Suggestions for lower sodium lunch meat/cheese

tiffanic83
tiffanic83 Posts: 64
in Food and Nutrition
Until I started logging I didn't realize how much sodium was in bread, lunch meat, cheese, etc. I love having sandwiches for lunch though. Can anyone recommend a common brand that is lower in sodium. I have already found some bread thats a bit better, but a few of the meats I look at all seem really high. Thanks!
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Replies

  • oldmanstauf
    oldmanstauf Posts: 202 Member
    Boar's Head makes a no salt added turkey. I think it's around 50mg of sodium per 3 oz.
  • tiffanic83
    tiffanic83 Posts: 64
    I will have to see if we have that thank you!!! Thats like a quarter of what I've been finding so that would be great!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Hillshire Farms does have a few varieties of lower sodium meats (the plastic tubs with the pink lids). You have to really look though, the labels are really similar to regular ones.
  • oldmanstauf
    oldmanstauf Posts: 202 Member
    I will have to see if we have that thank you!!! Thats like a quarter of what I've been finding so that would be great!

    I apologize, I believe it's a 2 oz. serving, but even still, it's a huge difference. They make some other low sodium varieties. Not nearly as low, but typically around 40-50% less than the normal. Here's the nutritional pamphlet.

    http://www.boarshead.com/pdf/NutritionBook.pdf
  • shorty313
    shorty313 Posts: 432 Member
    thanks for the suggestion! I see that their Cheddar cheese and muenster cheese have way less sodium than the american cheese I've been eating. My grocery doesn't have that no-salt option turkey though :(
  • tiffanic83
    tiffanic83 Posts: 64
    thanks for the info, hopefully I will find it here :)
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    Sargento has low sodium cheeses. I have found them at my local Wal-Mart. Swiss is naturally a low sodium cheese so most every brand will be low. I get the Castle Wood at Sam's Club and think that is only about 40 mg or something crazy low like that.

    As far as lunch meat, I gave up that hunt. I sometimes get the very low sodium tuna but otherwise I make a bunch of extra chicken breasts for the week and either slice for sammiches or chop for salads. The "low sodium" lunchmeat I have found is still well over 400 mg per serving and with the bread, cheese and condiments my sammich would be over 1000 mg if I did that.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    Swiss cheese has a fraction of the sodium that any of the other varieties do. I can usually get it into my day if I want a sandwich.

    Lunch meats became hopeless. One week I cook a roast (or a london broil if I'm poor that week) and the next I roast a chicken. This keeps me in sandwich meats.
  • wildboar1
    wildboar1 Posts: 88
    Why are you so intent on avoiding sodium? It's not a poison.
  • tiffanic83
    tiffanic83 Posts: 64
    Theres sodium in everything, I just don't want to go over my limit and often do for simple things like a sandwich at home being loaded with it. I am also hoping to lower my blood pressure. Thank you all for the suggestions. I made need to make some chicken ahead of time and keep it for sandwiches to take to work!
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
    not what you are asking for, but what about veggie sandwiches. I had a delicious sandwich today. It was 2 tbsp hummus, shredded carrots, 1/2 cup sliced avocado, 1/2 cup cucumbers, some shredded cheese and pea shoots. Low sodium for sure.
  • tnqnt
    tnqnt Posts: 397 Member
    I found the exact same thing! SO much sodium in everything... even SALSA (a diet food) has a lot of sodium and breads are a killer, too.... I found Ezekial Low Sodium bread, which actually has NO sodium... LOVE it... I use NuSalt to flavor things than need salt, which is Potassium Chloride but tastes very similar to salt....
  • tnqnt
    tnqnt Posts: 397 Member
    not what you are asking for, but what about veggie sandwiches. I had a delicious sandwich today. It was 2 tbsp hummus, shredded carrots, 1/2 cup sliced avocado, 1/2 cup cucumbers, some shredded cheese and pea shoots. Low sodium for sure.


    Sounds DELICIOUS! I eat this type of sandwich every day for lunch... also put some balsamic and lemon juice on it and use feta sometimes instead of cheddar :)
  • chicpeach
    chicpeach Posts: 302 Member
    sara lee soft and smooth whole grain white is the lowest sodium I've found in a bread that still tastes worth eating. As far as meats, try leftover dinner meats like chicken or pork, they'll be lower in sodium than any deli meat.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I think Hillshire Farms makes a lower sodium but it's not much lower.
    I've decided that I'm just going to grill chicken breasts, slice them and use that instead. I hate that they put so much salt in EVERYTHING and it's not necessary! I also try to avoid nitrates and nitrites as they give me migraines. There is only ONE deli meat that leaves it out, Hormel.
  • Jazzyjules71
    Jazzyjules71 Posts: 150 Member
    I just bought low sodium ham from Hillshire farm (what someone earlier mentioned)......I just looked and it has 600 mg of sodium for 2 ounces! Hardly low sodium!

    I vote for the cook your own options........ It's just so much more difficult!
  • tnqnt
    tnqnt Posts: 397 Member
    I think Hillshire Farms makes a lower sodium but it's not much lower.
    I've decided that I'm just going to grill chicken breasts, slice them and use that instead. I hate that they put so much salt in EVERYTHING and it's not necessary! I also try to avoid nitrates and nitrites as they give me migraines. There is only ONE deli meat that leaves it out, Hormel.

    Trader Joe's sells nitrate-free deli meat, too - Applegate Naturals - but I don't think that they are low sodium....
    link: http://www.applegatefarms.com/
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    Boar's Head makes a no salt added turkey. I think it's around 50mg of sodium per 3 oz.

    Boar's Head also makes a lacy swiss cheese that is only about 35 mg a sodium per serving.

    And I've been able to get a low sodium roast beef at the same deli. Can't remember if it is Boar's Head or not though (sorry).

    We gave up on store bread. I bought a bread machine and mastered a couple of types of bread. It's pretty easy and my sodium levels on my bread were super low. And it tastes amazing!
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    Why are you so intent on avoiding sodium? It's not a poison.

    Too much sodium on a regular basis is bad for your heart.
  • Funsoaps
    Funsoaps Posts: 514 Member
    Canned chicken breast and you run it through tap water for awhile to get some of the sodium out. Trader Joe's has canned chicken breast, mix with real mayo ,etc for chicken salad.
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    Processed foods are always high in sodium. I bake some chicken breasts, or a turkey breast and use that as my "lunch meat". In general in not only has much less sodium but tastes much better too.
  • Tiffany_Felice
    Tiffany_Felice Posts: 2
    if you go to the deli and get sliced me they are usually lessed processed than pre-packaged meats and they are lower in sodium, they also have "low-sodium" meats i get cut at the deli i go to.
  • HYBRIDXXX
    HYBRIDXXX Posts: 86
    I SUGGESTS EITHER POACHING OR BAKING UR OWN CHICKEN OR TURKEY BREASTS & SLICING IT 2 USE FOR SANDWICHES. TASTE DELICIOUS & ITS ALL NATURAL. ADD UR OWN SPICES BT ELIMINATE THE SALT
  • HYBRIDXXX
    HYBRIDXXX Posts: 86
    IF U REALLY PREFER THE STORE BOUGHT DELI MEATS LIKE HILLSHIRE FARMS OR ANY OTHERS HOW ABT RINSING IT UNDER COLD TAP WATER 2 GET A LOT OF THE SODIUM OFF THEN PATTING THEM DRY WITH WITH STRONG PAPER TOWELS
  • k011185
    k011185 Posts: 320 Member
    I always get mine at the deli counter, oddly enough it's cheaper and they have quite a bit less than the pre packaged meats. (our safeway and local deli both keep nutritional info available behind the counter if you ask for it).
    Or if im feeling all motivated I will make a roast and some oven baked chicken breasts, slice them up and keep them in the freezer.
  • imthelobster
    imthelobster Posts: 179 Member
    Hillshire Farms does have a few varieties of lower sodium meats (the plastic tubs with the pink lids). You have to really look though, the labels are really similar to regular ones.

    I looked at those, and they're actually only 100 less, at 450 instead of 550. Makes me sad that those are considered lower sodium... :(
  • tiffanic83
    tiffanic83 Posts: 64
    lobster I was sad too :/ I even asked the delhi last time and their low sodium meats were higher than what was in the aisle.
  • vlynnvale
    vlynnvale Posts: 89 Member
    Unfortunately all of the lower sodium lunch meats that I've tried still have too much sodium in them for me. I used to use lunch meat in my wraps and recently went all veggie with them because of this reason. Still just as delicious! But if you would like to keep the meat, maybe just cook up your own instead of buying it processed?
  • rochelleh88
    rochelleh88 Posts: 7 Member
    Where can you buy boars head?
  • endoftheside
    endoftheside Posts: 568 Member
    Best tasting alternative I've found is to throw a roast in the crock pot (cold roast beef slices are so yummy!). Boiling, baking, or grilling boneless chicken breasts and then slicing them up or putting into chicken salad also works (can do this while prepping a weekend meal so no additional time during the week).

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