Get the Salt Out (23 page)

In a bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the honey or apple juice concentrate, egg, and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until the batter is lump-free. Place a nonstick griddle over medium-high heat, and when it is hot, grease it with a small amount of the melted butter or oil. Ladle out a small amount of the batter and carefully pour it onto the griddle to form a pancake. If it is under 3 inches wide, add more batter; if it is larger, ladle on less batter for the other pancakes. When the batter bubbles lightly and the edges seem firm, flip the pancakes over with a spatula. Cook for another minute or so. Continue cooking the pancakes, greasing the griddle if it gets too dry and adjusting the heat if the pancakes seem to be cooking too quickly.
Makes sixteen to eighteen 3-inch-wide pancakes.

146
You also can skip baking powder and baking soda
altogether and use the natural leavening action of eggs to help foods like waffles rise. That’s exactly what Dr. Remington and
Barbara Higa did in this recipe from their book,
Back to Health. One Salt Shaker.

Whip the eggs and oil together in a blender until thoroughly mixed. Add warm milk, rolled oats, and salt and process in the blender until smooth. Place in a preheated, lightly oiled waffle iron and bake approximately 10 minutes.
Makes six 7-inch waffles.

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If toasting a frozen waffle is more your style than making waffles from scratch,
have on hand frozen waffles by Vans International, which you can find in health food stores. Van’s waffles are made with wholesome ingredients and are much lower in sodium than commercial brands. Two Vans Multi-Grain Toaster Waffles contain only 135 milligrams of sodium compared to 400 milligrams of sodium in two Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Multi-Grain Eggo’s.
One to Two Salt Shakers
(depending on the variety).

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Reach for very-low-sodium or sodium-free natural sweeteners to top pancakes
instead of artificially flavored pancake and waffle toppings. I never have been able to understand why salt is in pancake syrups anyway, but it often is—along with other sodium-containing additives. Remember, when in doubt, opt for the more natural choice. For pancake toppings, that means a small amount of 100 percent pure maple syrup or honey.
One Salt Shaker.

149
Better yet, top pancakes
with
unsweetened applesauce or fresh fruit.
These sweet toppings are much lower in sugar than maple syrup or honey, and they are rich in potassium and virtually sodium-free.
One Salt Shaker.

150
Make eggs without salt
or at least don’t add salt until after the eggs have cooked. Salt makes egg whites tough and will cause them to break up in poaching water. It also causes scrambled eggs to turn out drier and less fluffy than if they are made without salt.

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Enjoy a poached or hard-boiled egg with a dash of salt-free herbal seasoning
like The Spice Hunter All-Purpose Blend. (See tip 68.) If you’re concerned that eating the egg yolk is unhealthy, don’t be: it is one of the richest sources of pantothenic acid, a vitamin that promotes healthy adrenal function and, therefore, healthy sodium metabolism. In addition, though it contains some cholesterol, the yolk is high in lecithin, which is a cholesterol-lowering agent.
One Salt Shaker.

BONUS TIP:
If you have bitten into the common misconception that eggs should be avoided because of their cholesterol content, you should know that only one study has ever found eggs to be dangerous. That study was sponsored by the Cereal Institute, which had good reason to interest Americans in eating cereal for breakfast instead of eggs. It also was conducted using dried egg yolk powder instead of whole eggs. Dried egg yolk powder is much different from freshly cooked eggs because the fats in the yolk are altered during the drying process. The bottom line is that no studies have ever found an
increase in deaths from heart disease—or proven any other kinds of dangers—from eating freshly cooked eggs.