Low-sodium meal prep

[Sneezyone]

Friend is on bed rest and needs low-sodium meals prepped ASAP. I have tomorrow to get as much done as I can for the week and drop off in the evening.

I have to prep single servings, salads ok (with no more than 2 oz ramekins for dressing). I also want to keep the pasta to a mininum. Proteins and veg is the goal.  Pls share any ideas!

Also, trying to avoid hospital vibes!!

I’m shopping in the am.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Sneezyone

[prairiewindmomma]

Low sodium is super hard on the tastebuds in the beginning. Salt is one of those things that make food taste good. If kidney function is ok, the potassium salt alternative is pretty decent—use about half of what you normally.

Beyond that—most Indian recipes convert ok. The fat from the oil and various spices make up for a lot. Salads are good, but watch meat for injected sodium solution. Generally, if I can keep meat to 3oz portions, and cheese to 1 oz portions, I do ok with my total daily sodium target. chipotle bowls made at home with no salt beans and homemade rice work well and reheat well. Granola parfaits (yogurt, berries, granola—sent as components for them to dump together) are tasty. Whatever you can do to add fiber that is not wheat based is good because bed rest is hard on toileting. Chopped veggies are yummy. Egg salad sandwiches, salmon + green veg, homemade muffins (to control sodium—aim for about half the salt), are all good too.

AFA low sodium snacking goes—the no salt tortilla chips are decent. Hint of salt Triscuits are good. Talenti sorbet has less sodium than icecream. Mostly, though, I have to stick to fruit and veg. 

 

[itsheresomewhere]

 Braggs organics makes a 24 herbs and spices seasoning that is sodium free and makes things taste great.  It was a life saver when someone I knew had to be on a very low sodium diet ( heart and kidney failure diet).  I still use it for cooking.   No matter what you cook, throw in a jar of this stuff for the person.  Her husband loved having it on hand for when he made something for her. 

[prairiewindmomma]

20 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

 Braggs organics makes a 24 herbs and spices seasoning that is sodium free and makes things taste great.  It was a life saver when someone I knew had to be on a very low sodium diet ( heart and kidney failure diet).  I still use it for cooking.   No matter what you cook, throw in a jar of this stuff for the person.  Her husband loved having it on hand for when he made something for her. 

That is good. It has a nice umami to it. When it is out of stock the Dash salt free onion and herb + nutritional yeast is a decent substitute. Blooming the spices in fat seems to help a bit in making up for being sodium free. 

[HomeAgain]

If you go low sodium, up the acid and umami.  Flavored rice is a big thing here, with either lemon/lime or rice vinegar splashed on the top and a side of heavily spiced chickpeas or lentils, served with extra olive oil and lemon.  Cheese has a lot of salt, but greek yogurt or avocado is a better choice.

[73349]

Mini frittatas could work. Don't add salt, but do use oregano, Italian seasoning, black pepper, etc. We like shredded zucchini (squeeze out water) and grated carrot mixed in with the eggs, and a slice of tomato on top of each serving.

[regentrude]

Roasting brings out the flavor. Roasted veggies can be prepared in bulk. I don't use salt on those.

[kbutton]

3 hours ago, regentrude said:

Roasting brings out the flavor. Roasted veggies can be prepared in bulk. I don't use salt on those.

This! 

We also eat tons of steamed veggies without salt. 

Cooking meat "just right" helps with keeping it juicy and requiring less or no salt as a result. 

Some things taste better cooked together--carrots add nice flavor to meat when you cook them together. 

I can't remember for sure, but I suspect this cookbook has some lower sodium recipes: https://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Williams-Sonoma-Cookbook-Solutions/dp/0737000082

 

[Sneezyone]

Thanks, all! I located the seasoning so I'll give that. The bedrest is temporary in nature but the dietary changes will probably be more long-term.

[Sneezyone]

21 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Low sodium is super hard on the tastebuds in the beginning. Salt is one of those things that make food taste good. If kidney function is ok, the potassium salt alternative is pretty decent—use about half of what you normally.

Beyond that—most Indian recipes convert ok. The fat from the oil and various spices make up for a lot. Salads are good, but watch meat for injected sodium solution. Generally, if I can keep meat to 3oz portions, and cheese to 1 oz portions, I do ok with my total daily sodium target. chipotle bowls made at home with no salt beans and homemade rice work well and reheat well. Granola parfaits (yogurt, berries, granola—sent as components for them to dump together) are tasty. Whatever you can do to add fiber that is not wheat based is good because bed rest is hard on toileting. Chopped veggies are yummy. Egg salad sandwiches, salmon + green veg, homemade muffins (to control sodium—aim for about half the salt), are all good too.

AFA low sodium snacking goes—the no salt tortilla chips are decent. Hint of salt Triscuits are good. Talenti sorbet has less sodium than icecream. Mostly, though, I have to stick to fruit and veg. 

 

Thanks, this is particularly helpful. I went over to visit today and friend is not drinking enough H2O so I pushed that today. Toileting is an issue and friend is not a fan of most veggies. No microwave but toaster oven and stove. Friend is in denial about cooking (b/c can't be up long enough to do that) so I want to provide a steady stream of options for as long as the crisis lasts. I brought over a couple of mixed fruit bowls, spinach artichoke dip-like option from a Mayo Clinic recipe, and some baked chicken wings. I tasted it all myself and, eaten with no salt tortilla chips, it was good. Friend is mostly drinking ensure. Sigh.

[KSera]

9 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Cheese has a lot of salt, but greek yogurt or avocado is a better choice.

Agree with avocado in place of cheese (for creaminess), but you may also be able to use a little Swiss cheese for flavor in places—it’s very low sodium for cheese. 

[prairiewindmomma]

I am glad you can be there for your friend. 
 

I have to drink a ton and it gets really boring super fast. Super cold water helps. Water with the juice of a lime and a packet of stevia is decent. Seltzer water helps. If your friend is pregnant, red raspberry leaf tea is really chock full of minerals and is safe even for high risk pregnancies—and it is yummy hot or cold. Magnesium is really good for high blood pressure related issues—a glass of water with Natural Calm powder has some kick. Dh often made chocolate protein shakes with banana and spinach, but too much protein puts an additional load on your kidneys and can back fire on blood pressure. Banana and avocado both hide well in chocolate protein powder and have potassium which also helps with blood pressure. Orange juice also has enough potassium to help and enough sweetness to cover the taste of greens if she can handle the sugar. 

[Sneezyone]

On 4/30/2023 at 11:00 PM, prairiewindmomma said:

I am glad you can be there for your friend. 
 

I have to drink a ton and it gets really boring super fast. Super cold water helps. Water with the juice of a lime and a packet of stevia is decent. Seltzer water helps. If your friend is pregnant, red raspberry leaf tea is really chock full of minerals and is safe even for high risk pregnancies—and it is yummy hot or cold. Magnesium is really good for high blood pressure related issues—a glass of water with Natural Calm powder has some kick. Dh often made chocolate protein shakes with banana and spinach, but too much protein puts an additional load on your kidneys and can back fire on blood pressure. Banana and avocado both hide well in chocolate protein powder and have potassium which also helps with blood pressure. Orange juice also has enough potassium to help and enough sweetness to cover the taste of greens if she can handle the sugar. 

Sadly, friend is no longer pregnant. 😞

[prairiewindmomma]

@Sneezyone, I am so sorry to hear that.
 

Doctors are typically really awful about warning how issues in pregnancy can forecast future issues, but friend should know that blood pressure issues in pregnancy tend to not be a one and done. It is a very high predictor of issues in the future that typically arise either in the the three years immediately following the end of pregnancy or in your mid-40s or so. It’s probably not the time to share that news now, but I’m going to share this link in case that info doesn’t make it across.
 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3812434/

Mine hit me as a hypertensive crisis….a headache that didn’t go away with ibuprofen. I am lucky I didn’t stroke out. It’s only because I knew a future crisis was a possibility that I pulled out an old blood pressure cuff to check and discovered the issue. Some of my friends have had crises also, some have just been the gradual creep. 

[Faith-manor]

On 4/30/2023 at 11:55 AM, regentrude said:

Roasting brings out the flavor. Roasted veggies can be prepared in bulk. I don't use salt on those.

Same. I roast a lot of vegetables that I have tossed with a little olive oil and then our favorite herbs. Sometimes rosemary and thyme, sometimes with garlic and basil. 

[wisdomandtreasures]

https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/ She doesn't use salt in her recipes.

[Jaybee]

On 4/29/2023 at 9:53 PM, itsheresomewhere said:

 Braggs organics makes a 24 herbs and spices seasoning that is sodium free and makes things taste great.  It was a life saver when someone I knew had to be on a very low sodium diet ( heart and kidney failure diet).  I still use it for cooking.   No matter what you cook, throw in a jar of this stuff for the person.  Her husband loved having it on hand for when he made something for her. 

I couldn't remember where I had read this quote to thank you. I bought some and have been using it a lot. I had not found an herbal seasoning before that was as satisfying as this. I'm trying to cut down on salt somewhat, and the other night I sautéed chicken, baked potatoes, and roasted veggies with this as a seasoning, and didn't miss the salt at all.

9 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

Sadly, friend is no longer pregnant. 😞

I'm so sorry. I hope she finds peace.

[Selkie]

I'm sorry about OP's friend.

 

For anyone looking for salt-free spice blends, I love Local Spicery. They have a whole line of blends for people who are SOS-free (salt, oil, sugar).

https://www.localspicery.com/product-tag/sos/

[City Mouse]

There may be other reasons to avoid deli meat, but if you can get it, Boar’s Head has a No Salt Added turkey breast that is good. I think it tastes like an actual roasted Turkey without all the salt, gravy,and the other yummy stuff. There is also a lower sodium Swiss cheese which is even lower sodium than most off the shelf Swiss cheese brands. There are also a few varieties of other Lower Sodium meats including chicken, ham, and a beef, but I haven’t tried those