Get the Salt Out (58 page)

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Or dress them up with flavorful herbs
that are beneficial to the mind and body. One herb, rosemary, for example, has for centuries been used as a folk remedy to combat stress and bring about positive effects on the mind. Some research suggests that rosemary does in fact lessen stress, presumably because of a compound it contains called rosemaricine or possibly because of its rich calcium content. Rosemary also is known to contain potent antioxidant substances. I tend to use this aromatic herb as a flavorful, healthy addition to fancy party foods. Here’s a recipe from Jane Kinderlehrer, author of
Smart Chicken,
who uses rosemary to add a sophisticated touch to chicken leg appetizers.
One Salt Shaker.

Carefully pull the skin of the thigh away from the meat. Sprinkle the flesh with herbal seasoning and pepper. Blend together the oil with the lemon or lime juice, rosemary, and mustard. Spread about 2 teaspoons of this mixture under the skin of each thigh. Place the chicken pieces, skin side down, in a broiling pan coated with nonstick cooking spray (or oil). Broil about 6 inches from the heat source for about 14 minutes, or until brown. Turn and broil the other side for another 14 minutes. To serve, spread the cooked chicken with any remaining rosemary mixture (which has not come in contact with the raw chicken), pour the pan juices over the chicken, and garnish the platter with parsley and orange sections.
Serves 8.

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Serve simple appetizers made out of small portions of fresh fruit
to balance out any spicy or slightly salty foods you may serve. Try offering kiwi cups (halved kiwi fruit) served with miniature spoons, or apple slices. (To prevent them from browning, soak them in lemon juice.) Another idea is to make miniature fruit skewers by threading whole strawberries and chunks of fresh pineapple onto long party toothpicks.
One Salt Shaker.

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Moderation
is the key word to keep in mind during the holidays.
Taste the special foods of the season, but don’t overindulge. Understand that standard holiday foods like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy have a lot of salt hidden within them. If you decide you want a regular serving of mashed potatoes, try to skip the gravy and stuffing, or if you want a little bit of everything, compromise and allow yourself a very small dab of each.

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Drink a large glass of low-sodium, filtered water before a holiday meal.
It will help take the edge off your appetite (so you’ll be less likely to load up on too many salty foods), and it will also help your body rid itself of any unnecessary salt you may eat.

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To lower the sodium content of your typical holiday meal,
revise your holiday recipes by following the tips in the Lower Sodium Cooking Substitutions section in
Chapter 1
. For example, if a holiday recipe calls for three tablespoons of butter, substitute unsalted butter instead. Making just this one change will lower the sodium content in a recipe by 360 milligrams.

BONUS TIP:
Also be sure to increase the heart-healthy potassium and magnesium content in meals by substituting unrefined grain products in place of refined carbohydrates. The extra potassium and magnesium supplied by whole grains will be helpful if you accidentally eat more salt than you should.