Help need very or no-sodium recipes.......

valkc1953 wrote: »

Hubby is on warfarin & is not suppose to have more than 1500mg. of salt a day, but the dietitian will allow 2000mgs. Unless I'm making everything from scratch, it's not possible. I have bought everything from Mrs. Dash I can find. Also, I found some recipes, one for salt-free onion soup mix was helpful. I would love anything for a pressure cooker or a bread machine. I know there are low-sodium comments/recipes on here & I have gotten some help from them but can I have a little extra help please???

I am on a low sodium diet due to liver disease. If your husband is on warfarin (I'm on xarelto) he cannot have potassium chloride replacement salts. This is even more important if he's on other heart related medications or has AFIB.

So here's what I use:

bensonsgourmetseasonings.com/saltsubstitute.html

I wish they had this in stores. It has NO POTASSIUM CHLORIDE and it really does add a salty flavor to foods. I recommend using it at the table rather than cooking with it.

Herbox also has NO SODIUM chicken and beef bouillons. You can also order those in bottles but online only. The packets should be in every grocery store.

Here's how my liver doctor and the nutritionist put it to me:

You don't need to cook with salt in most cases. Because salt is usually used a) as a flavor enhancer or b) as a preservative. So if you don't NEED it in a food, don't USE it. Will things taste different? Yep. You may have to add more seasoning to things. But in the long run, its your health that counts.

I also have recipes for NO SALT home versions of popular products that are normally high in sodium, such as Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing seasoning, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup. If you want, message me and I'll send you the link to my recipes.

check out the American heart association - they have a very comprehensive cookbook - I make salt free pickles for DH and he loves them

And to the OP, if you're in the US check out Penzeys Spices for good spices (and dried herbs). Also know that you can make your own stock and broth which would allow you to control how much salt is in it. Essentially I agree with everyone who is saying, make your own food from scratch.

why isn't 1500mg possible? Look at the alternative..heart issues.

Adopting a plant based diet could virtually save his life. Almost all packaged foods contain sodium because it is an inexpensive preservative. Even canned vegetables can have a good deal of sodium in them.

Ultimately you have probably figured out by now that most of the foods he was used to eating are not going to fit in the diet any longer and making everything from scratch is now the way he has to eat or he has to be very careful to read nutrition labels thoroughly before eating anything packaged.

I learned this because I too have to keep my intake around 1500mg per day due to high blood pressure. On the days following (2 at most) sodium intake higher than this (2000mg) the blood pressure is in the high range even after daily medication (ACE inhibitor, not a blood thinner like Warfarin). I had to exclude almost every type of food in a package in order to keep my pressure in check. No more fast food and in many cases no more restaurant food!

It sucks but ultimately you get used to it....and a piece of advice...it's his health, maybe he should be the one doing the cooking...anything that's bland tasting to you is okay because you can always add salt to it!!!

And finally, there are lots of recipes online that don't require added sodium. You will have to get used to the fact that most food nowadays is loaded with sodium...it's the reason people are getting high blood pressure.....

OddDitty wrote: »

aokoye wrote: »

OddDitty wrote: »

By the way, salt is only a preservative in bread. I've been baking for years and have learned that yeast actually self-activates and loves a teeny bit of sugar much more than it loves salt.

That's actually not the case in terms of salt, it far more roles (and more important roles) than only acting as a preservative. See this article from King Arthur's Flour. That doesn't, of course, negate the OP's husband's need to consume less than 2,000mg of salt.

I realize its also a flavor enhancer. My point being that you don't really need it. I've been baking bread without the salt. And I make my own sour dough starter because the King Arthur stuff always dies (I've gotten it from them and all three times it's come to me deader than a door nail).

No you do not need salt to make bread.

I didn't say that you needed salt to make bread. What I was pointing out that was that it does more than act as a preservative (I would also argue that flavor enhancement isn't as important as what it does structurally). I've also maintained my own sourdough starter. I don't anymore because a. I don't bake bread that often at this point and b. I typically prefer other breads to sourdough. I've actually never used a store bought sourdough starter now that I think about it.

When I went no salt for a month I switched to very fresh very flavourful vegetables. Salt hides a multitude of sins. Try sharper flavoured veggies like parsnip.

When you learn to make your own sauce bases (not that hard, just takes a time) the world is your oyster.

Onions and garlic are great flavour enhancers.

Take a day and make a batch of caramelized onions. They take no supervision in the crock pot. Freeze any you won’t be using in a few days.

https://pin.it/hwmo6vj6x3lw7o

It’s the roasting and caramelizing that gives commercial sauces that dark rich flavour. You can do this without salt.

Try making a salt free Sunday roast. Coat it with rosemary and any other herb you like.

https://canadabeef.ca/oven-roast-know-how/

Wait, you are not done yet. Use the drippings, onions, garlic, celery seeds, carrots and bones to make stock. Let it simmer overnight.

https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/roasted-beef-broth

You now have a wealth of stock to add flavour to any number of dishes.