8/13 How to think about low-salt koji recipes recommended for hot days

When the hot summer arrives, do you ever feel like you lose your appetite and lack the energy to cook?

Just standing in a hot kitchen can be exhausting, or you might find yourself eating only cold noodles or simple meals.

I also have days in the summer when I worry about what to make.

However, while living with high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease, meals are an important part of daily self-care.

That said, there is no need to make elaborate dishes every day.

What I keep in mind during the summer is to "prepare ways to eat deliciously, even if it's simple and low in salt."

Among those, koji seasonings have become indispensable to my diet.

Today, I would like to talk about how to think about low-salt koji dishes that are recommended for hot days.

The "difficulty of seasoning" I felt in my low-salt life

I started a low-salt life after developing high blood pressure and later experiencing kidney disease.

As a nurse, I had many opportunities to tell patients to "cut back on salt."

But when I was actually in the position of living a low-salt life, I found it more difficult than I had imagined.

What I felt especially at first was that "everything I ate lacked flavor."

The seasonings I used to eat normally started to taste bland.

Even when I cooked, I would feel anxious, wondering if my family would find it delicious.

I had such a period.

But a low-salt diet is not just about reducing salt and enduring it.

By making good use of umami and aroma, you can get closer to a satisfying taste.

That is when I incorporated koji seasonings.

Koji seasonings I often use in summer

What I often use in the summer are:

・Onion koji

・Soy sauce koji

・Tomato koji

・Ginger koji

These are the ones.

The good thing about koji seasonings is that they add depth to dishes even with a small amount of seasoning.

Onion koji has the sweetness and umami of onions.

It is easy to use for seasoning meat, and even simple dishes feel satisfying.

Soy sauce koji has the flavor of soy sauce, but because you can easily taste it even in small amounts, it is a reliable ally in a low-salt lifestyle.

Tomato koji goes well with summer vegetables and is easy to use in refreshing dishes.

I feel that on hot days, dishes that make the most of umami and acidity are easier to eat than strongly flavored ones.

Koji dishes that are easy to make on hot days

One of the dishes I often make in the summer is cold shabu-shabu.

On hot days, I lose the energy to make fried foods, and dishes that require long cooking times are difficult.

With cold shabu-shabu, you can make it just by preparing meat and vegetables.

By being creative with the sauce, you can be satisfied even with low salt.

By using koji seasonings or adding a little acidity, you can eat it in a refreshing way.

Also, I use koji seasonings for ginger pork as well.

When you combine onion koji, ginger koji, and soy sauce koji, you can get plenty of flavor even with a small amount of seasoning.

The aroma of ginger makes it feel easier to eat, even in summer.

Chicken breast is a summer ally

Another thing I often make in the summer is chicken breast.

Chicken breast is a source of protein, but depending on how it is cooked, it can sometimes be dry and difficult to eat.

I use a rice cooker to steam the chicken breast and eat it like chicken ham.

I use onion koji or soy sauce koji for seasoning.

Even with simple seasoning, thanks to the koji, it becomes tender and feels easier to eat.

Appetite can drop during hot weather, but protein is an important nutrient for building the body.

That is why I believe it is important to find ways to eat it without forcing yourself.

Summer vegetable soup with ginger koji

Even in summer, I sometimes make soup.

You might think, 'Soup, even when it's hot?'

However, in summer when we tend to consume only cold things, incorporating something warm can help the body settle down.

Summer vegetable soup using ginger koji is easy to eat even with low salt, thanks to the umami of the vegetables and the aroma of the ginger.

Adding tomatoes, onions, and seasonal vegetables also helps address vegetable deficiencies.

In summer, it is easy to end up with only cold things or simple meals.

That is why having soup that can be made in advance gives me peace of mind.

A nurse's perspective on low-salt diets

Patients often tell me,

'Low-salt cooking is bland, isn't it?'

I am sometimes told that.

Certainly, for those who have been accustomed to strong flavors until now, it might feel lacking at first.

However, your sense of taste changes little by little.

Even I, after getting used to milder flavors, have increasingly felt that eating out or store-bought side dishes are too salty.

The important thing is not to aim for perfect low-salt cooking from the start.

First, try changing your seasonings a little.

Use dashi and aromatics.

Incorporate umami like that found in koji.

By stacking small efforts, it becomes a diet that is easy to continue.

The 'tricks for continuing' I learned after becoming a patient

Before I got sick, I thought that eating for health was something you had to endure.

But now it is different.

To continue every day, it is important to be able to eat happily and deliciously.

On hot summer days, if you push yourself too hard, you won't be able to keep it up.

Simple cooking is fine.

It is okay to buy food on days you cannot cook.

Within that, include one choice that cherishes your body.

That is what low-salt living that lasts means to me.

I don't use koji seasonings as some kind of special health food, either.

They are one of my allies that make daily cooking a little easier.

Q&A

Q1. Are koji seasonings recommended for low-salt cooking?

Koji seasonings are useful for creating dishes that are satisfying even with less salt by adding umami and aroma.

Q2. What koji dishes are recommended for summer?

I often make cold shabu-shabu, chicken breast ham, and summer vegetable soup using ginger koji. These are dishes that are easy to eat even on hot days and are also easy to prepare.

Q3. Are there any tips for continuing low-salt cooking?

Don't just rely on self-denial. I think it is important to utilize dashi, aroma, and umami to make dishes that you will want to make again.

Summary

In the hot summer, just cooking can be a burden.

That is why simple and sustainable low-salt tips are important.

The koji seasonings I love are reliable allies that add umami and aroma to my cooking.

Onion koji, soy sauce koji, tomato koji, and ginger koji.

It's not about making special dishes, but just incorporating them into your everyday meals a little bit.

I want to continue eating meals that take care of my body without trying too hard.

LINE Information

On LINE, I share my low-salt lifestyle while living with hypertension and chronic kidney disease, simple meal tips using koji, and daily self-care.

For those who think, 'I want to reduce salt, but I don't know what to make,' I provide tips that you can continue without strain. Please feel free to register.

To register for LINE, click here❤

note tags

Hypertension, Low-salt, Koji recipes, Salt koji, Soy sauce koji, Onion koji, Chronic kidney disease, Meal management, Health habits, Self-care, Nurse, Sustainable low-salt