Hidden Foods, Hidden Valley Italian Ranch

Today I went to one of our local supermarkets to get some lunchmeat, breads, cheese, etc. that we could have at work. Due to the nature of our business, we very rarely go out for lunch, as we are generally eating between customer visits. Some days we order in, and others we eat leftovers or sandwiches made on-site. Eating low-sodium foods is more challenging when you are not able to cook, so I always try to buy the things with the least amount of sodium possible.

I made a big mistake in going at lunchtime, as the store seems to have less staff available (guess they've all gone to lunch?!), and usually only one check-out open. But that would be a blog for another subject!! After the service clerk finished filling a cardboard bucket with greasy, breaded fried chicken for two women ahead of me who really didn't need any more fat (!!), she asked how she could help me. I asked for a pound of the low-sodium roast beef, sliced thin, which I purchase there weekly. She said, "I'm sorry, we're not carrying that anymore, because no one buys it". What a sad comment on our eating habits!

I understand that we want food to taste good. But I guarantee that if you did a simple taste test, you would not notice the missing sodium between the regular roast beef and the reduced sodium version. By the time you put it on bread, with some fresh avocado, slices of cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes...whatever you prefer...you wouldn't notice the difference!! I think the real reason that they didn't sell much was because it was always hidden in the back, never on sale, never in plain sight. That fried chicken was displayed right up front, though, with the smell being pumped through the store...!

I did find one thing worth sharing, which is a lower sodium version of Ranch Dressing, that tastes great! It is "Hidden Valley Italian Ranch" (Ranch with Italian Herbs) and it has 200mg per 2 tablespoons. So if you are craving something like chips & dip, try this with some carrots or celery instead. You still get the crunch and the tasty dip, just a much healthier version.