Food and diet advice

At Christmas there are often a lot of foods that are not normally there to tempt you.  Some of these are high in potassium and salt but do not despair!  There are lots of traditional foods you can enjoy and the following may also highlight a few new things to try.

Your traditional Christmas meal can be enjoyed with just a few alterations.

·         Soup is high in salt and counts as part of your fluid.  Try alternative starters such as prawn cocktail, pate and toast, tinned fruit cocktail drained of the juice
·         Have turkey or your usual Christmas meat with a little stuffing, spoonful of cranberry sauce or small portion of bread sauce.  Be careful with sausages and salty meats such as bacon
·         Remember to pre-boil roast potatoes first and do not have a bigger portion than normal
·         Boil vegetables in plenty of water.  Try to avoid large portions of brussel sprouts or parsnips.

What about the pudding?

Dried fruit is very high in potassium so you need to be careful not to eat too much Christmas pudding, cake or mince pies.  Have a small portion of Christmas pudding on Christmas day and serve it with cream or brandy butter.  Throughout the Christmas period if you are going to eat a mince pie or Christmas cake only eat a very small amount of one or the other.

Why not try the recipes below which are lower in potassium.

Alternative pudding suggestions:
·         Trifle
·         Lemon meringue pie
·         Arctic roll
·         Brandy snaps with cream
·         Shortbread
·         Pavlova
·         Pannacotta
·         Steamed treacle sponge

Fluids

You need to be careful with your fluid over the Christmas period.  If  you are visiting people and entertaining you may feel under pressure to drink more but try hard to keep to your normal fluid intake.

Drinks to avoid
·         Cola drinks
·         Sparkling fruit juices, eg Appletiser, Peartiser, Schloer
·         Fruit juice
·         Milk, hot chocolate, coffee

Drinks recommended
·         Lemonade, cherryade, orangeade or limeade
·         Water, sparkling water, flavoured water
·         Squash/cordial
·         Tea and fruit tea

Sweets and snacks

Try pastilles, fruit jellies, jelly beans, dolly mixtures, popcorn, peppermint creams, marshmallows, boiled sweets or Turkish delight instead of chocolate

You should try to limit the following: dates, figs, dried fruit, nuts and crisps as they are all very high in potassium

Try these snacks which are lower in potassium
·         Bread snacks
·         Rice crackers
·         Toasted croutons
·         Plain popcorn

Christmas Recipes

Below are some recipes that you can try over the Christmas season.  These are recipes the whole family can enjoy!

Pitta crisps with tzatziki dip

Ingredients
4 pitta breads
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper

For the dip
1 small pot of low-fat plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon mint sauce
70g cucumber finely diced

Method
1.       Brush each pitta bread on both sides with olive oil.  Tear or cut each pitta bread into about 6 pieces and spread out on a baking tray
2.       Bake the pitta breads for about 20 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.  Leave them to cool on a wire rack
3.       Mix the yoghurt, mint sauce and cucumber in a bowl to make the dip

Low potassium Christmas pudding

Ingredients
250g (9oz) canned pineapple pieces
100g (4oz) demerara sugar
50g (2oz) glace cherries, roughly chopped
175g (6oz) self-raising flour, sifted
Grated rind of 1 lemon
100g (4oz) unsalted butter
2 eggs, beaten
50g (2oz) sultanas
2-3 teaspoons mixed spice

Method
1.       Drain the pineapple through a sieve.  Chop the fruit into smaller pieces
2.       Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs
3.       Fold in the cherries, pineapple pieces, sultanas and lemon rind
4.       Gently fold in the flour and mixed spice
5.       Transfer into 1½ pint pudding basin and cover with a piece of buttered foil with a centre pleat to allow for expansion.  Steam for 1½ hours until firm
6.       Turn out and serve with double cream or custard

Renal mincemeat

Ingredients
1 large Bramley apple, peeled and grated
25g (1oz) margarine
50g (2oz) glace cherries
50s (2oz) sugar
1 heaped teaspoon mixed spice
100g (4oz) chopped candied peel
1 tablespoon brandy or rum
Few drops of brown food colouring

Method
1.       Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly
2.       Use to make mince pies

Panacotta

Ingredients
6g gelatine sheets (4 sheets)
500ml single cream
150g (6oz) sugar
1 vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla extract

Method
1.       Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water until soft.  Once soft squeeze out the excess water
2.       Mix the single cream with the sugar and vanilla in a saucepan then gently warm the mixture.  Once this is warm (but not boiling) add the gelatine sheets
3.       Stir well and sieve before you ladel out into single ramekins.  Chill for 24 hours

Low potassium Christmas cake

Ingredients
250g (10oz) glace cherries, halved
250g (10oz) mixed peel
200g (8oz) tinned prunes, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon almond essence
4 eggs, beaten
1 dessertspoon brandy
250g (10oz) plain flour
250g (10oz) soft brown sugar
250g (10oz) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon mixed spice
25ml (1fl oz) water
Few drops of caramel colouring

Method
1.       Cream the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.  Sieve the flour and spices together
2.       Add the eggs and flour alternately to the creamed mixture.  When mixed well add the cherries, prunes and mixed peel
3.       Add the brandy, water and honey.  Beat well until a dropping consistency is achieved
4.       Place in a greaseproof lined, well greased baking tin (18cm) and bake at Gas Mark 4/150°C/ 300°F for 3½-4 hours

Alternative marzipan

Ingredients
150g (4½oz) margarine
100ml (3fl oz) water
4 teaspoons almond essence
250g (9¼oz) caster sugar
250g (9¼oz) semolina
Grated rind of 2 lemons

Method
1.       Heat the water and let the butter melt in it
2.       Add the sugar and grated lemon rind.  Heat until the sugar has dissolved
3.       Add the semolina and stir over a gentle heat for 5 minutes or until the semolina has cooked
4.       Stir in the essence
5.       Pour into a dish and chill until firm, use icing sugar for rolling out

Cover the top and sides of the cake with the marzipan

Glace icing

Ingredients
250g(9¼oz) icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Method
1.       Sieve the icing sugar and mix with the lemon juice and enough water to make a thick paste
2.       Cover the sides and top of the cake with the icing

Stem ginger ice cream

Ingredients
500ml double cream
70g chopped stem ginger
½ fresh vanilla pod, scraped
4 dessertspoons stem ginger syrup

Method
1.       Pour the double cream into an electric mixer or large bowl and whisk until it starts to form stiff peaks
2.       Add all the other ingredients.  Mix well and then place in a suitable container that will fit in the freezer
3.       After about 20 minutes take the ice cream out and give it a stir.  Leave for approximately one hour and then serve.

Zingy spiced pears

Ingredients
6 medium pears, peeled and sliced
150g (6oz) soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons ginger (crystallised)
1½ teaspoons rum extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground all spice
25g (1oz) margarine

Method
1.       Arrange the pear slices in a baking dish
2.       Combine the brown sugar, ginger, rum extract, cinnamon and all spice
3.       Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the pears.  Dot with margarine
4.       Bake at Gas Mark 4/180°C/350°F for 20 minutes
5.       Serve hot or refrigerate for at least one hour to serve chilled

Christmas biscuits

Ingredients
225g (9oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
50g (2oz) caster sugar
400g (4oz) half fat spread
1 egg, beaten

Method
1.       Stir together the flour and spices.  Stir in the sugar and rub in the half-fat spread until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
2.       Add the beaten egg and knead into a ball.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes
3.       Pre-heat the oven at Gas Mark 5/190°C/375°F.  Roll out the biscuit mixture onto a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness
4.       Cut out Christmas shapes such as stars and trees using biscuit cutters or a template
5.       Lift the biscuits onto the baking sheet, prick lightly with a fork and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned

Steamed treacle pudding

Ingredients
1 tablespoon black treacle
3 tablespoons golden syrup
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
175g (6oz) butter, softened
3 large eggs

Method
1.       Butter a basin and add golden syrup
2.       Take a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and baking powder into it, add the softened butter, eggs, sugar and black treacle
3.       Whisk for about 2 minutes until it is thoroughly blended.  Spoon the mixture into the basin and level the top using the back of a tablespoon
4.       Place a sheet of foil over some greaseproof paper, make a pleat in the centre and place foil side up on top of the pudding.  Pull it down the sides and tie with some string.  Trim off excess paper
5.       Steam for 2 hours, checking the water level halfway through
6.       To serve loosen the pudding all round using a palette knife, turn out onto a plate and pur an extra 3 tablespoons of golden syrup over the top

Children’s Renal Christmas Menu

Starter

Prawn Cocktail
Tzatziki with pitta crisps (see our recipe)
Garlic bread

Main course

Roast turkey/pork/beef/lamb/chicken/duck/pheasant/goose/quorn
Parboiled roast potatoes – boiled new potatoes – mashed potatoes
Boiled carrots, cabbage, swede, broccoli, cauliflower
Small portion of gravy

Dessert

Lemon meringue pie
Pannacotta (see our recipe)
Pavlova
Stem ginger ice-cream (see our recipe)
Brandy snaps with cream
Renal Christmas pudding (see our recipe)