I found something worth sharing at the grocery yesterday..."Light RAGU" No Sugar Added Tomato & Basil Sauce. It's amazingly low in sodium for spaghetti sauce in a jar, and it's also low in fat, sugar, cholesterol...and it's delicious!!
There are just some days when you don't have time/energy/inclination to cook, so this makes dinner really easy. Most pasta has zero sodium; boil some water and cook your favorite (whole grain or wheat is better for you!). We decided to be extra lazy and cooked some of those refrigerated ravioli...I had to read every brand before I found one with less sodium--some of them are quite high. The ravioli we had was filled with spinach & ricotta cheese, and cooked in 4 minutes.
Also had a simple caesar salad with organic hearts of romaine (rinsed and torn up into bite size pieces), fresh tomatoes & tossed with just a small amount of the lowest sodium Caesar dressing I could find (more on those options in another blog).
Even though this meal has more sodium than most that we eat, the total is still much less than one drive-thru burger or burrito, and much healthier, yet still easy, quick & tasty! Try it!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Low-sodium Peanut Buttter Cookies
My mom made THE BEST peanut butter cookies, and I have used her recipe all my life. Just a few changes and they become low-sodium cookies, and no difference in taste! Here's how:
Sift together one cup of flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda
Add: 1/2 cup soft shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup Simply Jif or other low sodium peanut butter
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix well, then use teaspoon to create small balls of dough (roll them in your palms) and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Use a fork dipped in water to flatten, and do a criss-cross pattern on each cookie.
Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
The cookies will be thin and crispy, great for dunking!
Sift together one cup of flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda
Add: 1/2 cup soft shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup Simply Jif or other low sodium peanut butter
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix well, then use teaspoon to create small balls of dough (roll them in your palms) and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Use a fork dipped in water to flatten, and do a criss-cross pattern on each cookie.
Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
The cookies will be thin and crispy, great for dunking!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
What's cooking on the barbeque?
My awesome family cooked a delicious, healthy, low-sodium meal on the barbeque this weekend, for Mother's Day! Here's what we had, and how they did it:
Beef Filet Skewers
Shrimp
Salmon
Potatoes
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Mike bought some thick, lean New York Strip steaks, and cut them into bite-sized cubes. Then he marinated them in a baggie with a small amount of Worcestershire Sauce (only 85mg sodium for 1 tbsp!) and some garlic pepper. He also bought some wild caught Alaskan salmon, as well as some large, raw shrimp, & asparagus.
While the beef was marinating, Patrick washed & cut-up some baby redskin & yukon gold potatoes; he also cut up some red and green bell peppers and an onion. The potatoes and veggies were tossed together in a bowl with olive oil, vinegar and Mrs. Dash spicy blend, which had been pre-mixed in a measuring cup (make it the same way you would make salad dressing). We have a special basket made for cooking on the grill, so he lined it with foil, put the potatoes & veggies in, then covered them well for quicker cooking. He also sprayed the foil with Pam to keep the food from sticking. The potatoes take the longest to cook, so they were put on the grill while the other things were being prepped. To speed them up, you can pre-cook them for a while in the microwave (BEFORE you put them in foil, of course!).
There is no sodium in olive oil, vinegar or Mrs. Dash!!
Patrick cleaned and deveined the shrimp; then he sauteed them in a skillet sprayed with Olive Oil Pam (no sodium), a small pat of unsalted butter, and some fresh garlic. When they were cooked, he threw them in a bowl with ice and refrigerated them.
Bobby cleaned the fresh asparagus and we prepared it as before...drizzled with half of a fresh lemon and a sprinkle of pepper, in a glass dish, which was covered with a paper towel, cooked in the microwave for two minutes, then browned (just before serving) in a skillet with a small pat of unsalted butter. When I say small pat of butter, I mean about the size of the one you get at a restaurant on a piece of cardboard...about 1/4 of an inch thick at most.
Since Becca and I are allergic to shellfish, we also had salmon, which Bobby prepared. He rinsed it, placed it in a glass dish, squeezed a little bit of lemon juice on top; he cut one small pat of unsalted butter in half and placed the pieces on the salmon filet, added some cut slices of lemon, then topped it with fresh taragon. We were running out of room on the barbeque, so he cooked it in the oven, covered, at 350 for 25 minutes. If you have a larger grill, you can wrap it up in aluminum foil and cook it there.
Finally, Mike skewered the beef, and cooked it on low for about 20 minutes...the cooking time depends on the size of the pieces, and how rare or cooked you like your meat!
Dinner was served with some fresh, locally-grown tomato slices, grated horseradish for the beef (no sodium in straight horseradish!), and cocktail sauce made with Hunt's No Salt Ketchup mixed with horseradish. It was a very delicious meal, easy to cook, and we were all too stuffed to enjoy the wonderful, homemade peanut butter cookies that Becca made with low-sodium Jiff and no added salt. I'll give you the recipe for those tomorrow!!
Beef Filet Skewers
Shrimp
Salmon
Potatoes
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Mike bought some thick, lean New York Strip steaks, and cut them into bite-sized cubes. Then he marinated them in a baggie with a small amount of Worcestershire Sauce (only 85mg sodium for 1 tbsp!) and some garlic pepper. He also bought some wild caught Alaskan salmon, as well as some large, raw shrimp, & asparagus.
While the beef was marinating, Patrick washed & cut-up some baby redskin & yukon gold potatoes; he also cut up some red and green bell peppers and an onion. The potatoes and veggies were tossed together in a bowl with olive oil, vinegar and Mrs. Dash spicy blend, which had been pre-mixed in a measuring cup (make it the same way you would make salad dressing). We have a special basket made for cooking on the grill, so he lined it with foil, put the potatoes & veggies in, then covered them well for quicker cooking. He also sprayed the foil with Pam to keep the food from sticking. The potatoes take the longest to cook, so they were put on the grill while the other things were being prepped. To speed them up, you can pre-cook them for a while in the microwave (BEFORE you put them in foil, of course!).
There is no sodium in olive oil, vinegar or Mrs. Dash!!
Patrick cleaned and deveined the shrimp; then he sauteed them in a skillet sprayed with Olive Oil Pam (no sodium), a small pat of unsalted butter, and some fresh garlic. When they were cooked, he threw them in a bowl with ice and refrigerated them.
Bobby cleaned the fresh asparagus and we prepared it as before...drizzled with half of a fresh lemon and a sprinkle of pepper, in a glass dish, which was covered with a paper towel, cooked in the microwave for two minutes, then browned (just before serving) in a skillet with a small pat of unsalted butter. When I say small pat of butter, I mean about the size of the one you get at a restaurant on a piece of cardboard...about 1/4 of an inch thick at most.
Since Becca and I are allergic to shellfish, we also had salmon, which Bobby prepared. He rinsed it, placed it in a glass dish, squeezed a little bit of lemon juice on top; he cut one small pat of unsalted butter in half and placed the pieces on the salmon filet, added some cut slices of lemon, then topped it with fresh taragon. We were running out of room on the barbeque, so he cooked it in the oven, covered, at 350 for 25 minutes. If you have a larger grill, you can wrap it up in aluminum foil and cook it there.
Finally, Mike skewered the beef, and cooked it on low for about 20 minutes...the cooking time depends on the size of the pieces, and how rare or cooked you like your meat!
Dinner was served with some fresh, locally-grown tomato slices, grated horseradish for the beef (no sodium in straight horseradish!), and cocktail sauce made with Hunt's No Salt Ketchup mixed with horseradish. It was a very delicious meal, easy to cook, and we were all too stuffed to enjoy the wonderful, homemade peanut butter cookies that Becca made with low-sodium Jiff and no added salt. I'll give you the recipe for those tomorrow!!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Grilled veggies!!
Sorry for lack of new posts, but this blog isn't functioning properly, and I've been wasting time trying to fix it. Many followers aren't being recognized or notified of posts...guess it's a Google problem, not mine.
It's getting to be bbq season (although some of us diehards use the bbq year-round), so I thought I'd share a little of what we are cooking tonight:
I grabbed some fresh zucchini and yellow squash, and washed them really well. Cut the ends off, then sliced them lengthwise as best as possible. I usually end up with oval slices, because the squash is never perfectly straight or round. I placed them in a glass dish, then spritzed them with Wishbone Salad Spritzers "Balsamic Breeze". Ten squirts is only 130mg of sodium, and I used less than that for two zucchini and two squash. If you REALLY want to cut the sodium, use balsamic vinegar from the bottle, as most brands have zero mg of sodium--just go light--you don't want too much because it can get over-powering. I added some garlic pepper, then tossed it all to distribute the vinegar and pepper.
The best way to cook them is on the grill, but if you don't have one, or don't want to mess with it, or it's raining...you can use a skillet on the stove. We use a wire basket on the grill (spray it with Pam first) and cook them until slightly browned. Don't cook very long or they'll get mushy! Five to eight minutes is plenty.
Total prep time: 5 minutes
Sodium: 0mg to 130mg, depending on vinegar
Cook time: less than 10 minutes
Another favorite is grilled asparagus. Buy fresh asparagus (or harvest your own if you are lucky enough!) and rinse well. Don't cut the bottoms off!! Instead, just snap them off with your hands. This will usually get rid of the tough, chewy part. We try to get the skinniest asparagus we can find, by the way. Place them in a glass dish and drizzle with some fresh lemon, then toss with garlic pepper. Again, you can cook these on medium to high heat in a skillet with some Pam and one little pat of unsalted butter. As they are cooking, keep rolling them so they don't burn in the butter--these will cook in 3-4 minutes! Or on the grill again, but be careful they don't slip through the slots--Mike puts them on crossways, and just for a few minutes. You'll know they are done when they get bright green in color. Cook a little longer if you prefer them softer.
Total prep time: 5 minutes
Sodium: trace amount naturally occuring in asparagus and lemon
Cook time: 5 minutes
Both of these are delicious with any meat or fish you are fixing, and are quick, easy and healthy!! They also are great leftover, especially eaten chilled.
Enjoy!!
It's getting to be bbq season (although some of us diehards use the bbq year-round), so I thought I'd share a little of what we are cooking tonight:
I grabbed some fresh zucchini and yellow squash, and washed them really well. Cut the ends off, then sliced them lengthwise as best as possible. I usually end up with oval slices, because the squash is never perfectly straight or round. I placed them in a glass dish, then spritzed them with Wishbone Salad Spritzers "Balsamic Breeze". Ten squirts is only 130mg of sodium, and I used less than that for two zucchini and two squash. If you REALLY want to cut the sodium, use balsamic vinegar from the bottle, as most brands have zero mg of sodium--just go light--you don't want too much because it can get over-powering. I added some garlic pepper, then tossed it all to distribute the vinegar and pepper.
The best way to cook them is on the grill, but if you don't have one, or don't want to mess with it, or it's raining...you can use a skillet on the stove. We use a wire basket on the grill (spray it with Pam first) and cook them until slightly browned. Don't cook very long or they'll get mushy! Five to eight minutes is plenty.
Total prep time: 5 minutes
Sodium: 0mg to 130mg, depending on vinegar
Cook time: less than 10 minutes
Another favorite is grilled asparagus. Buy fresh asparagus (or harvest your own if you are lucky enough!) and rinse well. Don't cut the bottoms off!! Instead, just snap them off with your hands. This will usually get rid of the tough, chewy part. We try to get the skinniest asparagus we can find, by the way. Place them in a glass dish and drizzle with some fresh lemon, then toss with garlic pepper. Again, you can cook these on medium to high heat in a skillet with some Pam and one little pat of unsalted butter. As they are cooking, keep rolling them so they don't burn in the butter--these will cook in 3-4 minutes! Or on the grill again, but be careful they don't slip through the slots--Mike puts them on crossways, and just for a few minutes. You'll know they are done when they get bright green in color. Cook a little longer if you prefer them softer.
Total prep time: 5 minutes
Sodium: trace amount naturally occuring in asparagus and lemon
Cook time: 5 minutes
Both of these are delicious with any meat or fish you are fixing, and are quick, easy and healthy!! They also are great leftover, especially eaten chilled.
Enjoy!!
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