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Low salt recipes

10 replies

DoYouRememberTheInnMiranda · 11/03/2023 17:00

Heya,

My kidney consultant has advised I should cut down my salt consumption.

Right now, it feels like everything I love is salty (cheese, crisps, bacon, pizza, carbonara...) So I'm sure he's right, but it feels tricky.

DH is a big carnivore and I can't be bothered to cook twice, so suggestions for meaty meals, without much salt, not too spicy (another him restriction, not me!) gratefully received.

OP posts:
AtleastitsnotMonday · 11/03/2023 20:08

Do you add salt to meals or whilst cooking at the moment? Do you regularly eat the salt food you mention? Because you say cut down, so there could be some easy wins.

For things like cheese and try an£ use smaller amounts so you get the flavour but they aren't the main event. This works well with cheese if you swap to a stronger variety, so you need less of it for the flavour and reduce the amount by using a finer plane on your grater.

Look to replace salt with other flavourings, garlic lemon or lime juice, garlic, herbs and spices. Where possible cook from scratch. A tomato sauce with onions, garlic, black pepper, basil and oregano doesn't need salt. You can make a pizza much lower in salt by using a flour and Greek yoghurt dough for you base, making a tomato sauce as above and then choosing lower salt topping. Pepperoni and anchovies are always going to be high salt but chicken, veg, pineapple etc are absolutely fine. Mozzarella is one of the lower salt cheeses.

Meat like chicken and steak are fine without salt. We eat a lot of tray bakes with various chicken, fish, veg and just flavour with things like cumin, turmeric, ginger, garlic and olive oil.

Things like chilli or curries (mild for your husband) are ideal for a low salt diet. If you use butter in your cooking switch to olive oil.

Fish in parchment paper with spring onions, ginger, garlic and lime. Serve with rice and veg.
Chicken breasts with garlic mushrooms in a cream sauce
Homemade fish cakes
Chicken and leek risotto (up the white wine!!!)
Fritata
Shakshuka

I'm not sure I can think of a low salt alternative to crisps, although there are some lower salt varieties market.

PillBoxes · 11/03/2023 20:19

Keep biscuits and bread far away. Try to avoid tinned, packaged and processed foods. Read packaging for salt content and add it up. The NHS advice is max a teaspoon of salt per day about 6 grams. But it all adds up if you eat a lot of ready made, packaged food, and bread, cakes and biscuits etc.

Other than that really, once you don't add salt when cooking or eating then you will be low salt.

I'm in the same boat, but it is not for kidney reasons. I found it hard at first because I really thought I was low salt as it was, but it's the hidden salt that is in practically everything in a packet, box or tin, and bread and some ahem... confectionery that knocked me back.

You get used to it and then when you eat something salty it's WHOA, what's that!

BlackForestCake · 11/03/2023 22:49

A tomato sauce with onions, garlic, black pepper, basil and oregano doesn't need salt.

No it doesn't, but the pasta does. Have you ever forgotten to salt the pasta water? It's horrible.

I find rice needs less salt than pasta or potatoes.

I am always suggesting Indian cookery on here but it's another area where it excels. You can cook basmati rice, dhal or chapatis with no salt at all and they are still lovely.

AtleastitsnotMonday · 12/03/2023 09:02

BlackForestCake · 11/03/2023 22:49

A tomato sauce with onions, garlic, black pepper, basil and oregano doesn't need salt.

No it doesn't, but the pasta does. Have you ever forgotten to salt the pasta water? It's horrible.

I find rice needs less salt than pasta or potatoes.

I am always suggesting Indian cookery on here but it's another area where it excels. You can cook basmati rice, dhal or chapatis with no salt at all and they are still lovely.

When cooking for a family member on a low salt diet, I don't salt the pasta water. I toss the pasta in the sauce and I can't say anyone has ever noticed.

midgemadgemodge · 12/03/2023 09:12

If you are used to salt in everything you can taste when it's missing

But you can readjust so that you don't need salt in the pasta water or sauce

just cut out salt in cooking and give yourself time to get used to it - it won't take long

gingercat02 · 12/03/2023 09:31

Don't add salt to cooking (you will get used to it), salt free stock cubes, buy everything tinned in water or oil, cut down on processed meats and smoked fish, grate cheese as it goes further. Look for reduced salt sauces and other condiments. Stop using ready made jar sauces (pasta, chinese, curry, etc)
Use lots of herbs and spices, garlic, etc.

WarningToTheCurious · 12/03/2023 09:41

You really don’t need to add salt to pasta or rice for cooking.

I don’t cook potatoes with salt either.

DoYouRememberTheInnMiranda · 12/03/2023 12:42

Thank you so much everyone for your suggestions.
Luckily, I already don't salt pasta water, so at least that's one switch I'm used to!
Pizza dough with yoghurt is a good plan, and great that mozzarella is a lower salt cheese anyway, I guess fresh chillies are probably better than the jalapenos from a jar I'd usually use, and I will have to do without my favourite chorizo.
I also need to lookup some good recipes to replace stuff like korma jar sauce, but it will be doable I'm sure.
Think I posted when feeling down that the two favourite family meals we all enjoy, homemade pizza and spaghetti carbonara, seem like they're out, but at least I can adjust the pizza ok and maybe some of the other suggested recipes will become new family favourites. Thank you so much everyone for your help.

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