Anyone have any questions about Low Sodium cooking feel free to post them here.

[jpshaw]

After staying alive since 2003 with only 15% ejection fraction in my heart I've become fairly knowledgable in this area.

 

[ChileFarmer]

JP, I have tried to stay away from salt for the last 40 years, because of blood pressure trouble. I don't miss it much. The hardest thing for me with no salt was eggs or fresh tomatoes. But without salt they taste like eggs and tomatoes,nice.
But sometime I crave some salt. Might be my body telling me I need some salt? CF

 

[jpshaw]

Actually your body does need about 400 to 500 mg of sodium to maintain the proper fluid levels but trust me you will get that much. The salt you add at the table and the salt you add in the kitchen only account for about 8% of your total intake. You don't kill yourself at the table or in the kitchen. You kill yourself in the grocery store. The salt (Sodium) is already in there. Read the Nutritional Labels under sodium. Cut back on can goods and use more produce or use No Salt Added (NSA) canned foods. Actually fresh is better.

 

[ChileFarmer]

Jp, good answer. I like fresh but sometime when pressed for time I use canned goods. Will be looking for the NSA brand. Wife gotta have salt on everything.
When canning fresh veggies I do add a little salt, just because the canning recipe calls for it. I always thought maybe it help preserve the product (maybe not) will have to research that. CF

 

[jpshaw]

NSA is not a brand. Many brands such as Hunt's etc carry a No Salt Added variety usually in corn products, Green veggies and tomato products such as tomato sauce and tomato paste. Avoid all package mixes usually made by McCormick. Never use Chile powder seasoning but only that which is marked Chili powder and then check the Nutritional labels. Adams is always good and in large containers. There is a salt substitute under several different names. Around here it's listed as No-Salt. They are all Potassium Chloride with added ingredients to take the bitterness out of it. If you switch from salt to substitute it will probably taste bitter. If you've been off of salt for a week or so it will taste great. Careful since you can get too much of this stuff too. When I do use it I will half the salt amount for the substitute amount. It is, however, a way to have something salty tasting now and then. Put it on late in the cooking stage or use it at the table since Potassium is water soluble and will lose some of its saltyness if soaked for too long. Good luck.

 

[jpshaw]

One of the best ways to cut down on sodium while cooking is in your Chicken broth and beef Broth products. Occasionally you can find Wylers or Herb-Ox sodium free broth in powder form at the better stocked grocery stores. If you're like me and live in the sticks you have to order it. Herb-Ox comes in boxes of 50 pkg. Each pkg is 1 tsp and makes one cup of broth. I use HealthyHeartMarket.com at 1 (800) 753-0310.

They also carry sodium free Ketchup and BBQ sauce plus a bunch of other stuff I haven't ordered yet. The Ketchup is Heinz and taste just like the normal Heinz.