The Benefits of Reducing your Daily Sodium intake One step to healthy living is healthy eating which includes maintaining a lowsodium diet. Salt- sodium chloride-is a major contributor to high blood pressure. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a leading cause of heart disease. Hypertension affects approximately one in three Americans. When blood pressure gets too high, damage occurs in many organs such as the heart, kidneys, brain and eyes. By implementing a low-sodium diet, you should see your blood pressure levels decrease. A low-sodium diet The DASH Diet) can also reduce damage to internal organ. Daily Salt Recommendation The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mgs) a day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. Here are the approximate amounts of sodium in a given amount of table salt: 1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium 3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium 1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium Tips on how to reduce salt in your diet. Compare labels and choose the product with the lowest amount of sodium (per serving) you can find in your store. Check the fine print on the packaging for terms like broth, saline or sodium solution. Sodium levels in unseasoned fresh meats are around 100 milligrams (mg) or less per 4-ounce serving. Look for reduced sodium foods Choose canned vegetables labeled no salt added and frozen vegetables without salty sauces.
LOW SODIUM SOUPS It s so nice to find a good low sodium homemade soup recipe, here are some of my favorites. LoSo Squash Soup Makes 4-1 cup servings: 36 mg sodium per cup 1 Tbsps olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 3 large carrots, peeled and grated 4 cups Butternut squash, 3 cups Noso Chicken Broth (I used SF Herb-ox Chicken) 1/8 tsp Cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg Peel the squash, cut and remove the seeds, chop into cubes. Then peel and grate carrots. Put both aside. Sauté onions in the oil, when they are translucent add the cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well; add the broth, carrots and squash. Bring to a boil, and boil until veggies are soft. Remove from heat, and puree. Cool a bit and serve.
Very Loso Tomato Soup This makes a delicious soup; you can vary the consistency by changing the amount of water, or leave it out for condensed tomato soup. This recipe makes enough soup for 4 people. 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 4 cups fresh cut up tomatoes or can use No Salt Added Tomatoes 1/2 cup water Sauté the onion, garlic, celery and pepper flakes in the oil until softened. Add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Puree, (I use a hand held blender, but you can use a blender or food processor as well.) 43 mg sodium per serving
Zucchini Soup 6 servings PER SERVING: Calories = 136 Fat (g) = 5 Sodium (mg) = 55 Carbohydrates (g) = 21 Protein (g) = 3 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 potatoes, cubed 2 carrots, sliced 4 zucchini, sliced 1 tsp dried basil Black pepper, to taste 4 c vegetable broth In the Instant Pot, on Sauté, heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for about a minute until onions is translucent. Add the potatoes and sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to blend. Lock the lid in place. Using high pressure, cook 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally or use the quick-release valve. Remove the lid. Season to your taste. NOTES: You can use homemade vegetable broth that has zero salt in it.
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken This is such a flavorful recipe that has approximately 180 mg sodium for a 4 ounce serving. 4 Chicken breasts (boneless skinless breasts) Pepper 1 cup corn starch 2 eggs beaten 1/4 C cooking oil Sauce: ¾ cup sugar 4 Tbsp No sodium Ketchup 1/ 2 C. Distilled white vinegar 1 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce 1 tsp garlic powder- chopped Preheat oven to 325 Cut chicken breast into cubes, coat with cornstarch and dip in egg and cook in oil until lightly browned but not cooked all the way through. Place in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour turning chicken over every 15 minutes
Ketchup This homemade Ketchup has 32 servings which has approximately 3 mg sodium per serving 4 g carbohydrates per serving. 1 15-oz can low sodium tomato sauce 2 tsp water ½ tsp onion powder 1/4 c sugar 1/3 c cider vinegar ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cloves 1 pinch ground allspice 1 pinch ground nutmeg Black pepper to taste 2/3 tsp paprika Add all the ingredients, except the paprika, to a saucepan. Simmer over low heat 15 to 30, or until the mixture reduces to the desired consistency. Remove from the heat. Stir in the paprika. Allow mixture to cool. Put in a covered container. Store in the refrigerator, lasts 6-8 weeks. TIP: If you like your ketchup with a little spice try adding a little chili powder or red pepper flakes as alternatives.
Low Sodium Creamed Spinach Here is a creamed spinach recipe that has a very low sodium content as the sodium comes of the cream cheese which is about 95 mg for 1 oz. Cream, butter and onions have none, garlic and spinach has only several mgs. 1 package frozen spinach 1/4 c chopped onion 1 tsp minced garlic 4 T unsalted butter 1 oz cream cheese 2-3 T heavy cream water dash of nutmeg Add butter to frying pan and briefly sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté briefly. Add frozen spinach and stir well. Add some water to just cover the bottom of the pan and steam the spinach. When dry, do it one more time. Once most of the water is gone, push spinach to the side of pan by making a hole in the center and then add the cream and cream cheese and mix until melted. Mix into the spinach and combine until creamy. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg. Stir to blend. Serve.
Avocado Dip Avocado is one of those fruits you can never have enough recipes for, this dip can be eaten with some corn chips or add it to your main dish of chicken or fish to spice it up a little. This recipe has 51 mg of sodium in a ¼ cup of dip. 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 2 teaspoons chopped onion 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed Juice of 1 lime In a small bowl, combine sour cream, onion, hot sauce, lime juice and avocado. Mix to blend the ingredients evenly. Serve with baked tortilla chips or sliced vegetables
Homemade Salsa Salsa is so easy to make and fresh salsa tastes the best, don t eat those store bough salsa s that are so high in sodium and sugar, try this recipe. If you don't like spicy salsa, replace the jalapeno with about 1 tablespoon mild banana pepper or green bell pepper. INGREDIENTS 8 or 9 cocktail tomatoes (about 8 ounces), quartered 2 green onions, white and light green parts only, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice into food processor or shop up finely to your required texture. 2. Pulse until salsa is the consistency you like. 3. Store in refrigerator for up to three days. Taste your food before adding salt. Drain and rinse canned vegetables like chickpeas, kidney beans this can cut the sodium by up to 40 percent.
Turkey Meatloaf One of my family s favorite recipes. This recipe is suitable for 4 servings and the Calories = 208 Fat (g) = 10 Sodium (mg) = 139 Carbohydrates (g) = 4 Protein (g) = 24 1 lb ground turkey (93% lean) 1/3 c seasoned breadcrumbs or panko 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 medium size red onion 1 egg 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tsp no-salt-added tomato paste 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced ½ cup of finely diced bell peppers Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, garlic, tomato paste, bell peppers, onion and parsley. Gently mix to combine. Form into an oval loaf using your hands, slightly flattened at the top on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake uncovered 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven. TIP The Private Selection Shredded Parmesan cheese is a good lower sodium choice. The 3 tablespoons used here came to 129mg sodium.
Brownies with Black Beans Last but not least a LoSo dessert recipe; here is a delicious sweet treat. Fiber is such an important part of our daily diet and it is suggested we have 25 grams of fiber daily and this Black Bean Brownie recipe is a great way of getting some of your fiber in with a dessert. One cup of black beans contains 15 grams of your daily requirement. 1 1/2 cups black beans, drained, rinsed (1 15-ounce can) 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1/2 cup quick oats 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave ( honey is fine) 2 tbsp sugar 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2-2/3 cup chocolate chips 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Pulse all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a food processor until completely smooth. Really blend well. (For texture, a food processor works best. A blender is fine if necessary.) 3. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into a greased 8 8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. 4. Cook for 15-18 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut (yields about 9-12 squares). If they look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will firm up.
Well I hope you have enjoyed these few of my favorite Low Sodium recipes, but I have so much more for you try. Please take into consideration following the No.1 overall diet for the past 7 years The Dash Diet- it s a lifestyle choice (not a diet).
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