Focus on CSID - Summer BBQ Edition

A relaxed summer BBQ can start with plain proteins, vegetables you tolerate and simple oil-and-herb flavourings. Edition #2 brings together five recipes, including a vegan tofu main and a vegan vegetable side. All make four portions.

Plan for your own sucrose and starch tolerance

CSID does not come with one universal safe-food list. These recipes omit sweet glazes, buns and breadcrumb coatings, but they are not sucrose-free or starch-free. Naturally occurring carbohydrate, ingredient type and portion size still matter. Follow the plan agreed with your GP and Accredited Practising Dietitian, including prescribed treatment directions. No enzyme dose or treatment change is suggested here.

Use only foods already tolerated. In particular, tofu is suitable for some people with CSID, not everyone; 150 g per portion may exceed an individual's usual amount. Adjust the portion with professional advice rather than testing several unfamiliar foods at the same BBQ. These recipes are not automatically low FODMAP or lower histamine.

Check packaged tofu, mince, spice mixes and sauces for added sugar, sucrose, honey, syrups and starches. “Sugar-free” does not tell you that a food fits your CSID plan. Add any bread, rice, potato or other starch only in your established tolerated amount. The vegetable platter is a side, not a substitute for adequate protein or energy.

BBQ Option 1: Lemon–oregano chicken and zucchini skewers

Main | Serves: 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: approximately 15 minutes | Total: approximately 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 g plain skinless chicken thigh, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 400 g zucchini, cut into thick half-moons
• 30 mL olive oil
• 20 mL lemon juice
• 5 g fresh oregano, chopped

Method

1. Mix the oil, lemon and oregano in a clean bowl. Coat the chicken and zucchini. Thread onto metal skewers, leaving a little space between pieces. Keep chilled until cooking.
2. Heat a clean BBQ hotplate or grill to medium. Cook for 12–15 minutes, turning regularly, until the thickest chicken pieces reach at least 75°C. Move away from direct flame if browning too quickly.
3. Serve promptly with a tolerated salad. Wash everything that contacted raw chicken; do not reuse the raw marinade.

Make it work for you: No sweet glaze or starch coating. Lemon, herbs and zucchini still need to fit your individual tolerance. Add only the starch portion agreed in your eating plan.

BBQ Option 2: Beef lettuce burgers with cucumber

Main | Serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: approximately 15 minutes | Total: approximately 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 g plain beef mince
• 5 g fresh chives, finely chopped
• 10 mL olive oil
• 8 large soft lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 250 g cucumber, sliced thinly

Method

1. Mix the beef and chives gently. Shape four flat patties about 1.5 cm thick. Keep chilled while preparing the lettuce and cucumber separately.
2. Brush the patties with oil. Cook on a medium BBQ hotplate for about 5–7 minutes each side, until the centre of every patty reaches at least 75°C. Do not rely on colour alone.
3. Place each patty between two lettuce leaves with cucumber. Serve on plates with knives and forks if the lettuce wraps are awkward to hold.

Make it work for you: No breadcrumbs, bun, ketchup or sweet relish is included. Check that mince is plain rather than a pre-seasoned burger mix. A lettuce wrap is not automatically a complete meal; build the rest of the plate around your personal plan.

BBQ Option 3: Rosemary pork strips with grilled capsicum

Main | Serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: approximately 25 minutes | Total: approximately 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 g plain pork tenderloin, sliced into strips about 1 cm thick
• 300 g red capsicum, deseeded and sliced
• 200 g zucchini, sliced
• 30 mL olive oil
• 3 g fresh rosemary, very finely chopped

Method

1. Toss the capsicum and zucchini with 15 mL oil. Cook on a medium hotplate for 8–12 minutes, turning until tender; transfer to a clean serving dish.
2. Coat the pork with the remaining oil and rosemary. Cook on the hotplate for about 6–8 minutes, turning, until cooked through. For a conservative fully cooked serving, check the thickest strips reach 75°C.
3. Serve the pork with the vegetables immediately. Cut strips smaller for younger diners.

Make it work for you: Avoid pre-marinated pork and barbecue rubs containing added sugar or starch. Vegetable portions remain individual; this is not a zero-sucrose meal.

BBQ Option 4: Herb tofu steaks with zucchini ribbons — vegan

Vegan main | Serves: 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: approximately 20 minutes | Total: approximately 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 g plain firm tofu, drained and patted dry
• 400 g zucchini, cut lengthways into thick ribbons
• 30 mL olive oil
• 15 mL lemon juice
• 5 g fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Check the tofu ingredients and storage instructions. Cut into eight thick steaks and pat dry again. Mix the oil, lemon and parsley; use half to coat the tofu and half for the zucchini.
2. On a clean medium hotplate, cook the tofu for 4–5 minutes each side, or according to any cooking instructions on its packet, until hot through and lightly golden. Turn carefully with a broad spatula.
3. Cook the zucchini for 2–3 minutes each side until tender. Serve four portions, each with two tofu steaks and zucchini.

Make it work for you: Contains soy. Tofu tolerance varies in CSID: use this only if the type and portion are already suitable for you. Plain tofu is not interchangeable with sweetened or crumbed tofu. Use clean vegan utensils and a separate cooking surface from meat.

BBQ Option 5: Grilled eggplant and mushroom platter — vegan

Vegan side | Serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: approximately 20 minutes | Total: approximately 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 400 g eggplant, sliced about 1 cm thick
• 300 g large mushrooms, wiped clean and halved
• 30 mL olive oil
• 15 mL lemon juice
• 5 g fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Brush the eggplant and mushrooms with the oil. Heat a clean BBQ hotplate to medium.
2. Cook the eggplant for about 5–7 minutes each side until soft right through. Cook the mushrooms alongside for 8–12 minutes, turning, until tender. Work in batches without crowding.
3. Transfer to a clean platter and add the lemon juice and parsley. Divide into four side portions.

Make it work for you: A vegetable side, not a protein replacement. Pair with the tofu if tolerated, or another suitable protein. Mushrooms can cause symptoms for reasons unrelated to CSID; this recipe is not labelled low FODMAP.

Keep the BBQ safe

Keep chilled ingredients at 5°C or colder in the fridge or an iced esky until needed. Use clean utensils, plates and separate cooking areas for raw meat, ready-to-eat food and vegan food; a separate clean pan or hotplate is useful. Check allergies separately. Use metal skewers with care and keep handles clear of children.

Use a food thermometer: these recipes use at least 75°C in the centre for poultry and mince. BBQ heat and thickness vary, so times are estimates. Do not pour raw-meat marinade onto cooked food. Bring out small amounts for serving rather than leaving the whole batch in the sun. For refrigerated perishable food held between 5°C and 60°C, the cumulative 2-hour/4-hour rule applies: under 2 hours out of temperature control, refrigerate or use; 2–4 hours, use immediately; 4 hours or more, discard.

Cool spare cooked food quickly in shallow containers. Refrigerate at 5°C or colder and use within 2 days, or freeze promptly. Thaw in the fridge and reheat the portion needed until piping hot throughout. Do not keep food that has exceeded safe time limits.

Explore more in our recipe collection and the guide to sucrose and starch.

Further reading

• CSID Cares: individual food and starch tolerance
• Children’s Wisconsin: low-sucrose diet information
• FSANZ: the 2-hour/4-hour rule
• NSW Food Authority: BBQ food safety
• FSANZ: food safety basics