Pre-packaged rice/pasta....

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  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    Twinkies get stale after a week or two.

    Sodium isn't worth worrying about unless you have a medical issue.

    That's not entirely true...I didn't worry about it and it caused my medical issue. It's a lot easier to prevent the medical problems then to try and treat them after the fact.

    My sentiments exactly. I see a lot of people on here saying don't worry about the sodium, but as you said why put yourself in that position when it can be prevented beforehand. Sodium is not something to play with, it is and can be very dangerous.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    Some extra sodium won't negatively affect your weight loss.
    [/quote]

    Processed rice dishes like Rice-a-Roni go way beyond "some extra sodium ". Also, and this might be hard to believe, some people avoid salt for general health reasons and not just for weight loss.
    Often when people are new to MFP and have a pantry full of food from the " old " lifestyle they need to find a way to make some things healthier and washing off the salt is one way to do that. Not everyone can just go ahead and throw everything out, or donate it. I know I couldn't .
  • ShadowsVale
    ShadowsVale Posts: 21
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    Some extra sodium won't negatively affect your weight loss.

    Processed rice dishes like Rice-a-Roni go way beyond "some extra sodium ". Also, and this might be hard to believe, some people avoid salt for general health reasons and not just for weight loss.
    Often when people are new to MFP and have a pantry full of food from the " old " lifestyle they need to find a way to make some things healthier and washing off the salt is one way to do that. Not everyone can just go ahead and throw everything out, or donate it. I know I couldn't .
    [/quote]

    Thank you! I can't afford to throw out my food either. Thank you for understanding. And you're right. I'm not looking at the sodium in terms of weight loss.
  • gamagem
    gamagem Posts: 87 Member
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    I don't know about rinsing your rice or pasta dishes off, as I totally stopped eating those pre-packaged rice and noodles because of the sodium content. There are lots of recipes out there that you can try to make those dishes more palatable, I make my own beans and put them on top of my rice. Also try using zero sodium boullions with your water when you make the rice. If I can't find a zero sodium canned veggie, rinsing them helps. But I tend to eat fresh veggies. I don't have medical issues regarding sodium and don't ever want them. Same reason I watch artery clogging foods, I don't have heart issues, but don't want them either.
  • du4u02
    du4u02 Posts: 42
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    And I don't see monosodium glutamate (msg) as an ingredient on the handful of packages I just checked.

    Check to see if "natural flavors" is listed on the ingredients. MSG is sometimes labeled that way.
  • lovespinkflowers
    lovespinkflowers Posts: 7 Member
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    anything that is prepackaged is usually higher in sodium you should not have anymore than 1teaspoon of salt sodium a day. I would say it is not so much in the noodles and it is In the flavoring. if you eat just plain noodles that would work but it would not have any real flavor. I would say just do not eat it.. or make the same thing from scratch this way you know what goes in it.
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
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    One think I've done with pre-packaged foods like Knorr noodles or Rice a Roni dishes - I've added a bunch of veggies or chicken and converted them into a kind of hot dish or casserole in a skillet on the stove top. You'll be stuck with the sodium but it's now stretched out from 2 servings to 6-8 servings. There may even be leftovers for work the next day.

    Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and onions work well. Maybe cook up some more brown rice and mix it in. Throw in some chicken breast, pork loin or even tofu or fish. Add a little more moisture with low sodium chicken broth (I make my own broth with no added salt - it tastes pretty good). I've stirred in a little sour cream or greek yogurt to give it a creamy texture. Garbanzo or black beans are really tasty (drained and rinsed to reduce salt or better yet - use dried/soaked in water/cooked). If you have lost some flavor due to the "diluting of the rice/noodle package", add a little of the 21 seasonings salute from Trader Joe's - so much tastier than Mrs. Dash. Avoid adding cheese since it's high sodium. Knorr alfredo noodles with a bunch of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots is actually very tasty.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    And I don't see monosodium glutamate (msg) as an ingredient on the handful of packages I just checked.

    Check to see if "natural flavors" is listed on the ingredients. MSG is sometimes labeled that way.

    Also shows up as "yeast extract" and other things. "Hydrolyzed yeast extract" and "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" have large amounts of MSG.

    But it's just an amino acid. It's not some crazy chemical. It's the most abundant amino acid there is. Proteins are strings of amino acids. When you take a protein that has a lot of glutamic acid and hydrolyze it, you break it down into its component amino acids and produce glutamic acid. Your digestive system does the same thing. So any time you eat any protein, your body basically produces MSG out of it in your intestines.

    It's not a big deal.

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