Healthy World Cuisine
By Katy Wilkens, Northwest Kidney Centers nutritionist
March 12 is World Kidney Day, and a great time to remember that people around the world suffer from kidney disease — a devastating illness. In many countries, kidney failure is a terminal disease because there are no funds for life-sustaining dialysis. The good news is that in countries where salt intake is lower, there is less high blood pressure, and therefore less kidney disease.
Kidney disease kills 50,000 Americans a year — and it is entwined with heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. What can you do to be sure your kidneys are healthy? Getting tested for good kidney function is important, but it is rarely done as part of a routine doctor visit. So remember to ask your doctor for a simple kidney test for you and your family.
Another simple thing you can do is to eat less salt! On “World Kidney Day,” we thought it'd be fun to feature the “take-out” meals.
Healthy take-out may seem impossible, but there are ways to cut sodium (one of the leading causes of high blood pressure and kidney disease) and still enjoy the ethnic specialties we love so much.
These tips are easy — it is just a matter of reading the menu and knowing what your options are. Check out these suggestions for Indian, Mexican, and Chinese take-out.
Indian:
Curries can be a hiding place for high-sodium ingredients, but at the restaurant Taste of India in Seattle (they also own the popular Cedars of Lebanon in the University District), the Tandori Special has only a 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat.
Tandori is a clay-oven-baked assortment of chicken, lamb, beef, fish, and vegetables, served with lemon, onion, and roasted vegetables. You are likely to find similar Tandori oven entrees on all Indian restaurant menus. Another great choice at Indian restaurants is the saffron rice, with great flavor and a bright yellow color; it is usually lower in sodium than other choices.
Nan, bread that is cooked in those same Tandori ovens, is so light and good, hot out of the oven; you don't need to smear it with butter or other spreads – which makes it a healthy choice! Feel free to use the tamarind or cilantro sauce served at most restaurants; they are usually low in sodium. Try ordering the Raita, a cooling cucumber salad with yoghurt that will help take the heat off your other choices. For dessert, be sure to order the chai tea. It is sweet and aromatic, and will seem like having dessert without too much fat or sodium. Be aware though, some places serve “bottomless cups,” so savor your one cup with Halvah, a healthy sesame desert.
Mexican:
America has a love affair with Mexican food, but salt-rimmed drinks and salty deep-fried chips are not good for our kidneys. Instead, try a glass of Sangria, (fruit spiced wine), or a nice red wine, or just hold the salt on your margarita. Some places cook their chips on site. If so, ask that yours not be salted. Or, instead of those irresistible chips, order fresh corn tortillas, roll them up and dip them in chunky salsa. (Ask for a fresh salsa, it is less likely to be over-salted.)
For an entrée, think about corn tortillas; they have a fourth of the sodium of wheat flour. At Acapulco Fresh (Seattle, WA - Kenmore area) , a local Mexican restaurant, try their three-corn taco special, and order one fish, one beef and one shrimp. They come in a reasonable portion size, so you can enjoy all three! Consider making the lettuce, tomato and avocado that comes on the side into a salad – but use fresh salsa as the dressing. Fresh salsa is one of the best condiments you can choose; it’s high in nutrition, but low in salt.
Chinese:
Everyone has their favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant, and many of us feel a little better bringing Chinese food and rice to the table rather than hitting a fast food drive-thru after a busy day. But can it be healthy?
Yes, it can; it’s all in knowing what to order! BBQ Pork with hot mustard is a good low-sodium choice for an appetizer at most Chinese restaurants. Choosing a “sweet and sour” entrée is always a good idea; they have less salt than most other dishes on the menu.
Many Chinese restaurants now offer healthy choices on their menu. At Little Shanghai on Capitol Hill (Seattle, WA), their steamed chicken or shrimp with veggies is wonderful, and you can order some sweet and sour on the side to dip it into! Because Chinese food is “made to order,” ask the cook to leave out the salt, and to go light on the soy sauce or other salty sauces. Don’t feel funny about asking for this, they are used to it!
At home:
In the time it takes to wait for an order to be delivered, you can stir-fry your own delicious dinner. Try our recipe for Stir-Fried Pepper Steak. Full of fresh vegies and brimming with flavor, you can have it on the table long before the take-out arrives! To speed up your dinner, try the new boil-in-the-bag instant rice; it will be done in less than 10 minutes.
The best tip:
You can make your own quick soy sauce! It has a fraction of sodium that is contained in regular soy sauce. It takes less than five minutes to make, and you can keep it in your refrigerator for use whenever you need great low-salt soy flavor! It’s also a great addition to any Chinese take-out you bring home!
The recipe for both the stir-fry and the low-sodium soy sauce are on this Web site; just go to recipe section and select “Ethnic.”
At the Northwest Kidney Centers, we are dedicated to saving the world….one kidney at a time, while enjoying the cuisines of the world!