500 Low Sodium Recipes (14 page)

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
38 g water; 314 calories (29% from fat, 6% from protein, 65% from carb); 5 g protein; 10 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 5 g polyunsaturated fat; 52 g carb; 2 g fiber; 30 g sugar; 73 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
15 mg sodium
; 250 mg potassium; 49 IU vitamin A; 3 mg vitamin C; 31 mg cholesterol

This has become a traditional Christmas morning breakfast. The original recipe called for ham, but no one seems to miss it. You could use any low sodium leftover bread, but I like honey wheat. If you can’t find canned apples, you can use apple pie filling, although the result will be sweeter.

3 cups low sodium bread, cubed

1 can (15 ounces, or 455 g) apples

3 ounces (85 g) Swiss cheese, shredded

4 eggs

¼ cup (60 ml) skim milk

Cube bread and place in a 9-inch-square (23-cm-square) pan sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Spoon apples over bread. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs and milk and pour over bread, apples, and cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Heat oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4). Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned and center is set.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
106 g water; 277 calories (42% from fat, 24% from protein, 33% from carb); 17 g protein; 13 g total fat; 6 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 23 g carb; 1 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 295 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
102 mg sodium
; 198 mg potassium; 500 IU vitamin A; 1 mg vitamin C; 266 mg cholesterol

It’s impossible to find low sodium sausage, so I’ve learned to make my own. You can buy ground pork in most large supermarkets, but if you have a grinder you can make a much lower-fat version by trimming leaner cuts of pork and grinding them yourself.

1 pound (455 g) pork, ground

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon white pepper

¾ teaspoon dried sage

¼ teaspoon mace

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Fry, grill, or cook on a greased baking sheet in a 325°F (170°C, gas mark 3) oven until done.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
38 g water; 121 calories (60% from fat, 38% from protein, 1% from carb); 11 g protein; 8 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 0 g carb; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 5 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
24 mg sodium
; 223 mg potassium; 8 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 34 mg cholesterol

If you make your own sausage, then you can still have sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast. It’s great for a cold winter morning, but I have to confess to liking it just about any time. It can also be served over mashed potatoes.

½ pound (225 g) Sausage (see recipe above)

3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (235 ml) skim milk

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Remove sausage with a slotted spoon; set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of grease
from the skillet. Over medium heat, stir 3 tablespoons (24 g) of flour into the grease. Stir constantly until browned, about 5 minutes. Stirring constantly, pour in milk. Season with pepper. Continue stirring until the gravy is thick. Add sausage back into the gravy. Serve over split biscuits, grits, or mashed potatoes, or pour into a bowl or gravy boat and serve on the side.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
88 g water; 219 calories (64% from fat, 22% from protein, 15% from carb); 12 g protein; 15 g total fat; 5 g saturated fat; 7 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 8 g carb; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 95 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
77 mg sodium
; 260 mg potassium; 168 IU vitamin A; 1 mg vitamin C; 42 mg cholesterol

For those days when you want a little something different for breakfast. The tortillas I buy have 120 mg of sodium each, so this has a little more than many of the things I eat for breakfast. On the other hand, I don’t even want to think how much sodium is in those fast food burritos. You could make your own tortillas or use corn ones, which typically don’t contain added salt, and make breakfast enchiladas.

1 medium potato

½ pound (225 g) Sausage (see recipe, page 114)

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 eggs

6 flour tortillas

1 cup (110 g) Swiss cheese, shredded

¼ cup (45 g) tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 g) sour cream

¼ cup (56 g) Dick’s Best Salsa (see recipe, page 49)

Cook potato in boiling water for 35 minutes until tender. When cool, peel and cut into cubes. Brown sausage in frying pan and add onion, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Drain and discard fat. Add cubed, cooked potato. Beat eggs and add to pan. Stir until eggs
are set. Spoon mixture into center of warmed tortilla, top with shredded cheese, and roll up tortilla to enclose mixture. For an authentic Mexican touch, serve topped with tomato, sour cream, and salsa.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
132 g water; 443 calories (46% from fat, 18% from protein, 36% from carb); 19 g protein; 22 g total fat; 9 g saturated fat; 9 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 40 g carb; 3 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 264 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
306 mg sodium
; 443 mg potassium; 616 IU vitamin A; 8 mg vitamin C; 131 mg cholesterol

If the breakfast burritos are a little high in sodium for you, here’s an alternative. Corn tortillas and taco shells are usually made without the added salt that’s in flour tortillas. And here’s an extra tip that you can use for your regular tacos too … make them breakproof by putting the filling in before you heat them. The extra moisture will make them just soft enough not to fall in half.

4 eggs

¼ cup (56 g) Dick’s Best Salsa (see recipe, page 49)

¼ cup (28 g) Swiss cheese, shredded

8 taco shells

Scramble eggs, stirring in salsa and cheese when they are almost set. Divide into taco shells, sitting them upright in an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20-cm) baking dish. Microwave for 1 minute or heat at 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) for 5 minutes.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
63 g water; 243 calories (51% from fat, 19% from protein, 30% from carb); 12 g protein; 14 g total fat; 4 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 3 g polyunsaturated fat; 18 g carb; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 142 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
100 mg sodium
; 165 mg potassium; 459 IU vitamin A; 2 mg vitamin C; 253 mg cholesterol

“Ranch-style eggs” in Spanish, this is a typical Mexican breakfast meal. You can make a single serving for yourself using 1 tortilla and 1 egg and an ovenproof bowl.

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

4 corn tortillas

¼ cup (40 g) onion, chopped

2 cups (360 g) tomatoes, chopped

2 ounces (55 g) chopped chile peppers

4 eggs

½ cup (55 g) Swiss cheese, shredded

In a small skillet, heat the oil. Cook the tortillas in oil for about 10 seconds on a side, until limp. Line an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20-cm) baking dish with tortillas. In the same skillet, cook the onion until soft. Stir in the tomatoes and chile peppers. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Spoon over the tortillas. Carefully break the eggs into the skillet. When the whites are set, add a tablespoon of water, cover, and cook until the yolks are almost at desired doneness. Add the eggs over the sauce in a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Place under broiler just until cheese melts.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
153 g water; 289 calories (55% from fat, 20% from protein, 25% from carb); 14 g protein; 18 g total fat; 6 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 5 g polyunsaturated fat; 18 g carb; 3 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 247 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
102 mg sodium
; 375 mg potassium; 1205 IU vitamin A; 44 mg vitamin C; 261 mg cholesterol

Granola bars don’t have to contain sodium. You could add unsalted nuts to this if you wanted or substitute chocolate chips or other dried fruit for the raisins.

3 cups (240 g) quick-cooking oats

½ cup (115 g) brown sugar

¼ cup (28 g) wheat germ

½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter

¼ cup (60 ml) corn syrup

¼ cup (85 g) honey

½ cup (82.5 g) raisins

½ cup (35 g) sweetened coconut

Combine the oats, sugar, and wheat germ. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the corn syrup and honey. Add the raisins and coconut. Press into a greased 9-inch (23-cm) square pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then cut into bars.

Yield:
27 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
4 g water; 153 calories (30% from fat, 8% from protein, 61% from carb); 3 g protein; 5 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 24 g carb; 2 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 16 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
11 mg sodium
; 129 mg potassium; 105 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 9 mg cholesterol

These contain a little more nutrition than the granola bars and are equally good for a breakfast on the run.

1 cup (80 g) quick-cooking oats

½ cup (75 g) whole wheat flour

½ cup (57 g) Grape-Nuts cereal, or other nugget-type cereal

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg

¼ cup (60 g) applesauce

¼ cup (85 g) honey

3 tablespoons (45 g) brown sugar

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

¼ cup (56 g) sunflower seeds, unsalted

¼ cup (35 g) walnuts, chopped

7 ounces (198 g) dried fruit

Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C, gas mark 3). Line a 9-inch (23-cm) square baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, cereal, and cinnamon. Add the egg, applesauce, honey, brown sugar, and oil. Mix well. Stir in the sunflower seeds, walnuts, and dried fruit. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool. Use the foil to lift from the pan. Cut into bars and store in the refrigerator.

Yield:
12 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
16 g water; 223 calories (26% from fat, 10% from protein, 65% from carb); 6 g protein; 7 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 4 g polyunsaturated fat; 38 g carb; 4 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 27 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
43 mg sodium
; 285 mg potassium; 493 IU vitamin A; 1 mg vitamin C; 20 mg cholesterol

You may have seen the ads for Chex Breakfast Mix, a great idea for people needing breakfast on the run. Depending on the flavor, they run about 160 to 180 mg of sodium per bag. Not horrendous, but I thought we could do better by being more careful with the cereal we pick. The serving size is ½ cup (57 g), which seems a bit small to me, but even if you eat more, it shouldn’t hurt you too badly.

2 cups (200 g) bite-size frosted shredded wheat cereal

2 cups (200 g) Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran or other bite-size low sodium cereal

½ cup (75 g) dry-roasted peanuts

½ cup (82.5 g) raisins

2 cups unsalted pretzels

3 tablespoons (60 g) honey

3 tablespoons (45 ml) corn syrup

1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix cereal, nuts, raisins, and pretzels in a large bowl. Combine the honey, corn syrup, butter, and spices. Microwave until boiling. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring to coat. Place in an ungreased 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33-cm) pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 325°F (170°C, gas mark 3), stirring after 10 minutes. Turn out onto waxed paper. Separate and cool. Store in an airtight container.

Yield:
16 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
3 g water; 114 calories (24% from fat, 8% from protein, 68% from carb); 3 g protein; 3 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 21 g carb; 2 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 12 mg calcium; 5 mg iron;
41 mg sodium
; 116 mg potassium; 153 IU vitamin A; 11 mg vitamin C; 2 mg cholesterol

Chicken and turkey are great deals nutritionally, lean and full of protein. However, there are a few things to be aware of. In the United States, much of the chicken and turkey is “enhanced” with injections of a broth solution that is high in sodium, raising the level per serving from well under 100 mg to more than 300 mg. This is done to keep the poultry more juicy (and in some people’s opinion to sell you salty water at the same price as good meat). In my area there are a few stores that go against this trend and still sell unenhanced meat. However, you need to look for them and be aware of what you are buying.

You can get the same kind of extra juiciness that the commercial meat packers are giving while saving lots of sodium by injecting your own turkey. Using a low sodium chicken broth adds almost no sodium per serving. You can find injectors in the gadget aisle of many large supermarkets or any kitchen supply store or buy one online somewhere like Cooking.com for only a few dollars. Starting the cooking at a high temperature seals in the juices and gives you a nice brown skin.