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Spice Up Your Diet Without Salt
You know the dietary drill when you're on dialysis. Avoid foods that contain sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Maybe avoiding potassium and phosphorous doesn't sound so bad. But low sodium? Isn't salt what makes food taste better?
Catch an episode of a popular cooking show on the Food Network or some foodie's YouTube channel. And chances are pretty good, they're all using ample amounts of salt to season their food.
There's good news and bad news if you take your cues from cooking shows.
The bad news: If you're on dialysis you need to steer clear of sodium. Too much in your diet, and thirst increases, fluid retention can become a problem, blood pressure rises, dialysis treatments can be uncomfortable, and it can put your health at risk. Do you have to settle for bland and boring? Or are there ways to season your food that won't put your health at risk when you're on dialysis?
The good news: There are a lot of other herbs and spices, besides salt, that you can use to season your food and enjoy it. If you have a health condition that can be aggravated by too much sodium, the American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to 1,500 mg per day. Ask your doctor for guidelines on how much sodium you can consume.
Savory Alternatives to Salt
You might be wondering how to bring out the flavors in roast beef, season fish, or add a little zing to a breakfast omelette, without salt. Note: skip the low-sodium alternatives to salt, because these are usually high in potassium. Instead, season your food with things like:
- Basil
- Curry
- Dill
- Ginger
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
- Tarragon
These herbs and spices are a great alternative to salt that work well on meats, fish, poultry, legumes, and vegetables.
Tasty Done-For-You Meals
If you're not in the mood to cook, or don't have time to sift through recipes, you still don't have to settle for bland and boring. Just check out the menu of tasty and healthy Dialysis-Friendly meals all made with fresh ingredients, low-sodium, and plenty of herbs and spices.
