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It was Kidney Health Week in Australia last week – and one of the biggest considerations from a diet perspective when it comes to kidney health is… Salt intake! Whether it’s added during cooking, used to preserve food or an essential table item, salt (sodium) is found in copious amounts around our food intake. The truth is, our body’s only needs about 1 gram of sodium each day to function properly – that is just a quarter of one of those salt packets that you might find out at dinner! Excess salt intake can impact our blood pressure, fluid retention and even our kidney function.

Someone with chronic kidney disease may be unable to remove excess sodium and fluid which leads to a build-up of these within your body. Depending on your current plan management with your health professionals you may be advised to reduce your salt intake. You can do this by:

  • Swapping table salt for extra pepper or mixed herbs and other spices
  • Choosing ‘no added salt’ or ‘reduced salt’ packaged products
  • Using herbs and spices instead of salt in cooking
  • Reducing intake of cured and processed meats and cheeses
  • Choosing food that contains <400mg of sodium per 100g

This Lemon, Ginger and Lime Butter Fish Parcel recipe is a great example of how you can cook with limited salt and still the flavour at maximum level. With only 250mg per serve and 79mg per 100g, this is a great low sodium option to have for dinner.

Lower Salt Lemon, Ginger and Lime Butter Fish Parcels

Serves: 6
Prep: Approx. 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch asparagus, cut into quarters
  • 4 baby bok choy, cut into quarters
  • 4 medium white fish fillets
  • 3 tbsp margarine, melted
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • ¼ lime juice
  • 2 tsp mixed herbs

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  2. Cut 4 large rectangles of foil, place vegetables evenly in the centre of each rectangle and top with fish.
  3. Combine margarine, lemon, ginger, lime juice and mixed herbs in a small bowl.
  4. Pour sauce evenly over each piece of fish.
  5. Fold up the foil to make a sealed parcel.
  6. Bake in the oven on a medium tray for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Lemon, Ginger and Lime Butter Fish Parcels Nutrition Stats

Nutrient Per Serve Per 100g
Energy 1,506kJ 474kJ
Protein 42.4g 13.3g
Carbohydrates 1.5g <1g
Sugars 1.4g <1g
Fat (total) 19.1g 6.0g
Saturated fat 3.8g 1.3g
Dietary Fibre 4.3g 1.3g
Sodium 250mg 79mg

Looking for more recipes? Check out our eBook collection for more! For tailored advice recommended just for you, get in contact with one of our dietitians today.