dressing or stuffing you name it

This is one of the hardest to make sodium free... first of all, stuff your bird with onions, garlic, and fresh herbs.  If you brine your bird, according to America's Test Kitchen you can reduce your sodium level by using No Salt or other salt substitute instead of salt. It's the potassium chloride that helps in the brining process.

Buy Kroger's low-sodium wheat bread.
Cube 10 slices of bread and put in a bowl overnight or on a baking sheet in the oven on its lowest setting.
Dice one medium onion, two stalks of celery, and shred one carrot. In a skillet melt one stick of unsalted butter, add vegetables and sauté until tender . Toss bread cubes and veggies together. Drizzle enough low-sodium chicken broth to moisten .
Beat one egg and mix into dressing.
Season with rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Pour into a buttered baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered. Then remove and bake an additional 10 minutes until top is crispy.

Green bean casserole

So it's that time to eat a childhood favorite; green bean casserole !!! What grandma and mom didn't know was the sodium was killing grandpa and dad! Along with being dragged out to shop on Black Friday.

So try this....
Preheat oven 350 degrees
1/2 medium onion - chopped
1 can reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 16oz bag frozen green beans
2T of sour cream
3/4 cup of Lar's fried onions
Olive oil

Drizzle oil in hot skillet, add onion. Sauté until crispy. Add to green beans in a bowl, mix in sour cream and soup. Stir. Pour into baking dish, bake for 25 minutes. Add fried onions to top, bake 5 minutes until crispy.

Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving rolls... Only 77mg each

Here is a recipe for popover rolls that beats the salt out of store bought ones. As the recipe stands it is 77 mg of sodium. Substitute NoSalt for salt and your count goes to 23 mg of sodium.

Thanksgiving!!

Ok, so we have come upon a holiday that involves traditional foods and eating. Let me be the first to tell you.... Turkey is high in sodium. The dark meat is lower than white. So fill up on low-sodium sides. Over the next few days I will help with recipes and tips.

Pizza!!!!!

So for almost a year, since I found out I had to cut back on pizza. The sodium levels in pizza crusts, pepperoni , or sausage is so high that all I can have is one piece of a veggie pizza from Pizza Hut or two from Papa Murphy's . But now, thanks to Pastorelli's no salt crust , I can make my own sauce from no salt tomato paste and spices, fresh veggies, cooked ground pork and mozzarella cheese and voila - Pizza!
If you want, you can even make a breakfast pizza with cream cheese, scrambled eggs and cooked low-sodium bacon. Top with Swiss cheese and in just 7 minutes you have pizza!
The only place I have found these crusts is World Market. They are $4.99 for three crusts.
Pick up some and see what healthy and low-sodium options you can make.

"I always buy 'brand X' and always will..." YEAH RIGHT!

If you grew up like I did, Mom and Dad always bought the same brands of anything... Hellmans Mayo,  Hienz Ketchup, and Kraft American Cheese... well now that I wear the big boy pants and am living the LOW SODIUM LIFESTYLE, I can't shop that way anymore.... by the way my mom still buys only certain brands; no matter what. Mayonaise for example; most of the national brands are higher in sodium than the store brands.... and don't buy fat free or low fat, they are always higher. Kroger Value Brand is at 75mg for 1T.   In fact OreIda brand of french fries are about 300mg per serving; whereas Kroger's Value brand of fries are 25mg for a serving. And some brands of frozen veggies... can have up to 100mg of sodium for 3oz serving. Krogers store brand has ZERO in most of their basic veggies (corn, peas, carrots and green beans and brocolli). Watch those bottles of juice too, some brands such as Ocean Spray cranberry juice can have up to 50mg of sodium a 8oz glass... but if you buy frozen and make it yourself... it usually comes in at Zero.

Kroger has a Low sodium bread, that is their brand... none of the major bread bakers seem to have one to offer... at least not at Meijer, Walmart, or Marsh.  Again, it comes down to reading labels, and knowing what you can buy and can't.

Fresh is best

Using fresh ingredients is always the best options.
Example: Fresh or Frozen vegetables have little if no sodium, 
Canned Corn - 270+mg of sodium, fresh or frozen - 0mg.
How you cook it makes a difference also, don't add salt to water or to corn while cooking. Use only 2T of Salt-free Butter, a sprinkle of sugar . and as Rachal Ray would say.... Yummo!

Not all frozen is sodium free. Lima beans for example can have up to 200+ mg of sodium per serving.

Veggies are a great way to stretch your food budget and fill your plate.
Potatoes - high in potasium and low sodium. Mashed potatoes can be filling and healthy.
Boil with no salt in water, drain, add 2T of unsalted butter, and 2T of natural sourcream this gives you a rich mashed potato with lower than 20mg of sodium for a cup serving.

if you can use fresh jalopenos and tomatoes for your salsa in a food processor, you get a healthy snack. add garlic, onion, and fresh peppers... mmm.!

read labels, canned vegetables and fruits are always higher in sodium to preserve them. You might think you are healthy but not... also, cost wise, you pay for a lot of water in canned. buy storebrand frozen and save money. 

a piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast grilled with lemon juice and pepper along with a baked potato with natural or regular sour cream and frozen corn -unsalted butter on both is filling, healthy, cost conscious, and under 300mg of sodium.