A good friend of ours has been diagnosed with high blood pressure and as such, has been prescribed a no/low sodium diet. Years ago, when I was misdiagnosed with Menier's Syndrome, I was also prescribed a no/low sodium diet and a water pill. It was quite challenging to cook and eat as EVERYTHING HAS SALT IN IT! Of course, it goes without saying that anything prepackaged or processed is going to have a high salt content, but honestly, everything even in its natural form contains salt. So much so, that my mind reels why we even add salt to anything but we do.
Now, as believers and followers of Christ, we are called to be the light and the salt of the Earth...to season and enhance the lives of those with whom we come in contact throughout our daily ventures. Living is enhanced by seasoning of love just as food is enhanced by seasoning for flavor. May we strive to be seasonings of enhancement and not sour or bitterness as we go about our daily duties. May we offer help where aide is needed and may we smile when someone needs a smile.
On the topic of diet, the lessons and habits we learned back in 1995 have served us well in our home. So I've swept out the attic of my brain and come up with a few tips that may be helpful in your own culinary endeavors. Mostly, fresh is always better and home cooked, homemade is always best in this world of overly abundant salt, corn syrup and chemicals in our foods.
Please remember that fat free, sugar free and lite fare always contains more salt and definitely is loaded with chemicals!!!!
One of our favorite recipes is a chicken noodle casserole which originally called for cream of mushroom/chicken and/or celery soup. I use cream or canned milk and add my own mushrooms, celery and chicken broth. Chicken broth often contains MSG (another dangerously addictive chemical that makes Ranch Dressing and Doritos irresistble!) so I use broth from a boiled chicken but do keep on hand in my pantry no salt added chicken broth. I have purchased in the regular grocer as well as the Dollar Tree very cheaply. Once again, a boiled chicken can render broth for more than one meal if frozen and used as needed.
Foster Farms is one of the few meat companies that does not inject their chickens with sodium or broth to bring up the weight. Even organic meats do not guarantee that it has not been injected with sodium or broth. Read your packages! Worst case scenario, boiled chicken can cook off most of the sodium and once the broth has been watered down a bit, you're pretty safe sodium wise but of course, no injection is best!
We learned to can this past summer so I have on stock a plentiful supply of fresh tomatoes to make sauces throughout the cooler months. In the past, I would find a good buy or utilized a gift of tomatoes and blend tomatoes and store in freezer bags. This is handy with any vegetables when bought during peak season such as corn and green beans. It is helpful to blanch the veggies before freezing but I've had success both ways. Farmers Markets and Supermercados(Mexican Markets) are great for fresh and economical!
Spices, herbs and seasonings go a long way to enhance flavor without chemicals and sodium! Fresh is always best, but not often available or affordable. I find that the little cello packets in the Spanish Foods Aisle or Mexican Market are perfect amounts for my spice jars and very, very economical!
Basically, the less packaged and processed we use the better! The fresher and more organic we use the better! God has blessed us with an abundance of choices...our ancestors knew it and lived healthier! Granted we do not all have the time and energy it takes to have personal gardens and can and "put up" on a regular basis. However, we all have the ability to make healthier choices with that which is available. We are personally blessed to live in an agriculturally thriving valley and are able to "buy local" easily. We did not always live here however and we made use of Farmers Markets and Supermercados and U Pick Farms. I've also discovered that most areas offer a Co-op which puts healthy food on our tables and benefits farmers in our areas. Simple changes are easy and readily available. Switch from white rice to brown rice and wheat or whole grain pasta from white pasta. There really are cheap and healthy choices out there for our taking! Many I know shop at Bulk Stores anyway, so utilize those deals and store food accordingly. Unfortunately, Bulk Stores do not offer same healthier(salt free,etc) choices that smaller markets will but where there is a will there is always a way! My tips are far from the only way and I welcome any new info or ways of providing healthier choices to my loved ones. We made a lifestyle change many years ago due to medical necessity but are the richer and healthier for it regardless. We sometimes stray or get lazy in our habits and I enjoy my weekly sody pop from Young's Diner, but on a whole, we strive to keep active and eat healthy.
May God bless you abundantly and keep you in His Grace as together, we strive to walk in his ways, shine His light, season this earth with His goodness and live healthier abundantly better lives!