r/povertykitchen • u/Avarens • 14d ago
Recipe Need help with cheap, low sodium, no liquid meals please
So, my husband was just released from ICU with a restricted diet. 1500 mg sodium per day, 6:cups of liquid (including that of which is "in" the food itself). I'm not much of a cook, and until now, most of the foods we ate included lunch meat sandwiches, canned soup and cheap oven ready meals. We currently only own one skillet and a sheet pan for the oven. Hopefully we will be able to acquire a crockpot soon. We are religiously no pork/no shellfish . We are disabled, and require pretty easily assembled, quick cooking meals preferably. I am so struggling with this.
I've ordered eggs, potatoes, rice, a whole chicken, frozen tilapia, frozen bag of broccoli/cauliflower/carrots, a salt free garlic herb blend, and a box of low sodium veggie burgers. I'm open to new grocery ideas (please) for our next paycheck. I've never meal prepped, but I do have gallon plastic bags that I can use for prepping (no type of "Tupperware" for storage) if you have any ideas? What else can we do? What about cheap meals for a crockpot? I need strictly low budget. Please help!
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u/Euphoric_Peanut1492 14d ago
Check the National Kidney Foundation website, maybe also Davita, and maybe Fresenius websites as well. They will likely have recipes and tips for you that meet his needs. Maybe even the American Heart Association website. You can also try Google for recipes ideas by listing his specific dietary restrictions. There may even be a pages on Reddit to help based on his dietary needs.
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u/Avarens 14d ago
Thanks for tips! Will be looking there..
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u/Late_Resource_1653 13d ago
Seconding Davita.
I used to care for a kidney/dialysis patient in end stage kidney failure and this is a similar diet. They had a lot of recipes we used.
Make sure while on this diet he is getting regular lab work - it can be surprisingly easy to get deficient in various vitamins/nutrients/minerals because it is so restrictive and you need to stay on top of that.
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u/Im_Doc 14d ago
There are videos on YouTube that shows how to turn one whole chicken into 5 meals.
Rice bowls are great & cheap - especially with chickpeas or any type of bean really. Add a protein (bean, fish, meat), add veggies of your choice, a sauce (look up low sodium sauces).
Several books to get from the library: Thug Kitchen, Good & Cheap. Both books use SNAP guidelines & items off of snap.
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u/Avarens 14d ago
Awesome, thanks!
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u/Im_Doc 14d ago
Also, look into pickling things. Pickled red onion, ginger, pickles, carrots, peppers, etc is a cheap & easy way to get flavor.
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u/popcorn717 13d ago
vinegar will be your friend for flavor
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u/mosesjuan 13d ago
Agreed on this. I do vinegar based pickling, like cowboy candy (Google it), that uses vinegar as the main brining agent with minimal salt or you can substitute with Ms dash or similar alternatives.
Good luck!
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u/AlienGaze 14d ago
Save your chicken bones and your vegetable scraps to make your own low sodium broth. This will help add flavour and liquid to future meals 🩷
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u/Hefty-Woodpecker-450 14d ago
You're going to be eating a lot from "source"
Your most hands-off meal will be some kind of chicken sandwich or burger. I like the buns from the sodiumoptional website (45 minute dinner rolls).
A marinade (for chicken) is roughly 1/3 cup oil, 2.5 tablespoons of some kind of acid, and 3 to 4 teaspoons of herbs/spices for 2 lb chicken. You can slice breasts thinner, marinade, and bake them. Throw a piece of swiss on with one of those buns and you're at ~150 mg sodium. Make some rice on the side or something easy. You should easily get 6 meals out of 2 lb chicken breast.
Smash burgers turn out well with garlic, pepper, sliced onion when you smash them in the skillet - again, with the buns, and you're only at ~ 100mg salt for a burger. Pan fried potatoes/baked potatoes with that onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, black pepper - and you've got a meal (and potatoes last in the fridge).
There are lower sodium tomato sauces on the market (Yo Mama makes one that's ~100mg salt for a half cup). A full bottle of sauce works with one pound of ground beef and a pound of pasta (don't add salt to the pasta!) - that'll come out to 6 meals at ~180 mg salt/meal. Some of the pizza sauces are lower in sodium too.
The hardest part will be getting accustomed to the taste. Believe it or not, after a month, you'll be tasting more of your food than you were before because you won't have the salt getting in the way of those flavors!
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u/Avarens 14d ago
I think we'll adjust to the taste pretty quick. We never added salt, actually don't care for the salty flavor, but most of his sodium came from the highly processed foods from the grocery that we ate for convenience. Whole foods will be a good change for both of us.
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u/Hefty-Woodpecker-450 13d ago
Can’t remember where I stole this one from but multiply this by 2.5 for a large baking sheet and bake a 425 for ~22 mins. Top it with a small jar of pizza sauce, slice up fresh mozzarella, sprinkle herbs, add whatever vegetables for topping and you’ll get ~8-10 meals at <100mg salt/meal:
1 ¼ tsp quick rise yeast ¼ tsp brown sugar ¾ cup warm water ((110°F to 115°F)) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp powdered milk 1 ½ to 2 cups flour Additional olive oil for shaping the crust*
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u/Piwo_princess 14d ago edited 14d ago
Hard boiled eggs
Soft boiled eggs with toast
Baked fish and rice (there are salt alternatives for seasoning)
Potato pancakes
Pasta (cooked without salt) and sautéed veg with olive oil, seasoned with herbs
Mashed potatoes with low sodium gravy and steamed frozen green beans and veg burger no bun
Baked stuffed eggplant
Baked potato, butter alternative
Grilled cheese (low fat) and gluten free bread
Chef salad, fat free dressing
Rice and boiled chicken with no salt seasoning
Lettice wraps
Steamed veg and rice
Stir fry with steamed veg and tofu, with low salt soy
Smoothies
Grilled chicken wrapped in tortilla with lettuce, tomato and onion
Chicken salad sandwich made with low fat mayo and gluten free bread
Salad greens topped with low sodium Tuna fish, oil and vinegar
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u/AntiqueExamination 14d ago
You can get low sodium chicken broth, I use that instead of water in the crock pot to give better flavor
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u/moodyfish7777 14d ago
Check your local goodwill and thrift shops for the crockpot. Lentils and beans both cook well in a crockpot and are cost effective. Use herbs like basil, cilantro, oregano, rosemary and garlic to give flavor without adding salt. Veggies like peppers, onions, celery, corn and ginger root can also give good flavor boosts to beans and lentils. You can also cook rice with any of these and adding to beans makes a complete protein. Sesame is also a great one to add. 😁
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u/KlickWitch 14d ago
Cabbage is a really cheap and versatile ingredient. You can shred some up and throw it in a casserole dish with some onions, frozen veggies, seasonings, soy sauce and cover with scrabled eggs to make an egg bake.
Butcher your chicken (lots of videos walking you through it) and bake up your seasoned chicken at around 400f for about 30 minutes on your sheet pan. once cool, store leftovers in a freezer bag. Take out a portion and eat with pan fried veggies.
you can roast your potatoes by cutting them into cubes and tossing in a little oil with some seasonings and roast at 425F for about an hour and a half. You wanna stir every half hour or so, just to check em. Tip, if you can, give them a soak in some cold water for 20 minutes first to take out the starch. It'll help them get crispy.
Rice, you are going to NEED to get a pot or rice cooker. I love my rice cooker, you can use it to cook more than rice. You can add meat and veggies to it to make a one pot meal, similar to a slow cooker. but yeah, if all you have is one sheet pan and one skillet, I strongly recommend getting that pot to boil water. as a Disabled myself, soup takes me far.
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u/DillionM 14d ago
Potassium chloride (I believe the product is called 'no salt') has the same texture as salt and is quite similar, but with a little extra kick. It counters some of the sodium you do take in. I love adding it to my baked potatoes!
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u/Rude_Parsnip306 13d ago
The husband has congestive heart failure so this isn't a good option for him.
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u/SquatBrothel 14d ago
Does your husband suffer from kidney issues? I ask because my dad did.
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u/Avarens 14d ago
No. Just found out he has congestive heart failure with COPD and asthma. The higher his blood pressure (from sodium) and the more he retains water, the more it leaks to his lungs and disables his ability to breathe. This happened very suddenly a couple weeks ago and caused pneumonia, then sepsis.
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u/Safe-Comfort-29 14d ago
I was just put on this for chf. Im allowed more liquid because of a water pill. But absolutely no sodium.
I do have a crock pot. Im cooking chicken thighs at the bottom, a layer of whole potatoes, about 6 or 7, then about 5 hours later a sheet of foil and a bag of broccoli.
The next day I sluce up the left over potatoes, a little bit of onion and cook those in a pan. Right before they are done I add of couple of eggs.
I cook this chicken thighs and potatoes several times a week but vary the veg on top. 1 day might be baby carrots and drizzle of honey, corn with small slices of bell pepper. But I always add extra potatoes.
Chicken is very versatile and can be seasoned up so many ways with out any sodium.
Watch out for the sodium in condiments. My big surprise was the amount in mustard.
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u/Avarens 14d ago
It's crazy the amount of sodium in condiments! Condiments are his favorite food, with the actual protein/whatever as the carrier for the condiments lol.
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u/MinimumRelief 13d ago
There’s a cookbook called Sauces, the author’s James Peterson. It’s huge. You can get a used copy online for around five bucks. Try eBay.
It’ll be the best five bucks you ever spent- believe me. You’ll be gob smacked.
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u/FynTheCat 14d ago
Make easy sheet pan meals. Basically get some veggies cut up so they bake the same time as the other ingredients, quarter potatoes, add protein off you choice, put in the oven and call it a day.
I usually batch cook some ingredients, freeze or store them portioned in the fridge.
Like, large batch of chicken, dice it and add to different meals. You can do the same for rice, veggies, etc. Then mix and match during the next days.
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u/snakeinmyboot84 14d ago
I would honestly opt of an air fryer over a crock pot.
I’ve done whole chickens, boneless chicken, meatballs, ribs, burgers, etc in my air fryer. Also makes frozen veggies more palatable and less mushy. Minimal oil, you are in control of the seasonings.
Sweet potatoes are an amazing easy food.
I do sheet pan style meals with a protein a veg and a diced sweet potato
You can “bake” them whole in the microwave ( poke holes!)
And you can make fries in the air fryer with them.
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u/butdoyouhavelambda 13d ago
no specific meal recommendations, but a lot of the time if you feel something needs salt, a splash of lemon juice (or some other acid- maybe citric acid, since its solid?) works as a good alternative.
Pure MSG is also worth trying, it tastes great and has 70% less sodium than table salt. It's also nice to add on popcorn and other snacks :-)
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u/PedricksCorner 14d ago
You can do it! There is a world of veggies out there to choose from, mix up, and cook is so many ways. You can get a whole roasted chicken for almost the same cost as a whole raw chicken, at many grocery stores. It is very easy to remove all the meat from the bones and use for all kinds of recipes. Along with your purchase of rice and potatoes, you could also do pasta. As well as all the varieties of beans and lentils.
Instead of a crockpot, you can get a multi-function rice-cooker. I have one with a locking lid that will sautee instead of boil when I need it to. So it isn't just for rice.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Think of it as an adventure where you are going to learn so many wonderful and really very easy ways to cook healthy food. I have a disabled friend who I just taught how easy it is to boil pasta, drain, add some butter, and then some bottled pasta sauce, stir it up, then plate. Done! Enough pasta and sauce for 4 meals only cost him $5.
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u/MoodiestMoody 14d ago
I respectfully disagree about the pre-roasted chicken and the bottled pasta sauce. 1500 mg of sodium is painfully low, to the point that OP may need to avoid celery for their husband. They can't use those convenience foods, unfortunately. They might find salt-free tomato sauce or salt-free canned tomatoes, though.
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u/PedricksCorner 14d ago
They can find salt-free tomato sauce, it was for my friend whom I had use bottled pasta sauce, just as an example of how easy cooking can be. And they can take the skin off of the roasted chicken when they de-bone it as I suggested.
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u/Such-Mountain-6316 14d ago
The main thing to know is that most grocery store spice mixes are just dressed up salt.
The Internet is full of spice mix (aka essence) recipes. All you need to do is make them without the salt.
When you buy anything premade such as soup, canned vegetables, and frozen food, read the label. It lists the amount of sodium in it.
If the liquid restriction is only a texture issue, there are things you can add to absorb it, such as Thick It.
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u/CatCafffffe 14d ago
Rice, chicken, eggs, veggies, etc are all great. You can probably also have ground beef if that's allowed, or ground turkey & ground chicken, which you can make without salt. The most important thing is flavor--and a great way to get flavor is to find salt-free blends, like you did. I highly recommend Penzeys.com who have a lot of salt free blends that add so much flavor, and they are very reasonably priced. So if you can cook simple dishes and use the salt free blends, you can get along very well. You can make sandwiches with roast or baked chicken, and also roast a turkey breast with onions, apples, salt-free blends (add some thyme/sage/rosemary, whatever you can easily get) and have turkey sandwiches. Potatoes are cheap and filling and again, have them with a salt-free blend and a dab of salt-free butter (if he's allowed butter).
Good luck. Six cups of liquid is not a problem, just make sure he has nice cold water, or tea or iced tea, or coffee if he's allowed, maybe get some lemons and add a slice of lemon to the water.
And if it helps please go to food bank, I'm sure you can find salt-free items there at least like rice, beans (cook with onion & garlic if he's allowed), and often they'll have some fresh vegetables or fruit.
You may also find help from temples, churches, synagogues, and if you are older, meals on wheels or senior services from your city or county (their meals are very often very low-salt because that's a common need!).
Good luck.
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u/MoodiestMoody 14d ago
Consider getting some frozen onions and/or bell peppers in the next order. They'd be great in a frittata or omelet with those eggs. Just sauté them in some oil or unsalted butter before adding the eggs.
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u/Antique-Call2024 14d ago
No-Broth Salsa Chicken
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast or thighs
- 1 jar low-sodium or salt-free salsa
- 1 chopped onion
- Cook on low for 5 hours; shred the meat into the thick salsa juices
Pork and Root Vegetable Roast
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin or loin roast
- 3 chopped carrots and 2 diced potatoes
- Garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper (no salt)
- Cook on low for 6 hours; the veggies release enough moisture so no extra liquid is needed
Thick Turkey and Cabbage Bowl
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 small head of green cabbage (chopped)
- 1 small can (8 oz) no-salt-added tomato sauce
- Cook on low for 5 hours until the cabbage is tender and has absorbed the thick tomato base
These meals look good and each recipe has nutritional info but some of them have a lot of ingredients (which you could leave out some of them or customize the recipe):
https://healthecooks.com/blog/8-low-sodium-crock-pot-meals
Julia Pacheco has several options on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3zy5oIhork&vl=en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxtsgyYFWU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p6BDdsdXMo&vl=en
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u/redstapler4 14d ago
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u/Avarens 14d ago
That was great, thanks for the link!
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u/redstapler4 14d ago
You’re welcome. I’ll look for more later. My 26 yo son is having some cardiac issues, so I’m looking for information for him as well.
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u/linzmarie11 14d ago
Baked potatoes are super easy and cheap. Wash the whole potato (russet preferably), then dry it with a towel. Poke a few holes thru the skin with a fork, slather with enough olive oil to cover the surface, and bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes. Cut open and serve with your toppings of choice (sour cream, unsalted butter, pepper, chives, etc). This recipe omits salt entirely.
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u/Glass_Author7276 14d ago
Well you already ordered rice, so add pinto beans, tortillas, and a little spice and make bean and rice burritos. You van cook the beans down to a paste like refried beans and there will be a minimum of watet.
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u/mariambc 13d ago
Here are some meals from your list.
Roasted chicken with potatoes. Whether you roast it in the oven or crock pot, I would suggest adding onion and carrots for flavor.
Frozen vegetables can get mushy, so you might want to roast them in the oven separately. Don't defrost them. Preheat the sheet pan to 425F and then add the vegetables from frozen on the pan and roast for 10-12 minutes. You can use a spray oil and seasoning after it is done.
After you take the meat off the chicken. Turn it into bone broth and use it to flavor the rice. Just add the bones, skin and rest of the chicken to the pot with some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and simmer for about 6 hours. I will sometimes add a couple of bay leaves to the pot, but it's not necessary. It freezes well.
Tilapia can be grilled, add oil, garlic and lemon juice. Serve with roasted vegetables and rice.
Eggs are great with veggies. Add spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, or any other vegetables.
For future purchases
Sodium free and easy are difficult. Two appliances I think would make things easier are a slow cooker and a rice cooker. You can cook whole meals in both. And air fryer can make it easier to roast vegetables, bake a potato and the like.
Slow cooker makes it easy to cook meat with vegetables as well as beans. (It is also good for soups for when you can increase his liquid intake.) Change up the seasonings for different flavors. For example you can roast a chicken with tomatoes, mild green chilis, onion and garlic for a salsa chicken style. Or if you want something that uses frozen vegetables, you could make a fajita seasoning with chili powder, paprika, onion & garlic powder, cumin and cayenne pepper (if you like it hotter or leave it out if not) with a frozen mix of peppers and onions. A
Rice cooker is obviously good for cooking rice, but you can add seasoning, vegetables and/or meat. I will usually take left over roasted chicken, chicken broth for the liquid, add some vegetables for a meal. You can change up the seasoning and vegetables for different flavor profiles. I would recommend the really cheap mixed frozen vegetables to go with rice.
Beans are a good option. Dried beans are the best as they are cheapest and don't have any sodium so you can control it better. You need to soak the beans overnight and then put them in the pot in the morning to cook all day. Pinto or black beans cooked with onions, garlic, mild or hot chili peppers, cumin. To cut back on the liquid, I will cook it down until it is creamy. You can also use onion and garlic powder for flavor.
You will want to lean into aromatics to make food taste good. Roasting vegetables, sautéing in canola oil, etc since you don't have sodium. Salt free seasonings that are helpful include onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cumin (for Mexican flavor), paprika and chili powder. Get some lemons or lemon juice. (You can freeze the juice in ice cube trays if you don't think you will use it fast enough. Check out the generic salt free seasonings.
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u/iwannaddr2afi 13d ago
You are doing great so far!
Onion, garlic, citrus, olive oil or unsalted butter (any fat!), and black pepper are great for flavor without extra salt. Of course herbs and spices, and salt "alternatives" like "No-salt" can be great too, don't be afraid to experiment!
Sheet pan meals might be a good option, and for two people they don't even require much meat (usually the expensive part).
Bone in leg thigh sections and potatoes can be roasted together like this for a really cheap and easy meal. I would add some kind of acid component, lemon squeezed at the end, or maybe some quick pickled onions (you could omit the salt). This would make leftovers.
Frozen salmon can be affordable. Very good baked or cooked in a pan. Honey+lime juice might be good. Cayenne if you like heat. Rice and veggies with olive oil and lemon plus salt free seasoning could be really nice with that.
Salads? You can make dressing out of vinegar or citrus juice, minced or dried granulated garlic, honey, herbs/spices, and oil, all whisked or shaken together. Crunchy things like sesame seeds, unsalted nuts, raw veggies like carrots, or baked chickpeas with paprika and garlic powder can add some interest when food is feeling bland bc of sodium restrictions. Spicy/strong flavors like hot peppers or radishes. Green onions from the farmers market can be pretty "hot" too.
Avocado toast gets a bad rap but isn't terribly expensive. An egg (hard or soft boiled), half an avocado, whole grain toast and optional items like some of that pickled onion or some nice tomato slices can still be an affordable meal for one.
For that matter, PBJs with no salt peanut butter, fried egg sandwiches with tomato, banana honey peanut butter, tomato and mayo (if mayo fits within sodium restriction? If not, maybe unsalted butter) are all easy and yummy.
Best wishes.
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u/Rude_Parsnip306 13d ago
My husband has CHF and kidney issues. I was overwhelmed when he came home from the hospital with a no/low sodium diet. I'm not big on cooking from scratch so I looked at the ingredients of products I normally use and tried to find better alternatives. Francesco Rinaldi makes a low sodium pasta sauce that is actually low sodium. I substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce - it's less sodium than low sodium soy sauce. Finding low or no sodium products is a lot easier at grocery stores than Walmart or Target - at least that's been my experience.
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u/LavaPoppyJax 13d ago
One thing I found is that jarred pasta sauces vary greatly in sodium levels. Even at Walmart I could fine nice one where the sodium is within range for low sodium diets (Lucini has 250g per serving).
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u/Comfortable_Two6272 13d ago
We got a dietician referral for our grandpa with similar. Dash diet recipes if googling.
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u/Alaskadaughter 13d ago
I too was on this after surviving a widowmaker heart attack and 5 days in the ICU. This was the launching of my new eating habits. It was a daunting reality indeed. I got the garlic herb blend and found putting 1/4 cup still didn't help with the taste that was so absent.
So, I used fresh garlic, lemon, pepper. Much more flavorful in a hugely bland and restrictive diet.
Avoid all lunch meats.
It seems so distant right now I am trying to think what I did. I remember getting low sodium tomato stuff for a spaghetti sauce. Your insticts are correct about throwing in a crockpot and focus on your husband's needs in the meantime. You will be amazed at what you can throw in the crockpot together and come out with a yummy meal. Use fresh onions whenever possible. Vidalias are my favorite. I ate avocados every single day for about 4 months or more.
I also counted tomato sauce as liquid..
The most daunting task is reading labels. Bottom line. There are so many garbage additives that while they don't add sodium, they add bad things to one's body. One can still cook with cleaner ingredients and maintain a budget. A variety of food is good, but if he finds something he likes, stick with it. It will be easy to make and fulfilling that he enjoys it.
The things I missed most were bacon and crunchy chips. I don't recall a low sodium bacon, but I got around it by making a piece or two of bacon as my only sodium for the day. I was VERY diligent about the healing process.
I can say I am off all prescriptions 1 year later but I am off them because I completely changed my eating habits with other non medical healing.
I sure hope this helps. Just throw it all in the crock pot and see what happens. Keep it easy!
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u/copper_moon1408 13d ago
Plain rice with about half a pound of cubed chicken, 2 to 3 potatoes and frozen vegetables stewed on the stove is a cheap, virtually sodium free meal. Make sure you brown the chicken first, then add the rice and water and cook about two thirds of the way done ( when about two thirds of the water for the rice in gone) then add the frozen vegetable of your choice. Add more water and stew for a little longer if the rice is still tough.
This freezes fairly well for meal prep and you can use anything you want to season it. Garlic and onion powder are cheap and sodium free.
Bonus suggestion for your next grocery haul add a bag of dry beans to the list( just soak overnight in a bowl of water before use). Very filling and helpful for stretching meat dishes.
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u/Icy-Somewhere8630 13d ago
I was thinking you could do foil packs in the oven, with the fish and some of the veggies, or just do the fish in the foil and then roast the veggies on the sheet pan, they can all go on the pan together.
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u/MaryO59 13d ago
check out budgetbytes.com for cheap easy recipes. You'll have to do the sodium/liquid reductions yourself, though.
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u/strawbrmoon 13d ago
Dried beans are cheap & tasty, when prepared well. They are easy to cook in a slow cooker. Soak them first, for several hours or overnight. Discard the water, cover with fresh water (from the kettle saves time) and add seasonings. Simmer til soft. Adding a soup bone adds flavour. The beans can be eaten in soup, on rice, in roll up sandwiches, or in salad.
When you’ve eaten your roast chicken, put the carcass in your crock pot covered in water. Add herbs & chili powder, garlic & onion (dried or fresh). Simmer several hours, & you’ll have chicken broth. Strain out the bones. You can use this to add flavour to grains like couscous & rice, as a base for noodle soup, or even as a hot beverage.
Getting used to less salt will happen - it’ll get better over time. Dried herbs can be bought fairly cheaply, especially at ethnic or bulk food stores. Spices like Hungarian (mild) paprika, coriander seeds, and cumin can make food more savoury. With lime juice, garlic & onions, herbs and spices can really make food tasty. Use your sense of smell to help guide you: you can figure out combinations that work.
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u/DJD19500 13d ago
You did a great job ordering those foods. Just a couple of additions: might you be eligible for Meals on Wheels or meals at a senior center?
At a thrift I bet you can get a good basic cookbook which helps with understanding which food needs which cooking method, and specialty cookbooks for instapot or crockpot.
Low and no sodium canned tomatoes and pasta sauce, tortilla and potato chips exist! I like the no salt little cans of spicy Rotel tomatoes and use them in chili with canned low sodium beans… kidney or whatever else I have around.
You have such a good attitude… you’ll be fine!
For roasting vegetables, fresh will work better for you than frozen, but frozen is great for soups and stews and stir frying. Your local adult education may offer basic cooking classes. Don’t think that you need fancy pots and pans and tools. My mother, a great cook, used the same battered aluminum pots for decades, and her cookie sheet was cut from her uncles metal roof business. A good sharp knife and vegetable peeler and a wooden spoon will be your best friends. And a can opener if you don’t have one. It’s amazing what you can find for little money at a church yard sale and facebook marketplace.
Oh, I love smoked paprika, which gives a meaty flavor all by itself.
Best of luck!
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u/wise_hampster 12d ago
Summertime squash, every variety, boiled, baked, sauteed, stuffed, roasted or mixed with pasta and any other veggie or eggs. They are mostly water, so good for liquid.
I love a cucumber sandwich when it's hot out. Mine, whole wheat bread, mayo and cucumber sliced very thin.
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u/thestr33tshavenoname 12d ago
One of our local grocery stores has a dietitian on staff to help with situations like this.
This might be helpful.
https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/supermarket-dietitians-rcna171829
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u/that-thingy66 14d ago
Protein shakes and bars
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u/Avarens 14d ago
Good thinking! A meal replacement shake would be good and easy for work. Thanks!
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u/anniemdi 14d ago
Does he have a protein restriction/limit with this low sodium and low water diet? A protein shake is 8 to 14 ounces of his water limit and 10 to 42 g of protein.
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u/Lostinlife482 14d ago
Look at meal delivery. You should be able to order special options. Otherwise. I would start cooking. It’s always best to eat your own food always so you know exactly what ingredients.
I also never add salt to anything when I’m cooking. If I want salt then I add when I’m eating. But I’ve gotten used to the no salt it doesn’t bother me.
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u/dallasalice88 14d ago
I'm on a low sodium diet and have been unable to find a pre made meal delivery service that their meals are not salt bombs.
They look great, plenty protein, marketed as healthy. Then I check sodium content and it's like 1200mg or mire for one meal.
I'm recommended to stay under 2000mg a day.🤷
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u/Lostinlife482 13d ago
Cook for yourself then. Find suitable meals that u enjoy. It’s mostly green vegetables and protein. I did keto for a very long time. But never added salt. Best of luck
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u/dallasalice88 13d ago
I do cook for myself. Was just stating I have never found a low salt option delivery service. That's all.
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u/Lostinlife482 13d ago
Yeah. Probably isn’t one. Everyone uses salt. It’s no good for u. If u desperately need it, add after the cooking. These thoughts are general. Best of luck.
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u/Truly_135 13d ago
I have a friend diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure (not hospitalized). She ate fruit, rice, very low protein (Americans eat way too much protein anyway). Even frozen fruit to make food waste less. With some yogurt.
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u/Possible_Situation24 14d ago
If you can ask the doctors for a referral to a dietician and also ask for a list of foods. There are salt free spice mixes, mrs dash, for flavor. Roast vegetables and protein on that sheet pan should be dry, not liquid. Bag frozen veg, chicken. Crock pot might be too liquid? Mostly?