Adding flavour to meals when you have kidney disease
Having chronic kidney disease can change your sense of taste. Some children and young people prefer foods which have a strong flavour or are spicy. Here are a few tips to make your meals tasty if you need to have less potassium or salt in your diet.
Choose...
Fresh herbs and spices
They are lower in potassium than dried - so choose fresh herbs and spices if possible.
Vinaigrettes (made with olive oil)
Can add lots of flavour and spice to a salad.
Garlic
Add garlic to a meal for extra flavour.
Avoid...
Avoid adding salt
Including salt substitutes to food at the table or in cooking.
Remember to...
Check the salt content
Of fajita mixes, Chinese five spice and Thai seven spice mixes as these are often high in salt and should only be used sparingly.
How do I know if a food is low in salt?
If a food contains 0.3g of salt or less per 100g it is considered to be low in salt.
Which herbs and spices can I use to add extra flavour?
You can choose various herbs and spices to flavour foods and dishes. The list below highlights good flavour combinations that you may wish to try.
Cardamom
This is great for adding flavour and aroma to curries.
Basil
This herb can be used to complement tomato-based sauces, lamb, fish or eggs. It tastes great with potatoes and pasta.
Dill
This works well with fish, cream cheese or cottage cheese, potatoes, fish and vegetables.
Garlic
Try making your own garlic butter and add this to fish, chicken or pasta. You can even make your own garlic bread by adding fresh, crushed garlic to a baguette and then baking it in the oven.
Marjoram
This tastes great with fish, cheese dishes, or chicken and pork dishes.
Mint
You can make your own mint sauce and add it to lamb.
Oregano
Try this to complement tomato-based sauces or used on homemade pizzas.
Parsley
Use with meats, vegetables, cheese and eggs.
Rosemary
This works well with pork and lamb.
Sage
Make your own stuffing using sage.
Tarragon
This is great with fish sauces, green salads, pickles, and with chicken.
Thyme
You can make your own stuffing using thyme. Thyme can also be added to sauces for use with beef, pork and chicken.
Ginger
Add ginger and sliced lemon to chicken and then roast in the oven.
Looking for some examples?
Watch Vitaflo’s Chef Neil demonstrate how herbs and spices can be used.
Potassium restriction?
If you have been advised to follow a low potassium diet, you may need to choose lower potassium herbs and spices.
Lower potassium options
- Basil (dried, ground; fresh)
- Coriander leaves (fresh)
- Coriander seeds
- Dill (dried; fresh)
- Dill seeds
- Marjoram (dried)
- Mint (dried; fresh)
- Oregano (dried, ground; fresh)
- Parsley (fresh)
- Rosemary (fresh; dried)
- Sage (dried, ground; fresh)
- Garlic (fresh, powdered)
- Thyme (dried, ground; fresh)
- Cardamom (ground)
- Cinnamon (ground)
- Cloves (dried)
- Cumin seeds
- Curry powder
- Fennel seeds
- Ginger (fresh; ground)
- Nutmeg (ground)
- Pepper (black; white)
- Saffron
- Tarragon (dried, ground)
Moderate in potassium
Use half a teaspoon in a meal to serve 4 people.
- Chervil (dried)
- Coriander leaves (dried)
- Parsley (dried)
- Lemon juice
- Fenugreek
- Chilli powder
- Paprika
- Pepper cayenne (ground)
- Turmeric (ground)
High in potassium
Use less that half a teaspoon in a meal to serve 4 people
- Fresh red chillies
- Chilli flakes
- Cumin
Always check with your dietitian regarding which foods you can have and which foods you should limit in your diet. Everyone’s needs are different.
Make your own vinaigrettes
Here are some examples of vinaigrette recipes that can be added to salads and other foods.
Base Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients:
- 100ml olive oil
- 50ml balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Method:
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, basil, shallot and garlic.
- Pour over your favourite salad to serve.
Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 100ml olive oil
- 50ml red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ tablespoon lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- ½ medium sized onion, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- 1 pinch white sugar
Method:
- In a bowl, mix together thoroughly the red wine vinegar, honey, lime juice, pepper, paprika, garlic, onion, oregano and sugar.
- Drizzle the olive oil into the mixture while gently whisking.
- Put the vinaigrette in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Pour over your favourite salad to serve.
Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients:
- 100ml olive oil
- 50ml balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Method:
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, basil, shallot and garlic.
- Pour over your favourite salad to serve.
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