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.

 

Ranch Dressing, not just for salad anymore!

So, if you are like most Americans, you think Ranch Dressing is the nectar of the gods... you put it on salad, fries, chicken wings, your sexual partner, pizza and all veggies. Well if your doctor puts you on a low-sodium diet that makes grabbing that bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch off limits. Which is in the 280mg of sodium ballpark. That's for 2 Tablespoons too. you know you poor more of that on your salad!
Well here is a recipe for homemade ranch that is only 90mg of sodium for 2 Tablespoons!

1/4 cup of mayonaise
1/4 cup of sour cream (not low fat or fat free)
1/4 cup of buttermilk or 1T of vinegar and milk to equal 1/4 cup
1 clove of garlic - crushed
1/4 t dry mustard
1/8 t of black pepper
2 T of chopped fresh Dill

Combine first 3 ingredients then add the rest. 
Refrigerate in a covered container for about an hour

To make as a dip, add more sour cream to consistency you want.
It is delicious , my daughter who is picky even likes it.

Going to other places to eat... social awkward

Going out to eat isn't the only issue with being on a low-sodium diet... being invited over to a friends' home or being offered food as a gift.  Try to re-gift German Ham and sauerkraut!
I used to look forward to going to friends for dinners or having potlucks (carry-ins)... now I have to eat before I go so I can say "no thanks, I'm not hungry" without my stomach making noises to the contrary.  I find myself avoiding visits to friends homes since I got back in Louisville, I don't want to impose my dietary demands on others. 
I miss church carry-ins and getting to try dishes made by other people. 
Going to the Fair or any festivals is like a pre-fasting event.... no sodium at all, so I can eat that one high salty item. 

I have to be careful not to become a NO SALT ZEALOT... no one wants preached too about their food choices. 

conversations usually go like this...
Friend:" I made a big pot of Chicken and Dumplings, I'll get you a dish to take home."
Me: "Oh, that's okay I have something in the slow cooker at home."
Friend: "Sure? You want to try it?"
Me: " Thanks, I really got to me going. I'll get some later."
It's easier to explain to people about diabetes or fat... Sodium is in so much we use to cook with...
Casseroles - usually have Campbell's soup or broths in them. 
desserts - puddings and jellos have sodium .

you don't want to be rude to people so you avoid the situations... you can't only eat what you bring to the carry-in "what an ass that would make you look like!"

so until the low-sodium ideology catches on like Fat or Sugar has... you eat at home alot.
 

Packing Lunch that you won't trade

So I have been gathering info on low-sodium foods that can make it feel like you are still normal.
Just to make a sandwich was not an option... most breads are 180 - 300 for one slice... by the time you added meat and a condiment your quick sandwich is over 1000 mg of sodium... Yikes! so much for a packed lunch. Kroger has some lower cost meats and whole wheat bread that makes a sandwich possible and still allows you to have something to drink with it besides water.

A sandwich from these items is 25 mg for 2 slices of bread, 400 mg for 4 slices of LS ham, and 50mg for Lacy Swiss cheese, and 50mg for 1T of mustard... that is 525 for a decent sandwich, you can still have a handful of No Salt Kettle Chips and a 20oz Pepsi... you are at 585mg of sodium... throw in a Dove Dark Chocolate bar... you got a packed lunch.

Eating out... yeah right.

Low Sodium is not on any restaurant menu. Low fat or Sugar Free or Vegan... all of which is usually higher in sodium. There are some places out of the question, but if you research it you can find some items . I'm afraid the spontaneity of just stopping and trying new things. Once you get a list of places and what you can eat it does get easier. For example Wendy's I can get a baked potato with sour cream and a side salad with lemon Caesar dressing & a coke. Also, a locally owned restaurant has more opportunity to be fresher. Subway is pretty out along with olive garden or macaroni grille.

going on a picnic with low sodium

so for Father's day my daughter announced that she wanted to take me on a picnic. She was aware that my diet was limited so she sat down with my low-sodium cookbooks and found recipes for items that traveled well and were homemade.  We picked recipes and went to the store to buy a few supplies. We made and took Red Potato and Sweet Onion Salad, Coleslaw with horseradish, Chile Chicken Salad, Homemade Beer Bread and Triple chocolate Almond Brownies... only one mayo dish and the only thing with salt is the bread.  She picked up three bottles of Snapple Tea drinks that were low in sodium. the best part was preparing the food together and the three of us sitting at a picnic table on an overlook in Cherokee Park here in Louisville.  My recommendation for picnics or tailgating is to get a couple of good low-sodium cookbooks and find some great standbys that can travel well and have great food. books I recommend are:  American Heart Association, Low-Salt Cookbook, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Low-Sodium Meals, Reader's Digest Eat to Beat high blood pressure with the DASH -Plus Plan, and the No-Salt  Cookbook.

Some grocery item

Sorry for taking so long to post more blogs, I've been doing research on low-sodium products out there. Kroger stores are one of the best with store-brand options. Nabisco offers some alternatives to Triscuits and Wheat Thins, with their "Hint of Salt" flavor. Going to the store takes planning and time the first few times after you start looking at your sodium count. And you will surprised at where you will find low-sodium products. First thing you need to accept is that you can no longer just walk in to your grocery and pick up hamburger helper, hot dogs, or Mac and cheese in a box. You will have to broaden your idea of a condiment, ranch dressing can not be your staple on everything. Read your labels and check your serving portions. As a man addicted to creamy blue cheese dressing, LI have had to try many lower sodium dressings to find one I like.

The beginning of a new way

In December 2011, I was put on a low-sodium lifestyle. My cardiologist, Dr. Calli, told me he wanted me to not consume no more than 2000 milligrams a day, that is about 700 per meal! So while you think that isn't hard; most Subway 6" sandwich is over 1000 milligrams! The first thing I recommend for people to chuck the salt shaker and any spice with salt in it. Oh, did I forget to tell you? 2000 milligrams of sodium = 1 teaspoon of salt! My purpose of this blog is to teach you what I have learned and as I learn on how to change your life to lengthen your life. Everyone is worried about FAT, so the only part of the labels they read is the fat content... Guess what? Hypertension or high blood pressure is influenced by sodium. High blood pressure is what damaged my heart, now my life is completely different and if I can help others from becoming like me I want to be there to help. I will be mentioning books, products, and lots of specifics to help us all live better. I will interject humor to make you laugh with and at me!