuts and ready-made salads are considered risky during neutropenia. Safer version: hot baked fish fillet or freshly cooked hot meat, hard-boiled egg and cooked vegetables, eaten at once.
Your diet during treatment is agreed with your doctor. Sample 7-day menu for the treatment period →
Storage
Make it fresh, keep it chilled and eat it the same day. Do not leave it out on the table.
Reheating
Eaten cold — not reheated. That is why freshness and the fridge matter.
Symptoms it may suit
- Taste changes. Aromatic spices, herbs or a little sourness can help when food tastes bland or metallic (if there are no mouth sores).
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
- 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.
- Heart disease, High blood pressure, Kidney disease. Contains processed meat (sausage, bacon, ham). With heart disease, high blood pressure or kidney disease, discuss it with your team.
- 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.
Nutrition (per 100 g)
Nutrition figures from a reliable source have not been added for this dish yet.
More from this cuisine
Related topics
Food safetyNeutropenic diet (low-microbial diet)PasteurisedCore cooking temperatureLeftoversCross-contamination
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safer Food Choices for People With Weakened Immune Systems
- FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS). Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
- Food Standards Agency (UK). Chilling
- World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food manual
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
- National Cancer Institute (NCI). Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment
- BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2019. Neutropenic diets to prevent cancer infections: updated systematic review and meta-analysis
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FoodData Central — Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS)