Low-Sodium Recipes and Hints

[Columbia, MD]

I'm going to start this thread with one recipe. Many people want or need to watch their sodium intake for health reasons, or to prevent hypertension and its complications. With the mods' advice, this thread is only for this subject. Mods suggest if someone wants to post on a gluten-free subject, or low fat, or whatever, to start another thread.

This recipe is from "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt." I bought this book 42 yrs. ago when pregnant with my first child. You can still get it from amazon. This is a delicious soup; my husband, who is a salatholic, eats this just as it comes out of the pot. It also freezes very well.

TOMATO SOUP

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
1 28-oz can low-sodium tomatoes (available in Trader Joe's)
2 tbsp white wine
1/4 tsp ground dill
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp chopped dried parsley
1 tbsp sour cream (optional)

Saute onion in butter or margarine until tender. Put tomatoes (not juice) in blender or food processor to break up the pieces. Add tomatoes, juice and other ingredients except sour cream to pot. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Pour into serving dishes and top with sour cream, if desired.

142 calories and 22 mg. sodium per serving.

[Google]

 

[Ellen]

Thank you for posting this recipe; it sounds delicious, and I'll be trying it soon. However, instead of canned tomatoes, I plan on using either fresh tomatoes (organic, from the farmers' market) or in a vacuum-packed box (also available at TJ's) -- canned tomatoes . . . acid . . . chemicals from the coating on the metal cans . . . uhhh, not so good according to recent reports which you've all likely seen already.

[Columbia, MD]

Originally Posted by Ellen

Thank you for posting this recipe; it sounds delicious, and I'll be trying it soon. However, instead of canned tomatoes, I plan on using either fresh tomatoes (organic, from the farmers' market) or in a vacuum-packed box (also available at TJ's) -- canned tomatoes . . . acid . . . chemicals from the coating on the metal cans . . . uhhh, not so good according to recent reports which you've all likely seen already.

Ellen -- Are these tomatoes in the produce section? I've never seen them in my TJs....or I just overlooked them. Thanks. I will also be putting hints on here. I have CKD and it is critical for me to have a low sodium intake. I bet we will pick some others on the way.

P.S. Would you be skinning the tomatoes or leaving the skin on them?

[Ellen]

Originally Posted by Columbia, MD

Ellen -- Are these tomatoes in the produce section? I've never seen them in my TJs....or I just overlooked them.

Oops! I was thinking of the boxed "starter sauce" that I get in the section with the jarred pasta sauces and canned tomatoes.

The product (Pomi brand) I was thinking of is one that I get at the "plain ol' regular" (IGA) supermarket; they have it on the shelf above the organic canned tomatoes.
This is also in a shelf-stable box:
Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
(no artificial flavour, no preservatives, no water added, no citric acid, no sodium added)
According to the label on the box, there are only 10mg sodium per half-cup serving. The only ingredient listed is "tomatoes." It's a great go-to when good ripe tomatoes are lacking for whatever reason.

As to your question about skins on or off when I use fresh tomatoes? I usually leave 'em on because I like the tomatoes chunky, so I don't find it really necessary to remove the skins. But if I were making the soup smooth or puréed, I'd remove the skins.

[myrosiedog]

Is it true that using sea salt is better and takes less then table salt or kosher? I use kosher salt mostly and not much of that.

Also, Columbia, make sure you are getting iodine. My mother went on a low sodium diet and years later developed a goiter because she had quit using iodized salt and wasn't getting enough iodine.

[Columbia, MD]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Is it true that using sea salt is better and takes less then table salt or kosher? I use kosher salt mostly and not much of that.

Also, Columbia, make sure you are getting iodine. My mother went on a low sodium diet and years later developed a goiter because she had quit using iodized salt and wasn't getting enough iodine.

Hi -- I'm on a low sodium diet due to kidney disease. I have no idea which salt is better because I cannot use any of them. I heard, however, that sea salt has less sodium. But don't really know. I do not cook with salt, put it on my food, or use it in recipes when it's called for. Part of the "drill" of this disease. And of course I read labels like a madwoman. I try to keep under 1500 mg. a day.

Thanks for the hint about the iodine. I shall feed that to google and find out as much as I can. Appreciate your response.

[TripleGemini]

Is it true that using sea salt is better and takes less then table salt or kosher? I use kosher salt mostly and not much of that.

All salts are...well...salty ;-) But because of the difference in crystal size, you need more kosher or sea salt to get the same amount of sodium as you'd get from table salt.

I also have CKD, but unlike Columbia, I cook with salt. I primarily use kosher salt, and very little...for example, when I make spaghetti sauce or chili, I only use a pinch or two. (A teaspoon of kosher salt contains 1120mg of sodium, so 1/4 tsp has under 300 mg, and that's for the entire pot.)

Also, Columbia, make sure you are getting iodine. My mother went on a low sodium diet and years later developed a goiter because she had quit using iodized salt and wasn't getting enough iodine.

I've been low sodium for over 30 years. In June, I had half my thyroid removed because of a goiter (they originally found it on a chest x-ray...it was kinda big ;-) ). I thought I'd been getting enough iodine...what we did realize after the goiter was found was that everyone was so busy trying to keep up with my kidneys and other health issues that no one remembered to physically check my thyroid. Oops ;-)

(And there's a goiter on the other side, too, that now everyone remembers to keep an eye on :-) )

[myrosiedog]

Interesting. I thought I had read that you use less kosher or sea salt than you do table salt and that's why you should cook with those.

[TripleGemini]

Interesting. I thought I had read that you use less kosher or sea salt than you do table salt and that's why you should cook with those.

Kosher and sea salt crystals are larger than table salt, so 1 tsp of either of the former contains less sodium than 1 tsp of the latter.

Part of the reason I use kosher salt for cooking is that it dissolves slower. (Well, that and Alton Brown says it's better ;-) )

[Columbia, MD]

Here's another recipe. Rhubarb is not everyone's favorite, I know.....

Rhubarb Sauce

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 1/4 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Pound cake or vanilla ice cream

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add rhubarb; cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon peel and nutmeg. Serve warm over pound cake or ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 1 1/4 cups. (If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander but do not press liquid out.)

For the sauce: 1/4 cup: 64 calories and 2 mg sodium. 16 g carbos.