Paella
Saffron rice cooked in a wide pan with chicken, rabbit or seafood.
Well-cooked hot dish
Ingredients
- rice
- chicken
- seafood (prawns
- mussels)
- green beans
- tomato
- saffron
- olive oil
- stock
- salt
How it is prepared
Meat and vegetables are browned, rice and stock are added and cooked without stirring until absorbed.
Food safety with low immunity
- Cool cooked rice within an hour, refrigerate it and eat it within 24 hours: bacteria that make toxins can multiply in rice left at room temperature.
- Chicken and turkey must be fully cooked; keep raw poultry away from other foods and wash hands and boards after handling it.
- Clams and other shellfish must be cooked until the shells open and the flesh is fully cooked.
How to prepare it during treatment
Seafood must be fully cooked; discard mussels that do not open.
Your diet during treatment is agreed with your doctor. Sample 7-day menu for the treatment period →
Storage
Cool rice dishes within 1 hour, refrigerate and eat within 24 hours. Do not keep them at room temperature.
Reheating
Only once, until steaming hot. Never reheat rice a second time.
Symptoms it may suit
- Low appetite. Gives a lot of energy and protein in a small portion — can help when appetite is low.
- Weight loss. Energy-dense and easy to enrich (oil, cheese, yoghurt) — can help with weight loss.
- 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)Freshly cooked and hotmay 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.
- Diabetes. Rich in carbohydrates (rice, potato, dough). With diabetes, discuss portion size and blood sugar with your team.
- Arthritis, Kidney disease. Red meat, offal or seafood can be rich in purines. With gout and some kidney conditions, discuss it with your team.
Nutrition (per 100 g)
| Energy | 169 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 9.5 g |
| Fat | 7.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15.8 g |
| Fibre | 0.6 g |
| Sodium | 737 mg |
Figures are for a comparable item in the USDA FoodData Central database: “Paella, NFS”. Home recipes vary — treat this as a rough guide, not an exact calculation. USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 2706723
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)