500 Low Sodium Recipes (11 page)

If you can’t find salt-free granola in your local store, it’s not difficult to make. You can use this as either cold or hot cereal or in other recipes like muffins and cookies. It also makes a good topping for fruit or yogurt (or ice cream). It does tend to get stale, though, so if you can’t use it all in a couple weeks, keep it in a plastic bag in the freezer.

6 cups (480 g) quick-cooking oats

1 ½ cups (168 g) wheat germ

1 cup unsalted nuts

1 cup dried fruit

1 cup (225 g) sunflower seeds, unsalted

½ cup (35 g) coconut

½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil

½ cup (170 g) honey

¼ cup (85 g) molasses

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract

2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients. Bake in an ungreased 13 × 9-inch (33 × 23-cm) pan at 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool. Stir until crumbled.

Store in an airtight container.

Yield:
22 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
7 g water; 353 calories (38% from fat, 12% from protein, 50% from carb); 11 g protein; 15 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 7 g polyunsaturated fat; 45 g carb; 7 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 46 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
5 mg sodium
; 407 mg potassium; 3 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

Yes, you can make your own mayonnaise. I came across a page with recipes and decided to try it, since the author did not make all the usual claims about how careful you had to be or it wouldn’t emulsify, etc. I have to say that it worked well and wasn’t difficult at all. And the flavor was great, perfect with fresh tomatoes. The other good news is that even though the fat content is as high as commercial mayo, the sodium is well below anything that I can find here locally. Although most recipes call for whole eggs or egg yolks, egg substitute can be used successfully instead. This avoids the issue of potential salmonella poisoning with raw eggs. If you prefer, you can also look for eggs that have been irradiated, making them safe to eat raw.

1 egg, or ¼ cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 cup (235 ml) corn oil

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice

Place everything but the oil and lemon juice in the blender or food processor container. Process 5 seconds in the blender or 15 seconds in the processor. With the motor running, add the oil, first in a drizzle, then in a thin, steady stream. When all the oil has been added, stop the motor and taste. Add lemon juice to your taste. If the sauce is too thick, thin with hot water or lemon juice. If too thin, process a little longer.

Yield:
20 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
4 g water; 101 calories (98% from fat, 1% from protein, 1% from carb); 0 g protein; 11 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 6 g polyunsaturated fat; 0 g carb; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 2 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
4 mg sodium
; 7 mg potassium; 15 IU vitamin A; 1 mg vitamin C; 12 mg cholesterol

Sweet, bread and butter–style pickles. You can also add other vegetables if you like.

1 cup (135 g) cucumber, cubed

1 onion, sliced

½ cup (130 g) carrot, sliced

½ cup (60 g) red bell pepper, cubed

1 cup (150 g) cauliflower, cut up

½ cup zucchini, cubed

½ cup (35 g) broccoli, cut up

1 ¼ cups (295 ml) cider vinegar

1 ¼ cups (250 g) sugar

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon mustard seed

½ teaspoon celery seed

Slice chilled vegetables. Cover and refrigerate. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, and spices. Heat to boiling. Add cucumber mixture. Heat 2 to 3 minutes. Chill and serve. May be stored in the refrigerator for 1 month. For longer storage, sterilize 2 pint jars. Pack hot pickles to within 1/2 inch (4 cm) of top. Wipe off rim, screw on top, and place in Dutch oven or other deep pan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.

Yield:
32 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
26 g water; 38 calories (2% from fat, 3% from protein, 96% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 10 g carb; 0 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 6 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
3 mg sodium
; 45 mg potassium; 317 IU vitamin A; 6 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

These make a very good salt-free pickle. They are sweeter than a traditional dill pickle, but not as sweet as most bread and butter recipes. The best part is they are never “cooked” so they stay nice and crispy.

2 cups (400 g) sugar

2 cups (475 ml) white wine vinegar

1 ½ cups (355 ml) red wine vinegar

1 ½ cups (355 ml) cider vinegar

4 tablespoons (12 g) dill weed

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons (4 g) celery seed

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon turmeric

5 cucumbers, sliced

Combine all ingredients except cucumbers. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Put cucumbers in jars and pour liquid over. Put lids on and store in refrigerator. Will keep for up to 9 months.

Yield:
36 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
71 g water; 56 calories (1% from fat, 2% from protein, 96% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 15 g carb; 0 g fiber; 14 g sugar; 17 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
2 mg sodium
; 111 mg potassium; 64 IU vitamin A; 1 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

Low sodium dill pickles are more difficult to make than sweet pickles. The salt solution they are typically soaked in helps to keep the pickles crisp. The overnight soaking in cold water helps to solve this problem. I’ve also found that using small whole pickling cucumbers gives you a crisper pickle than sliced cucumbers. You can always slice them for your favorite sandwiches when you serve them.

12 small cucumbers

1 tablespoon (6.5 g) dill seed

1 teaspoon whole pickling spice

2 cloves garlic

¾ teaspoon alum

2 ½ cups (570 ml) water

1 ½ cups (355 ml) cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Rinse cucumbers and soak overnight in cold water. Dry and place in a sterilized quart jar. Add dill, pickling spice, garlic, and alum to the jar. In a saucepan, heat water, vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Pour boiling liquid into jar to within 1/2 inch (1 1/4 cm) of the top. Put lids on and store in refrigerator. Keep at least 2 weeks before serving.

Yield:
12 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
364 g water; 56 calories (5% from fat, 12% from protein, 83% from carb); 2 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 14 g carb; 2 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 60 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
7 mg sodium
; 481 mg potassium; 316 IU vitamin A; 9 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

This makes a good-size batch of chutney to last you all winter. If you’d rather not go the canning and water bath route, make a smaller batch and store in the refrigerator, where it should keep for several months. It adds a nice spicy-sweet flavor to your curry dishes without adding anywhere near the amount of sodium in commercial chutneys.

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon allspice, whole

1 teaspoon cloves, whole

1 teaspoon peppercorns, whole

6 cups zucchini, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

6 cups (960 g) onion, chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 ½ cups (340 g) brown sugar

4 cups (940 ml) cider vinegar

Put mustard seed, allspice, whole cloves, and peppercorns on a square of cheesecloth; gather up edges and tie with string. In a large saucepan, combine zucchini, cheesecloth bag, bell pepper, onion, turmeric, ground cloves, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove and discard cheesecloth bag. Stir chutney and ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch (0.64 cm) of head space. Wipe rims clean. Adjust lids according to manufacturer’s instructions. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from boiling water. Cool, label, and store. Let stand for 4 weeks before serving.

Yield:
96 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
27 g water; 21 calories (2% from fat, 4% from protein, 94% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 5 g carb; 0 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 8 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
3 mg sodium
; 62 mg potassium; 65 IU vitamin A; 5 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

Useful for making hummus and other Greek and Middle Eastern recipes.

2 tablespoons (16 g) sesame seeds

½ cup (120 ml) sesame oil

¼ cup (60 ml) water, tepid

Blend sesame seeds in a blender and grind until smooth. Add sesame oil, then slowly add water while blending. Blend until completely smooth.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
7 g water; 120 calories (100% from fat, 0% from protein, 0% from carb); 0 g protein; 14 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 6 g polyunsaturated fat; 0 g carb; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 0 mg calcium; 0 mg iron; 0 mg sodium; 0 mg potassium; 0 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

Looking for a way to truly amaze your friends? Throw a party and have a table full of these appetizers, then tell them that they are all low sodium. They won’t believe you. Or maybe just please your family with some warm, flavorful, sodium-free tortilla or potato chips. These recipes prove that you can have low sodium snacks that taste good.

An almost traditional Buffalo wings recipe. These are not deep fried, but cooked in the oven, reducing the amount of fat while still allowing them to get crispy. McIlhenny’s Original Tabasco Sauce is the lowest-sodium hot pepper sauce that I’ve seen in local groceries. It has only 30 mg per teaspoon, while most of the others have 5 to 10 times that.

24 chicken wings

3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) white vinegar

Cut off and discard the small tip of each wing. Cut the main wing bone and second wing bone at the joint. Place in a roasting pan and roast in 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) oven until crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Melt butter in small saucepan; add the hot pepper sauce and vinegar. Place wings in a large bowl with a tight-sealing cover. Pour butter mixture over the wings and shake to coat. Remove wings, allowing extra sauce to drain.

Yield:
16 servings (3 wing peices per serving)

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
17 g water; 59 calories (58% from fat, 41% from protein, 1% from carb); 6 g protein; 4 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 0 g carb; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 4 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
35 mg sodium
; 47 mg potassium; 122 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 22 mg cholesterol

These tasty potato skins are lower in fat than the “original” version because they are baked and not fried.

4 potatoes

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons coriander

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6). Bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Remove the potatoes from the oven, but keep the oven on. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and let them cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out most of the potato flesh, leaving about ¼ inch (0.64 cm) of flesh against the potato skin (you can save the potato flesh for another use, like mashed potatoes). Cut each potato half crosswise into 3 pieces. Place the olive oil in a small cup. Dip each potato piece into the olive oil and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the spices and sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes. Bake the potato skins for 15 minutes or until they are crispy and brown.

Yield:
24 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
39 g water; 64 calories (32% from fat, 6% from protein, 62% from carb); 1 g protein; 2 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 10 g carb; 1 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 6 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
3 mg sodium
; 171 mg potassium; 51 IU vitamin A; 4 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

This makes a nice dip for entertaining. While it isn’t very low in sodium, it’s low enough that you can join your guests in having some. Spinach has more natural sodium than most vegetables. I thought I could save some by using fresh instead of frozen, but it doesn’t make a significant difference. Most of the sodium comes from the cheeses, and you could reduce them and still have something that tastes good. Also, the amount of sodium in cream cheese and sour cream varies by brand and type, so read the labels carefully.

6 ounces (170 g) frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 ounces (55 g) cream cheese

½ cup (115 g) sour cream

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons (10 g) Parmesan cheese, grated