The Low Sodium Cookbook Read Online Free PDF Page B

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    Regular soy sauce is sadly one ingredient that really has no place in a low-sodium household since even just one teaspoon contains nearly a quarter of an entire day’s sodium allotment. Other condiments like Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and ketchup should be replaced with low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties or used only in small amounts.
    Here are a few simple ideas for adding flavor to your meals without adding sodium:
     
Use an acidic fruit juice—lemon, lime, orange, or even pineapple—along with some fresh or dried herbs or ground spices as a marinade for meat, poultry, or fish.
Coat fish or chicken with sesame seeds before pan-searing.
Add sautéed onions, shallots, leeks, or garlic to sautéed, stir-fried, or braised dishes.
Add dried fruits—apricots, cranberries, raisins, or figs—to salads, grains, or even meat stews for extra zing.
Season steamed vegetables with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and/or a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
Spice up dishes with a drizzle of chili oil or a sprinkling of cayenne.
Toss diced potatoes with olive oil and minced fresh rosemary and then roast them in a hot oven until crisp on the outside and tender inside.
Season corn on the cob with fresh-squeezed lime juice and (salt-free) chili powder.
Toss hot pasta with olive oil, minced fresh garlic, and thinly sliced fresh basil.
    Learn to Read Food Labels
    Reading food labels is an important part of making the switch to a low-sodium diet. There is so much hidden sodium in packaged foods that the only way you can know how much you are getting and what foods to avoid is to read every single label.
    First, check the serving size and think about how much of that food you normally eat. Ketchup, for instance, has a serving size of one tablespoon, but most people eat three or four times that (at least) with a basket of French fries.
    Next, check the sodium content and multiply that number by how many servings you’re likely to eat in a meal. Using ketchup as an example, if you think you’ll eat three tablespoons, and the sodium per serving listed on the package is 200 mg, then 600 mg is the amount of sodium you’d likely consume in a meal that includes that particular ketchup.
    When buying canned or packaged foods, look for labels that read “reduced sodium,” “low sodium,” or “no salt added.” Choose the no-salt or low-sodium options whenever possible. Remember, “low sodium” means that the food contains less than 140 mg of sodium per serving, and “no salt added” means that no salt is added during the cooking or processing, even though the food in the package might naturally contain some sodium.
    Ten Tips for Dining Out
    The toughest thing about eating out when you are on a low-sodium diet is figuring out just how much sodium you are getting since you don’t know how the foods are prepared or exactly what is being added. Still, it is possible to eat out without sending your low-sodium diet off the rails. Here are ten tips to help you navigate a low-sodium diet in a restaurant setting:
     
Steer clear of fast-food and chain restaurants where the workers have little control over the individual ingredients in your meal. If you can’t avoid going to a fast-food restaurant, check the nutrition information, which should be posted in the restaurant (and might be available on the restaurant’s website) to find the lowest-sodium options. Ask for high-sodium condiments like ketchup, mustard, or salad dressing to be left off or served on the side.
When possible, choose individually owned (nonchain) restaurants where food is cooked to order.
Ask your server questions about how the food is prepared and what goes into the dish. If he doesn’t know, ask him to check with the chef.
Speak up. Don’t be shy about telling your server that you are on a strict low-sodium diet and asking for your food to be prepared without added salt or high-sodium condiments if at all possible.
Go for something simple, like grilled