Mrs Dash Chili

I love the new Mrs Dash seasoning packets.  This week we had Chili using it.  The mix itself has no sodium in it but when you add the other ingredients, it comes out to about 135 mg of sodium per 1 cup serving. 

It calls for 1 packet Mrs Dash Chili Seasoning Mix
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 8 ounce tomato sauce or 14.5 ounce whole tomatoes  *
1 15 ounce can kidney beans, undrained **
Brown beef or turkey, drain fat. 
Stir in seasoning mix, tomato sauce or whole tomatoes, and beans.
Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. 

*I used no salt added tomato sauce
**I used low sodium pinto beans

We also like a little bit of a tang in our chili so I added a little bit of my homemade barbecue sauce that I had left over.   My whole family liked it, which is no small feat.  I doubled the recipe and it was gone within 2 days. 

Just a word about finding these mixes.  They are new so the stores are slowly getting them in.  I have found the chili seasoning at Publix and Winn Dixie.  If you can't find them in your area,  the Healthy Heart Market sells them and right now they have a $5 off your first order promotion.    I'm still trying to find a few of the mixes locally and if they don't get them soon,  I'll be ordering them online. 

Baking Thoughts and a Good Source for Products

Before my CHF diagnosis,  there were a lot of things I didn't realize about sodium but I've had a crash course in all things sodium since.   For instance,  I thought that if I eliminated the salt called for in a cake recipe, I'd eliminate all the sodium.  But that's not true.  Most baking recipes call for either baking powder or baking soda and both of those contain sodium. 

In each teaspoon of baking soda, there is 1259 mg of sodium.  Baking powder isn't quite as bad with 488 mg of sodium in each teaspoon.  So the majority of the sodium in a baking recipe is from the leavening agent rather than the salt itself.  But can you bake without using the high sodium baking soda and baking powder? 

In most recipes you can drop the salt without any problems.  You don't really taste the salt in cakes and cookies anyway.  Bread making is another thing, but that's for another day.  But in your desserts and most baking other than yeast baking, salt isn't necessary and there are ways around the baking soda and baking powder.

Some Thoughts on Water

One of the things that my cardiologist told me when I left the hospital is to limit my fluids to 2 liters or less a day.    I get most of my fluids from drinking water.  You would think that drinking water would be safe from sodium but that's not the case in some cases. 

We have well water and right out of the tap, it tastes very metallic.  So, we got a water softener for the whole house and the water tastes great.  But, to make that water taste great,  the softener filters the water through salt.  I started to do some research and found some surprises. 

I learned that the amount of sodium in the water is proportional to the initial hardness of the water.    According to the WQA (Water Quality Association), for every grain of hardness there will be 30mg of sodium in a gallon after it has been softened.  The average hardness of well water is about 15 grains.  In an 8oz glass of 15 grain softened water there is 28.12 mg of sodium.

Low Salt Lunch Choices

I try to eat very low sodium lunches so that I can eat dinner with the family and still stay under 1000 mg of sodium a day.  One of my favorite lunches features Gorton's Grilled Tilapia.  They come two squares to a package and are seasoned and they are easily heated in the microwave.    Each square is 140 mg of sodium. 

I have found some frozen steamable rice dishes.  I have found them at Walmart and Publix and Winn Dixie.  There are several types.  One is Minute Steamers with Brown Rice, Barley, Quinoa and Wild Rice.  There is 0 sodium in this and the mixture of grains is very tasty. 

There are also frozen steamable rice mixes is from Birds Eye.  I have tried two of these.  One has brown and wild rice with carrots, corn and peas.  Another has brown and wild rice with broccoli and carrots.  These have 20-25 mg sodium per cup.  They are also good.  I usually add a little Smart Balance low sodium spread and Mrs Dash to them to make them yummy. 

I also sometimes include the Birds Eye frozen steamable vegetables with the rice and fish.  These are very low sodium and I can add the low sodium Smart Balance and Mrs Dash to them as well.  Smart Balance Low Sodium spread has a buttery flavor and is only 30 mg sodium per tablespoon. 

These are healthy choices for a low sodium lunch or dinner.  

Bread and Sandwiches

I've found some good low salt alternatives to regular bread that I wanted to share here.     Most bread has quite a bit of sodium in it.   I make my own rolls and bread and I'm going to try to experiment with my recipe and see how it comes out without salt but I haven't done that yet.  But, I have made a couple of finds in the grocery store.

Food for Life Baking Company makes a ZERO sodium bread and it tastes pretty good.  It's a sprouted grain bread and so it's not soft and white like most bread, but it makes a good sandwich and tastes pretty good.  

I found this bread in the freezer section of Publix supermarket.  They have a store finder on their website in case you don't live near a Publix.    There is low sodium and there is no sodium and I love it that I can have a sandwich and the bread doesn't add any sodium to it.

Barbecue Sauce

I love grilled food and I love barbecue sauce.  Every bottled kind I've found has a lot of sodium in it.  So, I started looking for a suitable homemade sauce that wouldn't take all day to make and that would taste good.  I tried 3 different sauces before finding one that I really liked that wasn't very hard to make. 

The first sauce I tried was way too sweet.  The second one tasted too vinegary and the third one was just right.  (Sounds like Goldilocks).  I'm not saying that I won't try other recipes in the future if I find one that looks good,  but this one is my favorite for now.

BBQ Sauce
1 cup no salt added ketchup
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp low sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp liquid smoke 

Stir all ingredients together in a saucepan on medium high heat.  When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes to thicken.  4 servings and so each serving is approximately 1/4 cup.  

Spaghetti for Dinner

Spaghetti and other forms of pasta are very low in sodium.  But the trick comes in with what you put on that pasta.   Bottled spaghetti sauce for the most part has a lot of sodium.  Even the so called Heart Healthy versions of bottled spaghetti sauce has quite a bit of sodium. 

I have found a bottled brand that is low sodium, but it is in small bottles and fairly expensive.   Publix carries L.E.Roselli's Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce that contains 35 mg of sodium in 1/2 cup.   That's great, but a 15.5 ounce bottle costs almost $4 and that's not very cost effective for a big family.   So, I've tried several recipes and found one, with a few tweaks, that I really like and that the family likes as well. 

Spaghetti Sauce
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 - 2 tsp of minced garlic
28 oz no salt added crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning (I use Mrs Dash Italian Blend)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
6 ounces no salt added tomato sauce

Saute pepper and onion in butter until tender.  Add garlic and saute another minute.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning   I add some Morton Salt Substitute and garlic powder at this point as well.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.  I usually simmer a bit longer because the longer you simmer it, the better it seems to taste.  I also double the recipe to feed my big family.   

 

242 grams is just over 8 ounces, which is about a cup.  

If you like a bit more of a salty taste, you can try a bit more of the Salt Substitute.  I try not to use too much because I also have to watch my sodium.  It also has a funny aftertaste if you use too much.   This is a good sauce and it goes together very quickly so you aren't slaving over the stove all day long. 

I add meatballs to the sauce that I make from scratch that are about 57 mg of sodium each.  I usually allow myself 1 or 2 meatballs because the sodium is so low in the spaghetti and sauce.   If you are like me, you love parmesan cheese.  I have found that 4 C makes the lowest sodium parmesan cheese, both in grated and shredded forms. 

How Much Sodium?

When I was diagnosed with CHF,  the doctor told me that I would have to limit my sodium to 2000 mg or less.   At first I stayed at around 2000 mg a day and noticed that I was still retaining water because my ankles were swelling.   So, I cut back on the sodium even more. 

Through experimentation, I've come to the conclusion that any more than 1200 mg a day and I start to retain water again.   I usually keep my sodium down less than 1000 mg a day and rarely go past 1200 mg daily.  I have read stories from others who have to stay around 500-700 mg.  Each person's system is different.

The 2000 mg that your doctor gives out as a guideline is just that, a guideline.   You have to find the level where your body is comfortable.   For me, that is trying to stay under 1000 mg of sodium a day.  At that level,  I can keep the swelling and fluid retention at bay. 

To stay that low and eat 3 meals a day,  you have to look at the sodium in every item you eat and count every milligram.   I have had to rethink snacking, processed foods, drinking, and everything I eat.  Where one time I wouldn't think twice about popping a handful of potato chips in my mouth for a snack,  now those chips would take up a significant part of my daily allowance of sodium and they just aren't that important to me.  Fruit is a much more satisfying snack. 

At first, nothing tasted good without salt.  But finally,  after 5 months, I am finally tasting the flavors of the foods that I am eating and not missing the salt near as much.   Mrs Dash has become my best friend.   I'm able to eat 3 good meals a day and snack in between and even eat some restaurant food and stay under my 1000 mg of sodium a day.  It's become a challenge to me and I never back down from a challenge. 

I'm hoping that my blog will maybe help someone who is struggling with having to limit their sodium intake and can take some inspiration from my discoveries in low salt eating. 

Tacos - A Success Story

My family loves taco night.  I was afraid that this would have to be one of those nights where I would make the taco fixings for them and then eat something else.  But then a wonderful thing happened.  Mrs Dash came out with some great mixes, including a taco mix, that have no sodium in them. 

These mixes are new and so it took awhile to find them.   In my area, Publix, Winn Dixie, and Walmart are supposed to carry them.  The first one to show up was the Chili at Publix.  Then, I found the meatloaf one at a Winn Dixie.  Finally at a different Winn Dixie, I found the Taco, Beef Stew, Meatloaf, and Chili mixes.

This was my first chance to try the taco seasoning.   The Mrs Dash taco seasoning was a bit warmer than the one I had been using that has 280 mg of sodium per serving.   I've never been very big on spicy or hot foods but since my heart failure,  I'm getting a bit more used to it since it seems that many of the spice blends replace salt with heat. My family, however, for the most part love things a little heated.  This taco mix got the stamp of approval from my family, who told me that I could make these tacos from now on.   I love Mrs Dash.  

The next challenge was to find low sodium taco shells and I was surprised to find that the Taco Bell brand on the shelves have just 5 mg of sodium per shell. 

So, I was able to have 3 tacos for dinner with very little sodium. 
3 shells  15 mg
Meat mixture  80 mg
lettuce  0 mg
cheese 170 mg
For a grand total of 265 mg of sodium for a very satisfying dinner.  And, best of all, I got to eat the same thing that the family was eating.  I love these little wins.  

Welcome to My Low/No Salt World: My Story

In May of 2013, I was taken to the emergency room unable to breathe.  I had been having trouble with a cough and shortness of breath for awhile but I thought it was just a lung infection of some sort and would go away.  But it didn't.  It got worse to the point where I couldn't breathe at all.

Once I got to the emergency room, I discovered that I was suffering from congestive heart failure. My EF (ejection fraction) was 10%.  That means that my heart was pumping at just 10% efficiency.  Within days, I had a heart catherization and then a pacemaker/defibrillator inserted.  And my entire life changed.

Once the dust settled, I was told that I had to limit my sodium intake to just 2000 mg a day.  I had never given much thought to how much sodium I was eating.  I did love my salt though.   And, I was put on several medications and sent home from the hospital with the instructions to take my medications, weigh myself and take my temperature every morning,  monitor my blood pressure and  limit my sodium to less than 2000 mg a day. 

As I started to check the sodium content in the foods I ate, I realized that I had to have been eating 8,000 mg of sodium a day.  It's in absolutely everything.   I began reading labels and looking for low sodium and sodium free foods.  They are out there, but for the most part you have to look for them.  Lesson #1 that I learned is that Heart Healthy foods are still loaded with sodium.   Lesson #2 that I learned is that almost everything contains sodium.  I mean, what is sodium doing in eggs still in their shells, celery and jello????