Low Sodium Diet Journey - Part 4

Canned soups are notoriously high in sodium. With a little planning, soups can remain a quick and low sodium meal. Here are a few tips: 

• Start with a low sodium broth. I’ve found some cartooned broths (vegetable, chicken, beef) that are low sodium - but there are alternatives to consider like
  • ‘No Salt Added’ diced tomatoes
  • A watery smoothy of veggies previously frozen just before they went bad (i.e. never throw away wilted lettuce or carrots that have gotten too dry - freeze them until you make soup!)
  • A strong tea
  • Keep in mind that spices other than salt are welcome. There are a variety of ‘no salt’ blends too try. Some not traditional seasonings - like orange zest (make it yourself if you eat oranges!). Always keep garlic cloves on hand for soups.
  • Total up the sodium of your ingredients to make sure the finished soup will still be low sodium. Meat, dairy, and some vegetables (like mushrooms and celery) will all add sodium.
  • Sauté vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery prior to adding the broth and softer ingredients.
  • Putting whole grains in soups avoids the sodium of eating them as breads. My favorites are buckwheat groats and quinoa.
  • Always have homecooked beans (i.e. cooked without salt) beans in the freezer. They are a quick addition to just about any soup.
  • Sometimes leftovers can be turned into soup. For example - if you make low sodium spaghetti sauce, then make a tomato soup (add water and seasoning to taste, heat, sprinkle with parsley and stir in a dollop of sour cream). Or for leftover stir fry chicken with onion and peppers, add a veggie broth with seasons and buckwheat groats or quinoa. 

Previous Low Sodium Diet Journey posts are here.

Low Sodium Diet Journey - Part 2

How hard is it to consume 2 grams or less of sodium per day? I started out thinking it would be difficult when a low sodium diet was recommended for one of my family members but it has been easier than I anticipated. This is the second post in a series that documents our family’s ‘learning experience.’

Swiss cheese is generally lower in sodium that other type so of cheese.

Popcorn can be a low sodium snack using a hot air popper, unsalted butter and a no salt seasoning.

Bread is often high in sodium because salt and soda are part of the recipe for making bread. Watch portion sizes and begin making plans to get the nutrition of grains by including whole grains in soups or as a side dish (quinoa, bulgur wheat, brown rice, etc.)

Homemade soups can be made very simply with low salt broths and canned tomatoes broth can be made from scratch blending vegetables (put them in a blender with water) to make a robust broth - then adding chunks of vegetables and meat. Purchased broths that are low sodium tend to be in cartons rather than cans.

Realize that meat, eggs, and dairy are natural sources of sodium….even without added salt. Watch portion sizes. Highly salted meats like ham, bacon, or lunch meats can only be eaten in small portions - or not at all - on a low sodium diet.

Make your own salad dressing. Almost all the packaged dressings are very high. Try sour cream with milk and seasonings….or lemon juice and olive oil with seasonings….or different flavors of balsamic vinegar.

Canned beans almost always are high in sodium but cooking dried beans and freezing portions not used immediately can provide quick, low sodium additions to meals.

Previous Low Sodium Diet Journey posts are here.