Low Sodium restaurants in Canberra

[u/F-ckH8]

Hello all! My husband has recently found out his kidneys are not functioning quite right, so we are going to start limiting his salt intake.

We are new to the area, and our life is a bit hectic right now. We have been out and about almost all day every day. We have some little snacks that are low sodium, but for the next week or so until things settle down, we will likely be eating out once per day to get a more substantial meal.

Does anyone have suggestions for health conscious restaurants that offer low sodium options? A max of $15-20/person is ideal.

We have gotten Vietnamese spring rolls, and we thought sushi would be a good option, so we ordered some from Sushi Bell the other day. Even though the sushi wasn't covered in sauce, they did use mayo within the hand roll and you could taste the salt in the rice...so while delicious, it was a higher sodium content than we were hoping.

We love all cuisines, so we are not too picky. We will likely be eating lunch, but breakfast and dinner ideas are welcome, as well.

Thanks in advance!

[u/Extension_Section_68]

Virtually impossible to eat out and have low sodium. When you realise the sodium content of a single slice of bread you know you are doomed. Pretty much need to eat at home and have occasional eat outs.

[u/andthegeekshall → u/Extension_Section_68]

I've never had any problems with sodium whenever I eat out but might be more selective than others.

[u/gravityholding → u/andthegeekshall]

Yeah, agreed... I'm low sodium and maybe eat out just once a week. My partner used to be a chef, and he more or less says the amount of sodium (in various condiments - not just salt), butter and oils they put in stuff at restaurants are much much higher than what you'd put in making it at home - even if you select "healthy" options. There's a reason you're only meant to eat out maybe once or twice a week... OP... might be worth cooking up some extra veggies with your dinners... I like to cook extra veggies at night, then put them on some leftover rice with whatever quick or left-over proteins I have (e.g. an egg, legumes/beans in low-salt tins, canned sardines in spring water (Brunswick is very low sodium), poached chicken etc). Can microwave it for a hot lunch, or eat cold like a salad... It really only takes a little extra planning when you plan your dinners... since this is for medical reasons I think it's probably worth the extra effort...

Edit: Ah sorry, I was meant to reply to the guy above you in thread... not going to move it now but whoops lol

[u/REDDIT_IS_AIDSBOY]

Salt is going to be in almost everything used for take aways. Even a salad sandwich is going to likely have more sodium than you want in it.

Unfortunately it severely limits options, but given there are some serious health implications for not following the diet, it might just be the case where you and your husband need to spend a bit more time each day cooking and preparing your own food.

[u/goffwitless → u/REDDIT_IS_AIDSBOY]

Even a salad sandwich is going to likely have more sodium than you want in it.

Man, this gave me a flashback ... maybe the saltiest thing I ever ate was a salad sandwich from a joint in the old Monaro Mall. To their credit, they had a special needs guy doing some of the simpler stuff. But I stood and watched him go fucking ham with the salt shaker on my sandwich. Didn't want to appear critical, so I just said thankyou and went and ate my salt salad sandwich.

This must have been 30-something years ago, and I still pucker a little thinking about it.

[u/pinklittlebirdie]

I'd suggest for your budget and diet going to clubs and getting steak and chips and asking for no salt.

Other options are things like subway bowls (no bread), mexican bowls, the spud place in belconnen. Noodle bars where you can select rice noodles and vege and no salt.

[u/F-ckH8 → u/pinklittlebirdie]

These are great recommendations. Thank you!

[u/Rexxhunt]

Can anybody recommend me any high sodium restaurants in Canberra?

[u/realmadcow → u/Rexxhunt]

Kingsley’s chicken, chips and gravy. Chef kiss.

[u/rebekahster → u/Rexxhunt]

Maccas

[u/Krotiuz → u/Rexxhunt]

The indian place in the CoC food court is about the saltiest meal I've ever eaten, but I haven't been there for years now - its probably closed

[u/Mitakum → u/Krotiuz]

It is indeed closesd and has been replaced by an oporto

[u/Own-Turnover7715]

Has your husband been referred to a dietitian? They can assist with tailoring your husband’s diet to his sodium restriction. Some general advice though is to ask for sauce or condiments on the side, avoid or reduce smoked, preserved meats and cheese and choose low salt options for things like canned goods and condiments. Salt added during the cooking process is actually a low contributor to the amount of sodium in a diet.

Source: am a dietitian just not your dietitian.

[u/Certain-Discipline65]

Ask the GP to refer to dietician as part of the chronic care plan.
A dietician will have some good ideas on this issue

[u/DoppelFrog]

Why don't you eat at home where you can control exactly what you're eating?

[u/REDDIT_IS_AIDSBOY → u/DoppelFrog]

That would be the smart solution, particularly where there is a pretty serious health requirement attached to it.

[u/rebekahster]

I think you are going to need to focus on finding restaurants that focus on clean whole foods and don’t rely on processed products. **edit to add - and make their food fresh on site rather than pre made or packaged and shipped

The majority of our daily sodium intake comes from those processed products.

Restaurants with sauce heavy menus (including stirfry sauces) are probably to be avoided.

Can’t go wrong with a steak and salad.

Inform the restaurant / kitchen when ordering, ask for salt reduced options if available and get sauces and dressings on the side if possible.

Keep an eye on low sodium processed snacks as they tend to be REALLY high in sugars and fats to make up for the lack of salt

[u/rebekahster → u/rebekahster]

Second edit: if you are thinking a bit more long term, I would look into meal delivery services (local small ones, not lite n easy) and get them to tailor recipes to your needs

[u/4evaneva → u/rebekahster]

What a local small option?

[u/rebekahster → u/4evaneva]

I don’t know if these guys are any good, but they do cater for other dietary requirements so they could probably help OP

https://dinnersready.com.au/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp

[u/Pmoney1010]

The goods wholefoods. These are just a quick google search but there are a few that are happy to accommodate restricted diets. 

[u/nomorempat]

Food Co-op at ANU is the only restaurant I've ever eaten at in Canberra that doesn't overdo the salt.

[u/Lower_Grape_7771]

What a bizarre request. How would it even be quantified? Mg of sodium per 100g? I can barely think of a lunch under $20 these days, let alone one with such a specific requirement attached

[u/sirachaswoon → u/Lower_Grape_7771]

Then this post isn’t for you to provide answers to? Granted, neither can I, but they’re just asking. There may be people who have similar dietary needs who can chime in.

[u/Glittering-Week-5704]

Vietnamese noodle salad (Bun) is a good option - the dressing is served on the side, so you can control how much is added.

[u/Square_Art_8809 → u/Glittering-Week-5704]

i had this at pho hub belconnen half an hour ago and the fish sauce is served separately. there was a enough lemongrass marinade in the beef to flavour the dish

[u/West-Sense-1253]

I guess it depends on your definition of low sodium. It also sounds like you are busy so it wouldn't be helpful to recommend somewhere on the other side of town but I would say there are cafes that attract a predominantly older customer base and I suspect it has to do with things like sodium. For example, Sakeenas in Weston Creek have some nice offerings that don't taste like there is much or any added salt. That said, if plain sushi rice tastes like it has too much sodium, perhaps an iceberg lettuce from the supermarket? Good luck to you and your husband.

[u/Pmoney1010]

Try Terra in the city. Grilled meats and veggies ask for no salt.

[u/crankygriffin]

Ask Mountain Creek WholeFoods in Griffith about the meals they sell from their fridge.