DASH diet and looking for some recipes

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  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    You could grab some potassium salt (which does not contain any sodium) to use sparingly if you miss that salty flavour. Just make sure to keep your dosage in the healthy range for potassium.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    I adore fresh coriander in salads and other dishes.
    Cumin is delightful in a lot of dishes - I add to taste, we are all different.
    Garlic, garlic, garlic.

    I love garlic so we are stocking up on it (we buy the frozen, cubes ready minces).
    elphie754 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    So frustrated. Usually I have low blood pressure , so imagine my surprise when I end up with pre-eclampsia during my pregnancy and post partum pre-eclampsia. Even with medication (we are already discussing increasing it) my b/p is still ridiculously high-yes I am under a physicians care already.

    I asked my OB of maybe the DASH diet would help my pressure. She said it might, but because the b/pbisbrelated to hormones etc, that it may not make that much of a difference. However, this point, I'm willing to try anything that might make a difference.

    I am the type that used to pour salt on everything, even if naturally salty. My fear is I will find foods too bland and not enjoyable when I eliminate the salt. Looking for some suggestions/recipes for food that won't be bland (like DASH friendly herbs/spices) and maybe some new recipes to try. It has to be wheat, barley, oat and gluten free.

    You don't need to change what you already eat, just use spices instead of salt to add flavor.

    I was asking for spice suggestions.....

    Another tasty variant is a salt-free lemon pepper seasoning. It's lovely on chicken and fish, and the lemon is zingy enough to not need salt.

    As in just mixing a fresh squeezed lemon with some pepper? Or it's an actual name of a spice?

    Oh, you can find an actual mix (many have salt though so you need to check) which is basically finely ground dehydrated lemon zest and ground black pepper. You can make your own with a bunch of lemon zest and a dehydrator, if you have one. The zest has a heaps of flavour and its a dry seasoning.

    We don't have a dehydrator but I want one lol.



    You don't actually need a dehydrator to dry lemon zest. Then again, knowing you, it might be safer than oven/microwave methods:

    Oven:
    https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-dry-a-lemon-peel/

    Good old air drying:
    http://www.food.com/recipe/how-to-dry-citrus-zest-lemon-orange-lime-grapefruit-462025

    Microwave:
    http://ifood.tv/storage/170502-how-to-dry-a-lemon-peel

    For spices, it's usually a matter of trying to find what you like. For example I love thyme, rosemary and sage but hate coriander.

    Honestly, spend some time in the spice isle of your local supermarket and pick a spice that appeals to you. Then start experimenting to see if and in which dishes you like it. (It's best to try only one at a time... :wink: )

    Lol!!!!!

    I haven't been able to do the grocery shopping yet so relying on SOs to do it. Male SO goes tomorrow for our weekly large grocery trip. Will ask Him to browse for me. Just hope he doesn't come home with some weird combination or rare international cuisine spice that almost no one has heard of/can't find use for in a recipe).

    Yikes... maybe specify to keep it simple to start with? Then again, the weird/fancy stuff is usually so expensive that I think I'd rather go have a tooth pulled than spend the money on that. :tongue:

    I'm hoping your SO will be 'sensible', also where prices are concerned.

    Because with spices, it truly is a bit of a trying out things to see what you like. If you find spices you like, try and invest in a mortar and pestle, grinding the spices a bit before use tends to make the aroma more intense.

    Some of my favorites:

    Rosemary with potatoes (mashed potatoes with some ground, dried rosemary in it is just delish)
    Cinnamon on chicken breast (was an accident and I loved it! I was reaching for the paprika :wink: )
    Thyme with carrots (cook the carrots, rub the dried thyme between your fingers to release the aroma and put over the carrots)
    Sage on chicken breast (also really as a tea when you have a sore throat).
    Basil and oregano in tomato sauce (I gave up using the fresh one, ways too expensive and the stupid plants kept on dying on me. So I buy dried, rub it between the fingers before adding to the sauce).

    My mom and I had to learn to cook low in salt for my dad (he has radically too high BP and tends to tachycardia). That's how we started just experimenting around with the spices and herbs. At first it's hard, especially if you're used to a high salt diet. So my suggestion: dial down the amount slowly (over several days) or your taste buds will hate you. Going low sodium from one day to the next is a recipe for hating the food you're eating.

    Good luck!

    Luckily he came home with some relatively normal spices: rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and a steak rub.

    Trying to do this slowly. Starting with cutting out added salt and then once I do well there, will start to cut out high sodium foods.
    zyxst wrote: »
    You will probably find food bland/blah without the salt. I've heard that from people who eat salty/salt everything then have to go low sodium. I grew up with my dad ordered to go low sodium/no salt, so I'm used to not having salt on food.

    I used a lot of black pepper mostly for the heat. For non-heat but need something, I'll use Mrs. Dash. For SW/Tex-Mex foods, I use sriracha sauce.

    Hope your bp goes back to normal because a life without salt kinda sucks donkey.

    I agree
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    I don't know if this will work for your BP plan, but I use "Lite Salt" which is about half potassium and half salt.
    My husband uses "No Salt" which is all potassium. Should be available next to regular salt.
    I don't know if this will work for your BP plan, but I use "Lite Salt" which is about half potassium and half salt.
    My husband uses "No Salt" which is all potassium. Should be available next to regular salt.

    Will look for this.
    I grew up in a salt overloaded household but barely use any now. You will adjust to the flavour. I think the only thing I need a bit more than I usually would is on fries! Because fries but it's still a low amount comparatively.

    You probably won't return to using as much once the baby related BP issues resolve (which hopefully they will).

    As for spices, if you like curry flavours, even mild, then there's a plethora of combinations you will find online and due to the intensity of flavours little salt would be required. And Moroccan, Mexican. All those nations that use spices over salts to get flavour into their dishes.

    Have never really had curry, but willing to try.
    Steph38878 wrote: »
    Mrs Dash spices mixes are salt free and has a such a wide variety...

    Unfortunately I have had allergy issues with mrs dash before with cross contamination.
    It's funny, I need salt (I'm on a medication that lowers my blood sodium level) and I don't have much taste for it on my food. I usually drink broth to get the sodium I need since my husband has high BP and I don't really cook with it.

    I'm a big fan of the Mrs. Dash line, even though I could mix my own herbs and spices, they just save room in my spice cabinet. They are made on clean lines, but in a facility that also processes wheat elsewhere. However, I'm a very sensitive celiac, and I've never had a reaction to them. Their table blends are lovely for adding on top of food after cooking when you'd shake on salt.

    I have had reactions to them in the past because of the wheat contamination.
    toxikon wrote: »
    You could grab some potassium salt (which does not contain any sodium) to use sparingly if you miss that salty flavour. Just make sure to keep your dosage in the healthy range for potassium.

    Going to look for this.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
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    It's funny, I need salt (I'm on a medication that lowers my blood sodium level) and I don't have much taste for it on my food. I usually drink broth to get the sodium I need since my husband has high BP and I don't really cook with it.

    I'm a big fan of the Mrs. Dash line, even though I could mix my own herbs and spices, they just save room in my spice cabinet. They are made on clean lines, but in a facility that also processes wheat elsewhere. However, I'm a very sensitive celiac, and I've never had a reaction to them. Their table blends are lovely for adding on top of food after cooking when you'd shake on salt.

    Thank you for this info. While I don't have to worry about gluten contamination, I have wanted to try Mrs. Dash and wasn't sure if there was added salt (I was pretty sure it didn't but lazily did not check it out). I'd like to use it for cooking and let the family add salt as they need to (I have one that also has low sodium levels so uses lots of salt). Just hadn't found a good flavorful substitute for cooking with salt. Going to check these out.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    edited March 2017
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    I adore fresh coriander in salads and other dishes.
    Cumin is delightful in a lot of dishes - I add to taste, we are all different.
    Garlic, garlic, garlic.

    I love garlic so we are stocking up on it (we buy the frozen, cubes ready minces).
    elphie754 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    So frustrated. Usually I have low blood pressure , so imagine my surprise when I end up with pre-eclampsia during my pregnancy and post partum pre-eclampsia. Even with medication (we are already discussing increasing it) my b/p is still ridiculously high-yes I am under a physicians care already.

    I asked my OB of maybe the DASH diet would help my pressure. She said it might, but because the b/pbisbrelated to hormones etc, that it may not make that much of a difference. However, this point, I'm willing to try anything that might make a difference.

    I am the type that used to pour salt on everything, even if naturally salty. My fear is I will find foods too bland and not enjoyable when I eliminate the salt. Looking for some suggestions/recipes for food that won't be bland (like DASH friendly herbs/spices) and maybe some new recipes to try. It has to be wheat, barley, oat and gluten free.

    You don't need to change what you already eat, just use spices instead of salt to add flavor.

    I was asking for spice suggestions.....

    Another tasty variant is a salt-free lemon pepper seasoning. It's lovely on chicken and fish, and the lemon is zingy enough to not need salt.

    As in just mixing a fresh squeezed lemon with some pepper? Or it's an actual name of a spice?

    Oh, you can find an actual mix (many have salt though so you need to check) which is basically finely ground dehydrated lemon zest and ground black pepper. You can make your own with a bunch of lemon zest and a dehydrator, if you have one. The zest has a heaps of flavour and its a dry seasoning.

    We don't have a dehydrator but I want one lol.



    You don't actually need a dehydrator to dry lemon zest. Then again, knowing you, it might be safer than oven/microwave methods:

    Oven:
    https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-dry-a-lemon-peel/

    Good old air drying:
    http://www.food.com/recipe/how-to-dry-citrus-zest-lemon-orange-lime-grapefruit-462025

    Microwave:
    http://ifood.tv/storage/170502-how-to-dry-a-lemon-peel

    For spices, it's usually a matter of trying to find what you like. For example I love thyme, rosemary and sage but hate coriander.

    Honestly, spend some time in the spice isle of your local supermarket and pick a spice that appeals to you. Then start experimenting to see if and in which dishes you like it. (It's best to try only one at a time... :wink: )

    Lol!!!!!

    I haven't been able to do the grocery shopping yet so relying on SOs to do it. Male SO goes tomorrow for our weekly large grocery trip. Will ask Him to browse for me. Just hope he doesn't come home with some weird combination or rare international cuisine spice that almost no one has heard of/can't find use for in a recipe).
    Have him look for some of the Mrs Dash blends. They are all salt free, and none too out there. :)

    Looks like someone already suggested them. But they were some of the first "salt replacement" blends to come out. Trader Joe's has one called 21 season salute, but it's more heavy on the celery than I like, but some people love it. Penzeys has a lot of salt free blends, but unless there is a store near you, you will have to order online.
  • Paco4gsc
    Paco4gsc Posts: 119 Member
    Options
    The Rinaldi brand of pasta sauce has a no-salt added version. You can definitely taste a difference compared to other sodium-heavy sauces, but I actually prefer it. It's not really bland due to the lack of salt. Instead, it comes off more tangy and sweet than typical sauces. I'll tend to use it more as a base and add vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, onions, and peppers, which come out more flavor-wise without the overwhelming presence of salt.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Options
    cmtigger wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    I adore fresh coriander in salads and other dishes.
    Cumin is delightful in a lot of dishes - I add to taste, we are all different.
    Garlic, garlic, garlic.

    I love garlic so we are stocking up on it (we buy the frozen, cubes ready minces).
    elphie754 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    So frustrated. Usually I have low blood pressure , so imagine my surprise when I end up with pre-eclampsia during my pregnancy and post partum pre-eclampsia. Even with medication (we are already discussing increasing it) my b/p is still ridiculously high-yes I am under a physicians care already.

    I asked my OB of maybe the DASH diet would help my pressure. She said it might, but because the b/pbisbrelated to hormones etc, that it may not make that much of a difference. However, this point, I'm willing to try anything that might make a difference.

    I am the type that used to pour salt on everything, even if naturally salty. My fear is I will find foods too bland and not enjoyable when I eliminate the salt. Looking for some suggestions/recipes for food that won't be bland (like DASH friendly herbs/spices) and maybe some new recipes to try. It has to be wheat, barley, oat and gluten free.

    You don't need to change what you already eat, just use spices instead of salt to add flavor.

    I was asking for spice suggestions.....

    Another tasty variant is a salt-free lemon pepper seasoning. It's lovely on chicken and fish, and the lemon is zingy enough to not need salt.

    As in just mixing a fresh squeezed lemon with some pepper? Or it's an actual name of a spice?

    Oh, you can find an actual mix (many have salt though so you need to check) which is basically finely ground dehydrated lemon zest and ground black pepper. You can make your own with a bunch of lemon zest and a dehydrator, if you have one. The zest has a heaps of flavour and its a dry seasoning.

    We don't have a dehydrator but I want one lol.



    You don't actually need a dehydrator to dry lemon zest. Then again, knowing you, it might be safer than oven/microwave methods:

    Oven:
    https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-dry-a-lemon-peel/

    Good old air drying:
    http://www.food.com/recipe/how-to-dry-citrus-zest-lemon-orange-lime-grapefruit-462025

    Microwave:
    http://ifood.tv/storage/170502-how-to-dry-a-lemon-peel

    For spices, it's usually a matter of trying to find what you like. For example I love thyme, rosemary and sage but hate coriander.

    Honestly, spend some time in the spice isle of your local supermarket and pick a spice that appeals to you. Then start experimenting to see if and in which dishes you like it. (It's best to try only one at a time... :wink: )

    Lol!!!!!

    I haven't been able to do the grocery shopping yet so relying on SOs to do it. Male SO goes tomorrow for our weekly large grocery trip. Will ask Him to browse for me. Just hope he doesn't come home with some weird combination or rare international cuisine spice that almost no one has heard of/can't find use for in a recipe).
    Have him look for some of the Mrs Dash blends. They are all salt free, and none too out there. :)

    Looks like someone already suggested them. But they were some of the first "salt replacement" blends to come out. Trader Joe's has one called 21 season salute, but it's more heavy on the celery than I like, but some people love it. Penzeys has a lot of salt free blends, but unless there is a store near you, you will have to order online.

    As stated before, I can't do Mrs Dash due to cross contamination issues.
    Paco4gsc wrote: »
    The Rinaldi brand of pasta sauce has a no-salt added version. You can definitely taste a difference compared to other sodium-heavy sauces, but I actually prefer it. It's not really bland due to the lack of salt. Instead, it comes off more tangy and sweet than typical sauces. I'll tend to use it more as a base and add vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, onions, and peppers, which come out more flavor-wise without the overwhelming presence of salt.

    Will check to see if it is safe.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    This is a low sodium cooking site that I use. I really like the curry chicken and the kung pao.

    http://thedailydish.us/

    Unfortunately...food will taste bland if you are used to salt. I have found that "spicy" is the easiest way to avoid the blandness. I use a lot of red pepper flakes...also cumin, curry, tumeric, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and dry mustard. I have lots of others but these are the ones that I use most often.

    Here is another site that you might get ideas from...

    http://www.sodiumgirl.com/
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Options
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    This is a low sodium cooking site that I use. I really like the curry chicken and the kung pao.

    http://thedailydish.us/

    Unfortunately...food will taste bland if you are used to salt. I have found that "spicy" is the easiest way to avoid the blandness. I use a lot of red pepper flakes...also cumin, curry, tumeric, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and dry mustard. I have lots of others but these are the ones that I use most often.

    Here is another site that you might get ideas from...

    http://www.sodiumgirl.com/

    Thank you
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Options
    Thank you all for the suggestions. Unfortunately for now I had to increase the dose of medication. Oh well.

    I did pick up some "no salt" but haven't right it yet. Tonight I put low sodium, gluten free duck sauce on our veggies instead of salt. It was amazing!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    @elphie754 just wanted to give the 4 of you a congratulatory ((( <3 ))).
    I missed the announcement thread.

    Cheers, h.
    Sorry I can't help you with the salt thing, I don't use it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Some awesome suggestions here! When I went no-salt for a month I found that my veggies had to be fresh and in top form if there was no salt to hide the flaws. My tastes switched to stronger flavoured veggies like parsnips.

    Some other spice suggestions, Cumin for Mexican dishes, Garam Masala for Indian, and Five Spice for Chinese.

    When I wanted a hearty and spicy winter dish, this is what I craved. Simply eliminate the salt and it will be tasty enough.

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/02/curried-red-lentil-and-pumpkin-soup/
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    Oh, and pepper! Black, white, and paprika. Try smoked Paprika too.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Options
    @elphie754 just wanted to give the 4 of you a congratulatory ((( <3 ))).
    I missed the announcement thread.

    Cheers, h.
    Sorry I can't help you with the salt thing, I don't use it.
    Thank you!!

    jgnatca wrote: »
    Some awesome suggestions here! When I went no-salt for a month I found that my veggies had to be fresh and in top form if there was no salt to hide the flaws. My tastes switched to stronger flavoured veggies like parsnips.

    Some other spice suggestions, Cumin for Mexican dishes, Garam Masala for Indian, and Five Spice for Chinese.

    When I wanted a hearty and spicy winter dish, this is what I craved. Simply eliminate the salt and it will be tasty enough.

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/02/curried-red-lentil-and-pumpkin-soup/

    We have been ordering more and more from Ann online delivery service that only stocks locally in season fruits/veggies. Their produce has been amazing so I have found I don't really miss the salt on veggies.