helpful low sodium recipes and tricks

[kappydell]

I have been cooking low sodium on and off for many years, but lately both my room mate's and my doctors have asked us about a low sodium diet.  They have been happy with the steps we have routinely integrated into our lives and our diets, so I am passing on some of our hints and 'greatest hits' recipes.

 

1  Start by changing the salt in the shaker, substituting salt substitute for part of the salt.  Since every substitute I have tried has an odd taste, this tactic hides it, and as I played with the ratio of substitute to salt, I find that we taste the substitute at around 3/4ths substitute and 1/4 salt, so we generally run ours at around 60% No-Salt.  Guests do not seem to notice the difference, either.

2.  Taste test the low sodium products but do not expect miracles.  Also, when salt is removed, then manufacturers often add other things like chemicals or extra sugar.  So I tend to use regular food.

3.  When you use a 'salty' product, try diluting it to get the sodium levels down.  I use the lowest salt soy sauce I can find, and dilute it 50% with water.  It still gets the flavor job done.  I diluteed my 

Asian Ginger flavor salad dressing (when they made it...its gone now) with a nonfat artificially sweetened "oil and vinegar" dressing which matched its texture, dropped the calories & sodium dramatically, yet still allowed the flavor to shine through.  This works best with strongly flavored foods.    I use the same technique to cut the saturated fats in foods. mixing my own table spread of 50% real butter and 50% canola oil.  All the flavor, but much less saturated fat.

4.  Search out low sodium recipes for what you cant find in the stores.  Even though low sodium versions of many foods are made, it does not mean the stores carry them.  I do with you luck, and if you ever find a commercial low sodium Miracle Whip salad dressing, pu-leese let me know where!  Meanwhile, I have a decent recipe for it.

5.  Rinsing canned vegetables in a colander under running water is a time honored trick to lessen the salt;  Duke university did the research and found that rinsing canned green beans 1 minute lowered their sodium 41%; rinsing tuna 1 minute reduced sodium by 75%; and cottage cheese rinsed 1 minute went down 56%. Water is your friend!

6.  Check your spices and spice blends for salt or sodium.  I did not know chili powder has salt in it.  Mexene brand has the least salt, but tastes flat to me so I add other seasonings to make it taste more "natural"

7.  If you needed a reason to take up canning just check the sodium levels in tomato products.  Tuna is bad, too.  You do not need to add salt to preserve canned foods.....add it from your table shaker when you eat.  BTW, canned fish comes out much like tuna, so if you have a fisherman in the family you can do it yourself.

 

LOW SODIUM KETCHUP FROM TOMATO PASTE                                                                                  LOW SODIUM MIRACLE WHIP SALAD DRESSING

(American Heart Association)                                                                                                                   3/4 cup flour

3 cans no salt added tomato paste                                                                                                          1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar                                                                                                                                             1 cup water

1 TB packed brown sugar or sugar substitute                                                                                         3/4 cup vinegar

4 cups water                                                                                                                                                  1 TB lemon juice

1/2 c finely chopped onions                                                                                                                        pinch of salt substitute

1/2 c finely chopped celery                                                                                                                         1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1/4 c sugar or sugar substitute                                                                                                                  1 egg plus water to make 1/2 up total liquid

Combine all ingredients in  blender and blend until totally smooth.  Pour into                                  Cook flour, sugar, water and vinegar in a double boiler.  Combine remaining ingredients

a saucepan, and add:                                                                                                                                   separately.  When flour mixture is thick, drop flour mixture by spoonfuls into egg-oil 

2 TB unsalted margarine                                                                                                                              mixture.  Beat smooth.  Continue until all is incorporated.  Makes 3 1/4 cups.

1 tsp molasses                                                                                                                                              Per TB:  2 mg sodium, 6.5 mg potassium.

1/8 tsp each cloves, cinnamon, basil, tarragon, pepper, onion powder and

     garlic powder.                                                                                                                                           NO SALT ADDED TOMATO JUICE

Simmer uncovered 1 1/2 hours or until thick and reduced to half volume.                                        Blend 6 oz of non salt added tomato paste with 3 cans of water.

Stir occasionally.  Chill; stores in refrigerator up to 1 month.  To keep longer,                                   I use a blender for the smoothest juice. Mix in artificial sweetener to taste

freeze in small amounts and defrost as needed.'                                                                                    and if you need it some salt substitute (I use 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp of my salt-blend).

1 TB = 20 cal, 0.4 g fat, 1 mg sodium, 48 mg potassium.  Makes 1 quart.                                          Makes 3 cups.  Chill well before serving and to allow flavors to blend.

 

CHILI POWDER (to make  4 TB)                                                                                                                  MEAT TENDERIZER (just try and fine one without salt....I dare you!)

3 TB paprika                                                                                                                                                   1/8 tsp papain powder (order from the internet).  Alternately you can grind your own if you eat

1 tsp turmeric                                                                                                                                                          fresh papaya...just save the seeds, dry and grind.  Omit pepper, they taste peppery, use sparingly.

2 tsp finely crushed oregano leaves                                                                                                           salt substitute, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ginger, turmeric, beef bouillon powder, pepper

1 tsp ground cumin                                                                                                                                                 and sour salt (aka citric acid for a lemony flavor) combined to taste - taste before adding papain  

1 tsp garlic powder                                                                                                                                       You need 3 tsp of seasonings to add to the papain powder, as it is extremely strong and you do not 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper                                                                                                                               want to tenderize your meat to mush by using too much (it CAN happen, I speak from experience!)

                                                                                                                                                                         Sprinkle your designer blend of seasonings & papain powder sparingly over your meat same as 

TOMATO SAUCE FROM PASTE                                                                                                                  regular tenderizer.  

6 Oz tomato paste, no salt added

2 1/2 cups water                                                                                                                                           NO SALT ADDED TOMATO FRENCH DRESSING

1 TB Italian Seasoning                                                                                                                                 1 c sugar or artificial sweetener equivalent

1 TB dry onion flakes                                                                                                                                    1 cup desirable oil

1 TB parsley flakes                                                                                                                                        1 c no salt catsup

1 TB cornstarch                                                                                                                                             1 TB store bought yellow mustard

1 tsp sugar                                                                                                                                                     1/4 c white vinegar

garlic powder to taste                                                                                                                                   2 TB minced onion

Combine dry ingredients.  Set aside. Combine tomato paste and water                                            Combine, blend 60 seconds in blender until smooth.  1 TB = 72 cal, 7 g fat, 7 mg sodium, 125 mg

in a saucepan, whisking well until smooth.   Mix in dry ingredients.                                                     potassium.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Lower heat, simmer until thick.  

Makes just over 3 cups.  1/2 c sauce =  26 mg sodium, 320 mg potassium.                                     LOW SODIUM REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

                                                                                                                                                                          6 c thin sliced cucumbers

OVERNIGHT DILL PICKLES                                                                                                                          2  c thin sliced onions

4 c firm med cucumbers sliced                                                                                                                   1 1/2 c sugar substitute

2 tsp honey                                                                                                                                                     1 clove garlic, halved

8 TB white vinegar                                                                                                                                         1 1/2 c white vinegar

2 tsp fresh dill chopped, or 2 tsp dry dill                                                                                                    1/2 tsp each mustard and celery seed

1/8 tsp cayenne                                                                                                                                              Combine vegetables.  Bring remaining ingredients to a boil.

Put sliced cucumbers in a bowl; combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan,                               Pour over vegetables and let marinate 24 hours before

simmer 1 minute.  Pour over slices and let stand about 1 hour or until slices                                    using.  1/4 c = 2 mg sodium

are slightly limp.  Put slices into a jar, pour liquid over them.  Cover and chill

before serving.  These keep several months in refrigerator.

1/4 c = 75 cal, 4 mg sodium

You can also pickle beets by omitting dill.  Use canned slices, and rinse to

remove as much sodium as possible.  Heat liquid and pour over beets. 

Marinate a while before serving.  

 

You may notice  lots of tomato based recipes here.  It is because tomato products are notoriously salty!  Cottage cheese and tuna are also high in sodium, and their no salt counterparts taste nasty!  I can put fish in a jar, but cottage cheese without salt just tastes like sour milk to me.  

Some low sodium cheeses are ok, others are not.  Baking without salt is not hard unless your recipe calls for baking soda....pharmacies sometimes carry sodium free baking powder.  Just remember that baked goods will rise higher (and will deflate if left too long) without salts' inhibiting factors.  I'm better with pies than cakes anyway, so that simplifies things. (Pies don't rise.)

 

Hopefully this will help you adapt to a low sodium diet if you have to.  These are the items I found hardest to find (impossible) in stores.  Sad to say, I liked 

Wylers low sodium bouillon cubes, and they are also gone.  Someone told me tonight they are out of business.  That is part of why I am now canning no salt broth.  Oh well..........