Hello all,

It’s been a while. I have been caught up in studying and working full-time. I took a Diet Assessment and Planning course in the past few months as part of my DPD requirement. It was challenging and yet very rewarding. I feel more capable and confident in my journey of becoming an RDN.

There were a few assignments we had during this course. The one that brought me the most fun was the last one, which was modifying an existing recipe to tailor for a CVD (cardiovascular disease) patient. As a Chinese – American, I chose a well-known recipe in the culture: stir-fry eggplant w/ garlic sauce. I modified the recipe to reduce total calories and sodium levels, which would be more beneficial for a CVD Pt to consume than the original recipe & preparation. The best part? The modified dish tastes delicious!

Here is a link to the original recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-eggplant-with-garlic-sauce *Please note that I am not trying to devalue the original recipe. I think it’s fantastic. However, my goal is to modify it so that someone with CVD can enjoy this dish without worrying about negatively impacting their health; even better, I hope the modification can improve their health. (AKA – a therapeutic diet.)

Nutrient goals of the therapeutic diet for CVD:

1.  Having a healthy dietary pattern, increasing fresh fruits and vegetables consumption, whole grains &, etc… On the other hand, limit refined CHO, sugar-sweetened beverages, red meats, or processed meat.
2. Limit saturated fat to 5-6% of total kcals 
3. Avoid trans fats
4. Limit dietary cholesterol to less than 200mg 
5. Limit sodium intake to less than 2400 mg, ideally to 1500mg
6. High fiber diet 25-35 g/d, with greater or equals to ½ from soluble (viscous) fiber
7. Regularly include plant sterols and stanols 
8. Regularly include omega-3 fatty acids
9. Limit alcohol consumption 

****** Modified Recipe******

Ingredient List:

• ½ regular eggplant (319g) cut into long thin strips 
• ¼ medium red bell pepper julienned
• ¼ medium yellow onion julienned 
• 2 cloves of garlic minced 
• 1 tsp of ginger minced 
• 6 tbsp of water
• 1 tbsp canola oil 

The Sauce:

• 2 cloves of garlic minced 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 
• ¾ tsp mirin 
• ¾ tsp sesame oil 
• A sprinkle of umami blend powder 
• A sprinkle of chili powder 
• 1 tsp brown sugar 
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp of water  

Instructions: (Please be aware instructions are only guides. Many variables exist during your cooking; please stay attentive while cooking and make adjustments as needed)

1. Add the 1 Tbsp canola oil to the pan on medium-high heat 
2. Put in aromatics – minced garlic, ginger, and sliced onion. Cook it till the garlic slightly turns brown and the onion becomes wilted 
3. Add eggplant strips and use tongs to spread them out evenly 
4. After two minutes, turn the eggplant strips and cook the other sides
5. Turn it to medium heat for another two minutes. Then add 2 Tbsp of water to the pan. This will create steam and soften the eggplant (put on the pan lid if needed)
6. Mix the eggplant well with garlic, ginger, and onion when it softens.
7.  Add another 2 Tbsp of water, creating more steam and preventing burning since eggplant is fibrous and absorbent. 
8. Add the red pepper 
9. Observe the water in the pan. Add the last 2 Tbsp of water if needed, and keep turning the eggplant (Gradually adding a small amount of water each time instead of a significant amount from the beginning to avoid a watery and saggy texture) 
10.  Pour in the sauce when the eggplant strips look soft, like cooked noodles (approximately 10-12 minutes).
11. Keep stirring. Let eggplant strips soak in the sauce for about 30 seconds
12. Put it on a plate, and garnish it with white sesame and scallion

What changes did I make and why?

            I have made several changes to the original recipe, including removing salt and adding other species and aromatics to enhance flavors. 

Change #1 – Removed salt and dark soy sauce from the recipe to reduce sodium content 

Change #2 – Switched to canola oil and reduced it to 1 Tbsp to decrease calories and total saturated fat.

Change #3 – Adding non-starchy vegetables, like red pepper and onion, for extra fibers 

How did the changes impact taste and texture?

        To my surprise, it came out very flavorful. I changed how the eggplant was cut by making it into thin strips. That increased the surface areas, reduced cooking time, and better absorbed and retained the flavor/sauce. After this change,  the sauce was infused into each eggplant “noodle” string. The fact that it looked like a plate of noodles created an illusion tricking the mind into thinking that’s the main (“noodle”) dish. It provided an extra sense of comfort and satiety. There was a less greasy mouthfeel using only one tablespoon of canola oil. The red pepper was crunchy, contrasting the soft eggplant’s texture. It also made the dish a little more refreshing and less heavy. 

Did I encounter any problems in making the modified recipe?

          The reduced usage of oil caused one of the problems I encountered. Reducing the oil increased the chance of the eggplant getting burned or sticking to the pan. Therefore, I had to increase the amount of water in the recipe. Adding in water helped to create steam and moisture to prevent burning.  

Outcome on some of the nutritional values:

 1.  Reduced sodium content by removing salt and dark soy sauce. Lower salt/sodium consumption from 1607mg to 649mg (<1500mg in CVD dietary goal) 

2. Reduced total saturated fat amount from 1Tbsp canola oil instead of 2 ½ Tbsp peanut oil, total saturated fat is now 0.83g ( 9kcal/161kcal *100% =5.6%, which is in the range between 5-6%) ; (2.87g SF-0.83g SF)/2.87=0.71 *100% = 71% reduction in SF. 

 3. This point aims more at the weight management aspect of the CVD lifestyle goal – lowered total calories (30% kcal reduction) from 233 kcals to 161 kcal.     

4. Increased the number of fresh vegetables in the diet. It also helped increased fiber content from 3.71g to 4.99g. 

5. The amount of Vitamin C increased after modification. Food that contains more antioxidants, like Vitamin C, has been found to improve vascular reactivity. 

6. Eggplants are good choices for CVD patients since they contain 0g (goal <200mg) of cholesterol and are versatile. 

I had a lot of fun doing this assignment. I hope you can try this, give plant-based dishes a shot and experience the healthful benefits they can provide.

Let me know if you try my recipe out, and I would love to hear your feedback!

(This is only for the idea/recipe sharing; each individual’s condition is different, please refer to your physician for any symptoms and illness.)

Love & Light,

Tiffanie ❤