Potatoes in Spain
 

Hello guys

Looking for some help, please.

I'm recovering from some major stomach surgery and the treatment will be ongoing and sounds nasty.

We are travelling to Granada, Seville and Cordoba in about 7 weeks time and no way is this treatment going to stop me traveling there.

The bad news is my diet has been severely restricted consisting of only a very light lunch then dinner in the evening. I've not to eat rice or pasta and the docs have told me not to stray from boiled potatoes with meat, hot or cold.

Can anyone tell me of particular foods in Spain that I should check out. Do you know of any dinners available in restaurants that are served with simple boiled potatoes? Not roasted or baked but boiled.

This is probably the daftest question on the board but after this stressful time it would make it so much easier if I knew what to order. I've searched the web but it has been a struggle to get some answers.

Thank you,

Joe

Perhaps it may be best to get an apartment with a kitchen and then you can cook exactly what fits your restricted diet? That way you could stock up on groceries and cook as you wish, what you wish, when you wish...

thanks bkluvsNola.

It's a tour we will be on and hotels are included. Having somewhere like our own apartment would be ideal but it's not possible on this trip.

No matter what though - we will STILL be taking this trip as it's something to look forward to after a horrible few months.

Joe

Hi Joe, On this tour, you are going on- are meals included, meaning will you have organized dinners with the tour group nightly? I know on most tours, for travelers with dietary restrictions, once restaurants are confirmed, the tour company would advise the restaurant of any specific dietary needs/requests.

What types of meats (red meat, chicken, etc) are you allowed on your new diet? Can you eat salad, cheese?

Here at the comunidad valenciana we have very popular dish called "hervido" which is green beans and potatoes boiled :) "hervido" means "boiled" in Spanish. But I don't think it will be readily available in Andalucia...maybe you can ask and the hotels restaurants will do something for you, boiled potatoes and meat is not an unknown combo in Spanish cuisine :)

joe,
Sounds quite strange: I would recommend you get a second opinion from a reliable gastroenterologist.
M

Yes, it sounds strange..usually when you have a diet that you cannot eat pasta or rice...you cannot eat potatoes at all, all of them are carbohydrates. I'm curious to know :)

if you can choose your restaurants, and give them a little notice, explaining your problem, they should be happy to peel a potato or two and have them boiled for you 30 minutes later.

I'm curious as well. I would imagine that mashed potato - literally mashed potato minus cream, butter, etc. would be even easier than a boiled one; much the same as a baked potato with the skin removed after cooking.

How are you allowed the meat to be cooked - steamed/grilled/fried/etc?

Hi freeman0819

Meals are not included in the tour. We are left to our own devices in the evenings and our dining arrangement are ours to make. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Yes I can eat most meats including chicken & red meat plus salad and cheeses. I've been told though to only eat small quantities of most of those, apart from normal servings of chicken & red meat.

Kenderinia. Thank you very much. That's just what I needed to know. I will ask also if hervido is available.

Mikemo. I am also an insulin dependent diabetic and because of the stomach surgery and subsequent treatment due to begin on Monday the gastroenterologist has told me to eat only potatoes after taking my insulin in the evenings. Rice and pasta normally take longer than potatoes to be converted by a 'normal stomach' into sugars to counter my insulin and he feels following the surgery it would be even slower. He has told me to only take potatoes as, he says, this will give a quicker 'hit' and stop any bad insulin reaction plus my stomach should digest them better and more quickly.

I'm still going though!

Joe

Having just returned from those places - I never saw boiled potatoes - in the expensive places to the Tapas bars.

Be careful, SOOO many things are fried there.

You will see lots of ham and lamb - littel chicken,... The only bland things are the bread~
YOu may want to get other Dr. suggestions.

Have Fun!!!

Thanks m_kingdom2, mashed potatoes are fine and I hope I can find them. In fact those would be much better as they'd be easier on the stomch and coverted into sugars more quickly.

Lincasanova, never thought about phoning ahead and I could get some restaurant recommendations from the hotel, I bet.

Anne, bread might be a good substitute especially if it's white bread. I'll check that out with the gastroenterologist.

Sorry guys, I'm probably just panicking a little but it's been a bad couple of weeks and I feel I need now to keep myself busy, think ahead and get ready for a trip we've been looking forward to for a long time.

Thanks again

joe

If only you were going to Italy! I remember being directed to the "restaurant" (more cafeteria in appearance) in what was only a little two star hotel in Sorrento, the food was really basic, really classical Italian "peasant" food - homemade pastas, simple sauces tasting of sunshine, and somehow they'd managed to make some plain boiled potatoes taste absolutely delicious (hence my recollection)!

In Spain the most obvious thing with mashed potato that comes to mind is croquetas which are - believe it or not - croquettes of mashed potato but usually with cream/herbs/butter/cheese/meat in the mix somewhere so obviously these are most unsuitable for you! However, I am sure that most places will be very accomodating when you explain your condition. I'm not sure if I've had these on not on mainland Spain as they're originally from the Canaries, something called patatas arrugadas (I think) which are simply young potatoes boiled in sea (now I think heavily salted water is substituted) water and left in their skins. Traditionally served with a delicious sauce. If you can find these then I think you could peel the skins away and the remaining potato will be suitable for your diet.

i was just with my insuln dependent mom for two months.. and i thought potatoes were not the best choice for diabetics?? i didn´t let her eat any!!!

you should have no trouble. a small, family place will be happy to do that, in fact, your hotel may be the best place to ask for those favors.

i am confused.. do you HAVE to eat potatoes, or is it that IF YOU EAT potatoes, only to have them boiled?

Great information m_kingdom2. More names to add to the list. Thank you very much. It'll be Italy next year, that's for sure!!

lincasanova, due to the recent illness my weight has dropped dramatically and therefore my insulin doseage has too.

However, the doc has told me in the evenings to eat, at dinner, around 50 grams carbohydrate. Not much, but I'd probably feel even more seedy than I do at the moment if I had to eat more and he realises that. Although its only 50GCH, he has told me to make sure the carbs are fast acting i.e. simple boiled potatoes. If the potatoes are fried, for example, the fat slows down the conversion to sugar and I might get the insulin hit. Your mother can probably eat other types of carbs to counter her insulin but the doc says this is the best way for me at the moment.

joe

aaaaw Joe, sorry to read that you've been unwell. I remember you kindly gave me some great info on Greece a while back and I was very grateful.

What about breakfast time? Most diabetics I know need to take their shots in the morning also. Do you need some suggestions for 'easy' breakfast food to help with the stomach digestion? I've never been to Spain so can't help but perhaps others here can.

Keep thinking about that vacation!

love, milley

Ask if you can have white bread (which is the usual bread here in Spain) instead of the potatoes...50 grams of potatoes is not even a whole potato...let alone a dish made of it.
Anyway, there are lots of diabetics here..sure you find a lot of things to eat (many more than you actually can eat because of the stomach surgery :) )

I don't often read threads about Spain but the title caught my eye.

Joe, I don't know where in this wide-world you live but here in the UK you can buy small sachets of instant mash potato. If you have them where you live then think about taking them to Spain with you. Not the best tasting potato but they could get you out of an awkward situation.

I'm also on insulin and have used them before when absolutely necessary and they will definately give you the 50GCH hit and quickly too. I am sure if your difficult circumstances are explained to the restaurant they'll supply the hot water to mix the potatoes in or do it for you. At least you'll be buying other food such as meat/chicken from them so hopefully they wouldn't object.

Kenderina, it's weird how the diabetic measurements convert but 50 grams carbohydrate of potato works out to about 4 large ones. The same measurement would allow Joe to eat about 2.5 large slices of bread.

Confusing isn't it?

bill

Joe, can you have eggs?

If so you might have tortilla for dinner - it is a sort of omelette with potatoes. The potatoes are sauteed in olive oil first, then eggs are poured over and it is cooked until set. Tortilla can be found everywhere - tapas bars, restaurants...

Hope this helps.

stay away from the scrumptious tortilla. the oil in the potatoes is not what you are looking for.

when you feel better, do try it as it is delicious.

a boiled potato is a boiled potato.

As another suggestion, though one I don't have the knowledge to help you with. Before you leave on your trip, have a Spanish-speaking person write out (in Spanish, of course), the limitations of your diet and anything else that you would feel that it would be important for a restauranteur to know. Carry that explanation with you everywhere. That way, even if you're in a situation where the English-Spanish communication is not perfect, they will know what you need.

And by the way, you've been very polite and patient with some somewhat intrusive questions. Thanks for explaining (and as someone with no diabetics in the family, I've learned a lot from this post)!

Sorry, I didn't know if olive oil was OK or not. My bad!

Yes, billbar, confusing ! I thought of 50 grams of potato..no 50 grams of carbohydrate , sorry !! I should have figured out..my grandpa was diabetic, one of my uncles is also on insuline, and my father is also diabetic but he's not on insuline ... so it's my fault :)

Thanks to everyone for more suggestions.

Bill, we can also get those small sachets of instant potatoes and my wife and I have discussed taking them with us this morning. If we can't find restaurants that serve simple boiled potatoes then I can mix up the instant stuff at the hotel(s), take my insulin and that's then covered. We could then go to a restaurant and I could have a meal with no or little carbs e.g. a salad, red meat or chicken. A great idea. Thank you very much.

Nice to hear from you again milley. Breakfast is fine - I've already got that covered.

Lexma90, I've already got the translations being worked on by my nephew, but thanks for the great suggestion.

I wasn't worried about any intrusive questions. I didn't mention the diabetes to begin with, so folks perhaps couldn't figure out such a strict regime. I smiled at mikemo's suggestion for me to get a second opinion from a reliable gastroenterologist. The one I have is my God at the moment. I'll stick with him.

Mind you, I can easily cope with intrusion. My body has been poked, slapped, and opened in the last few weeks so I'm used to it!!

Again, a big thank you to all my Fodors friends. I knew I'd get help here.

Joe

Hi Joe,

You might want to get a Spanish language cookbook and write out a list of the various dishes that have potatoes.

Best wishes.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Joe-- I don't have much more suggestions that those so well laid out by previous posters, but want to wish you a speedy recovery and a fabulous trip. I admire your fighting spirit and hope you have a wonderful time in an amazing destination!

An idea is to bring a card with your specific requests written in Spanish and present it when ordering. Post if necessary translation; Kenderina is tops for advice and I am sure she can translate for you really well (right, K? :-D). Another suggestion is to narrow down a restaurant/reserve ahead of time during the day, and see if they could prepare you the meal for later on. Just keep in mind that Spain dining hours are late (restaurants will start dinner seating after 8:30-9:00 pm). Take this into consideration when planning your medication intake. Have a great time! :-D

Can you substitute milk for part of the carbs? That's what my diabetic sister (brittle) did back in the 60's to keep her from having insulin reaction. Of course, they didn't know much about diabetes then, but it worked for her. My daughter lived in Spain for 5 months last year and even if you thought you were getting something plain, they would pour olive oil on it right before serving. Be sure to tell them no oil if you can't have it.

good point, kybourbon! you can´t imagine how many wonderful desserts i have ordered and then they squeeze this revolting "caramel" squiggly all over it!

they also put garlic in my scrambled eggs in arcos de la frontera.
Gag... ( and i LIVE here.. so no language problem!) things are just DONE as habit and for decoration.. so just say..

"Solo puedo tomar patatas hervidas SIN aceite")o.. "nada de aceite, por favor".

patatas hervidas
carne a la plancha, sin salsa
pescado a la plancha SIN aceite adicional

pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken)

hervido ( the boiled veggies kenderina spoke of.. )

a la plancha is "grilled"

Of course !! As Viajero said, if I can help you translating anything you just have to ask, I'd be glad to help you :)

Thanks to everyone for the advice and offers of help.

I emailed my nephew Friday at his university address to stranslate some stuff for me regarding food and my restrictions. Hopefully he'll get back to me tomorrow.

Thanks licasanova and Kenderina. I'll come back to you perhaps about more translations if I haven't covered them all. Your offers of help are very much appreciated.

rialtogrl, thanks for the tortilla suggestion. They sound really great but, yes, the oil would cause me some problems. But hey, you weren't to know that.

Ira, great idea. After this message is posted I'll go to Amazon and see what I can find.

Viajero2, thanks for your kind comments and the details about late starting times for dinner. That'll be more juggling with the regime but I'll manage.

A bit restless here tonight as the 'heavy duty' stuff starts tomorrow. It'll be early to bed tonight for me.

I'll do my best to keep you all posted.

Best wishes,

Joe

best wishes and hope your treatments are not as heavy duty for too long.

you are quite a sport to continue on this trip if you are not feeling too well.

take care.

m_kingdom, croquetas are not made with potatoes, but with bechamel sauce. A tiny difference ...

Joe, I think it won´t be easy to find plain boiled potatoes. It´s more normal to find them fried that boiled or roasted.

I think your best option will be to carry the cards previously mentioned so they know what to serve you.

Kind regards, Cova

Cova..except cod croquetas, that usually have potato.Maybe m-kingdom only tasted those ones. Nice to see you again round here :)

Guys

I've been in touch with Joe's wife as Joe and I have exchanged emails a few times about some Greek questions on here.

It seems he isn't so good after his first few weeks treatment. It has been very heavy duty and he hasn't responded too well and is a bit poorly at the moment.

I just thought those on here who helped with their answers might have wondered how he was doing.

I really hope they both make it to Spain as, for a long time, Joe has spoken of little else in his emails but I have my doubts.

I've only known him through email correspondence but he always seems to be pretty strong-willed. So, hopefully if they can't visit this time around he can concentrate, when recovering, on planning a belated trip.

Fingers crossed!

bill

Sorry to hear Joe's not doing very well.. Health is the most important thing, if he finally is not in the best condition for the trip..it's better to delay it..Spain is not going to move and I'd definitely like Joe and his wife to have a good time here not a suffering one !! :)

here´s hoping that joe gets through the roughest part of his treatment quickly and can feel energized to fulfill his travel wishes.

you are in our thoughts.

Joe,

Sorry you are not feeling well. I like your spirit and I wish I could give you some advise but I have never been to Spain. I hope you get well soon and tell us about Spain when you get back.

Much Aloha,
Maria

m_kingdom2 writes: "I'm curious as well. I would imagine that mashed potato - literally mashed potato minus cream, butter, etc. would be even easier than a boiled one; much the same as a baked potato with the skin removed after cooking."

The Spanish don't do 'mashed potatoes,' they do puree de patatas. My wife is from Spain (Madrid) and it took years to get her to do mashed potatoes. I've had more luck with just boiled potatoes. Many fish entrees are served on a bed of sliced, boiled potatoes.
BTW
Some of the best potatoes in the world are grown in Galicia (NW Spain).

I was wondering only yesterday about Joe as I remembered his message a few weeks ago.

When I found his thread again I am so sorry to read the treatment has been tough. Thanks for letting us know, bill.

He showed us a lot of spirit though and it'll pull him through. I'm with Kenderina! Spain isn't going anywhere Joe and it's best you feel good when there and not sick.

I hope you feel better very, very soon.

Love

milley

From the description of the recommended diet, it sounds like you're talking about glycemic index, i.e., how fast various foods convert to blood sugar. Most diabetics become very familiar with this index. It has nothing to do with how "mild" the foods are, so foods like milk and bread, though equally mild, are not similar at all on the glycemic index scale.

Boiled new potatoes only rate "medium" on the glycemic index scale, while baked potatoes and instant potatoes rate "high". I would ask your doctor before switching instant potatoes in for boiled. It's not always obvious where foods fit in. I suspect you will be becoming very familiar with the index in coming years.