low sodium low cal recipes wanted

susanpagegetsfit

Hi everyone,

Like many of you, I am trying to lose weight. Many of the recipes I find to be delicious yet low cal are very high in sodium (ie. use salsa, etc.). My husband needs to be on a very low sodium diet. Any recipe ideas that would work for both of us?

Your suggestions would be appreciated!

MysteriousMerlin

I don't so much have recipes, but I do purchase canned products that are labeled "no salt added", such as fire roasted tomatoes, or green beans. I've found black beans in the freezer section that are already cooked, but had no salt added to them.

Stay away from jarred pasta sauces (it's really easy to make your own simple spaghetti or alfredo sauces). There are a lot of packaged products that have reduced or low sodium varieties.

You mentioned salsa, and I've found that Paul Newman's brand Newman's Own salsa is rather low in sodium compared to other brands (115 mg per serving for the medium heat one)

I do NOT season meat before cooking, I do NOT salt pasta water or when I boil potatoes. I don't even keep a salt shaker on the table. It takes a while to get used to eating foods with less sodium, but I don't even notice it now.

If you're eating at a restaurant, order your protein & sides without seasoning, and stay away from sauces. Ask for salad dressings to be served on the side, and you may even want cheese or other toppings such as bacon bits to be left off or served on the side.

sudmom

Stick away from processed foods-What kind of recipes are you looking for? Dinner? Meat? Seafood?

susanpagegetsfit

Looking mostly for dinner ideas. Our family is not big on seafood, but basically anything else goes!

sudmom

Carmel apple Pork Chops-Sound WAY moe fattening then they are-Nuuum!

Ingredients:
4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

Directions


1.Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.
2.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
3.In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
4.Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

sudmom

Chicken Marsala-easy to make and you can sub another Red wine if you have something else on hand.


Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup Marsala wine
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup milk


Directions


1.Saute chicken in a large skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.
2.Add green onion and mushrooms and saute until soft, then add Marsala wine and bring to a boil.
3.Boil for 2 to 4 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cream and milk and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

susanpagegetsfit

caramel apple pork chops sounds REALLY good...mmmm caramel

ChampCrucial

Check out this link http://www.nashvillechew.org/healthy-snack-recipes-for-preschool-children.html

I haven't calculated the calories for them but they are simple. Let me know if any of these work for you.

rompydompy

Keep it simple... Meat, starch, veggie. Steam your veggies, if your sodium and caloric limits allow, put a half a tablespoon of butter, garlic lightly sauteed in olive oil, or a little cheese sauce on em. Have a whole grain roll, pasta with very light, very basic sauce that simply moistens it (pesto or EVOO and red pepper flakes, etc), or rice side, and a simple baked or grilled meat. My favorite dinner that tastes totally sinful but is incredibly low in "bad" stuff is Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken (chef at Bouchon in Las Vegas). Love this with some steamed fresh string beans (5 oz for 45 cals) topped with half a tablespoon of melted butter.

One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter
Dijon mustard
preparation

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper. (you can lessen the salt to suit your dietary needs, I use about half-- honestly, the flavor here comes from the bird roasting at such a high heat that the juices seal inside the meat).

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

I serve mine plain with just a smear of dijon on the side-- it is absolutely heavenly prepared this way. It's hot and spatters like crazy in the oven, but it's just so damn good, don't let it scare you!

This recipe is one of the most popular EVER on Epicurious, and there's good reason. It's one of my regular meals now!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Simple-Roast-Chicken-231348

Kate7294

Sudmom....I love chicken marsala. I was looking into a healthier way to make it. Read on another site to use some chicken stock or mushroom stock (though haven't been able to find the mushroom). My question is....Why do you put cream in it? Must be a totally different texture than the version I've been making.