I went grocery shopping at Food-Front Co-Op yesterday and found some wild-caught steelhead on sale for $9.99/lb (normally $14.99/lb). I decided to buy it as a nice treat for my breakfasts this week. Yes, I did say breakfasts. Sometimes with SIBO, eating meat or fish for breakfast is a necessity because it is better tolerated than the majority of items that would normally be considered “breakfast”.
The generous amount of ghee in this recipe is helpful for those attempting to add more fat to their diet. It also makes it incredibly delicious!
Is Ghee Safe for SIBO?
Have you heard of ghee? And wondered if it is safe for those following SIBO diets?
Unless someone has a milk allergy, ghee tends to be well tolerated.
Ghee originates from India and is commonly used in Indian cuisine. It is made by simmering butter on the stove top and then straining it remove solid residue that has settled at the bottom.
So ghee is made from butter and butter is made from milk. So let’s break down the components of milk that can be problematic for people so we can see why ghee isn’t likely to be a problem:
- Lactose– this is the most common troublesome ingredient in milk- it is the sugar. You may have heard of lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is extremely common (>65-70% of adults worldwide) and can be caused by primary (genetic) or secondary (brush border enzyme destruction, SIBO) factors. However, even those with lactose intolerance can consume small amounts of lactose without issue. Butter contains very little lactose and ghee contains hardly any.
- Casein– this is the protein found in dairy products. Individuals can have either an allergy or sensitivity to it. An allergy would be a good reason to avoid dairy products. However, if you have a sensitivity/intolerance (ask your doctor) to the protein found in milk, you may be able to get away with having a little dairy now and then and shouldn’t have any issues with ghee. Ghee is almost entirely fat, meaning it contains no protein. Therefore, ghee contains very little, if any, casein.
- 1 lb wild-caught steelhead (cut into ¼ lb portions)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cultured ghee, melted (you can substitute grass-fed butter, if tolerated or coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add olive oil to glass baking dish to grease it. Place steelhead fillets in oiled dish.
- Make sauce: melt 2 tablespoons ghee. Stir in lemon juice, grated ginger, and dried ghee.
- Spoon lemon-herb-ghee sauce over steelhead.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until it easily flakes with a fork, but is no longer bright pink in color.
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