lightlife..why ALL that salt??

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_LA_
_LA_ Posts: 111
in Food and Nutrition
Maybe I'm extra sensitive about it (or to it) since we do very few processed/pre-made foods, but I did pick up some lighlife items (sausages, 'veggie crumbles' which is psuedo ground beef, etc) at a local supermarket to help me get used to my new eating plan. The fantastic thing is that they are NO fat - so that days like yesterday (when I overloaded on the higher fat items earlier in the day), I am able to plan a very low-fat dinner so that I still come in under goal for the day. Love that.

But holy COW the salt. I get that the soy/wheat gluten that they're using doesn't have much flavor on its own, but it seems to me the stuff would be perfectly tasty and still salty at half the salt. Why so much???

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  • pretentiouskate
    pretentiouskate Posts: 186
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    Mostly because the fake meats are super processed. You CAN make your own and freeze it. I've never tried it, but it would be a good option, especially if you're planning on eating a lot of meat replacements. Also shop around - I honestly remember Litelife as the one brand I didn't like.

    I like Gardein. http://www.gardein.com/index.php

    Recipe for Seitan (fake meat base made from gluten).
    http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm
  • alienblonde1
    alienblonde1 Posts: 749 Member
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    One of the main reasons why so much salt is that salt is cheap.
  • _LA_
    _LA_ Posts: 111
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    thanks! I have made seitan before, but if I'm looking for a quicker change of menu it's not the best..better for advance planning. Not sure how freezing it would change the texture - anyone know??

    I can take a look at other brands..I do suspect many of them will be high sodium, but I do know local supermarkets carry different brands/items...thanks for the idea.
  • warrior_underdog
    warrior_underdog Posts: 39
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    I like Gardein. http://www.gardein.com/index.php

    Word. I love Gardein. For Lightlife, I only like the chick'n strip things to make "chicken tacos" but I make sure to basically just eat salad otherwise that day so that my sodium is in check. There is a ton of sodium in processed and canned foods--just look at a normal can of soup--and it's to improve shelf life and enhance flavor.

    Stick to mostly real food, but indulge from time to time--but keep the sodium in mind and plan your day accordingly.
  • cgavin77
    cgavin77 Posts: 219
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    I agree totaly with pretentiouskate.... Try Tempeh- IT HAS ZERO SODIUM (Flax) and at the MOST has 10mg per serving.
    It is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans and formed into a patty, similar to a very firm veggie burger. You can get at any local grocery store, it comes in garden veggie, wild rice, orig and flax (my current fav).
    Tempeh is less processed than tofu, it's healthier in general, so it has more protein and fiber than tofu.
  • pretentiouskate
    pretentiouskate Posts: 186
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    All the google signs point to freezing as an acceptable and non-texture changing method of storing Seitan.
  • _LA_
    _LA_ Posts: 111
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    lol!
  • hippiechel
    hippiechel Posts: 170 Member
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    you are so right. i had some of their fake bacon strips. WOW the sodium levels are ridiculous. i am going to avoid their products for now. i am trying to decrease sodium from my diet.

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