Shake the Salt Habit

Shake the Salt Habit

October 2002
Volume II, Number 4

When preparing dinner for family or friends, you don't need to have two menus--one low-sodium and one regular. Many low-sodium recipes are quite tasty and should please most everyone. Here are some helpful hints for low-sodium entertaining from Dr. Myron Weinberger's Shake the Habit--A Practical Guide for Reducing Your Sodium Intake.

• Main dishes: For dinners and buffets, offer entrees like roast turkey, baked or broiled salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, and trout.

• Vegetables: A platter of low-sodium fresh vegetables such as broccoli buds, mushrooms, red pepper wedges, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes and onion rings makes a tasty side dish whether freshly steamed or stirfried.

• Low-Sodium Sauces: Use tangy sauces made with sour cream, plain yogurt, or unsalted tomato sauce in place of salted canned soups, bouillon cubes, or salted tomato sauces. Add herbs and spices to perk up tangy sauces.

• Low-Sodium Potatoes: Baked, unsalted, butter-browned, or parsley potatoes can take the place of potatoes with cheese sauces, which are usually high in sodium.

• Salads: Salads can be a delicious low-sodium addition to a meal. You might want to serve a tossed green salad using a variety of lettuce and salad greens and served with oil and vinegar dressing. Also tasty are fresh fruit and gelatin fruit salads.

• Desserts: Low-sodium ideas include parfaits using fruit sherbets or sorbets and fresh fruits. Also consider cherries jubilee, glazed bananas or peach melba.

SEASONINGS HIGH IN SODIUM

Celery flakes, seed, salt
Chili sauce
Horseradish, prepared with salt
Ketchup
Lemon pepper
Meat extracts
Meat sauces
Meat tenderizers
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Mustard, prepared
Parsley flakes
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce