Effort

May 1, 2015

Low-So Lunch: Rock the Roll

To complete our month of packable, low-so-good lunches (also known as April), I want to tell you about the almighty Lunch Roll. The principle behind the Lunch Roll is very basic: you take a few ready-to-eat-things (including a good slather of a something sticky or pasty and edible), and wrap it all up in another ready-to-eat-thing. It’s very simple lunch math. Now the hard part is finding those things in low-sodium form. Some of the most popular rolls tend to be the lavash roll (sodium) filled with prepared hummus or pesto (sodium) and pre-cooked deli meat or chicken (sodium). Of course, there is also […]

April 24, 2015

Low-So Good Microwave Meals and Chips

For a long time, I thought I would never see certain words go together. Like, “good microwave meals.” Or “fast low-sodium food.” That’s because most prepared foods (ramen!) or frozen meals (macaroni!) come with a high sodium price tags. And thus, I always thought that good low-sodium food required stoves and ovens and longer preparation times. Not just a press of a button. But as with all things low-sodium, nothing is impossible. And overtime, I discovered simple ways to make great meals in a microwave. Just using some raw ingredients, some low-so spices, and that magical heating device. Why is that important? Because if you work, […]

April 17, 2015

10 Ways to A Low-So Good Lunch

One of the biggest challenges for a low-so eaters happens everyday around noon (or 10:30 if you’re like me and you just can’t wait that long). I’m talking about lunch. If you hang out at home, near a kitchen, and a stocked pantry and spice drawer, well then, the only thing standing in your way of a filling afternoon snack is a little bit of time. But if you’re out and about or at work, eating good food suddenly poses a bit of a problem. Grab-and-go meals are a big part of our work culture, whether you actually take the […]

April 3, 2015

Matzo Bar and Apple Doughnuts

Happy EastOver, everyone! It’s that special time of year when religion, eggs, and chocolate combine. But I love this duo of celebrations for more than an abundance of frittatas, candy, and excuses to gather with friends. I love EastOver because of matzo. Matzo just happens to be one of my favorite low-sodium ingredients. It generally contains 0mg of sodium. And sometimes, during Passover, you can find flavored matzo (and chocolate matzo!) as well. Although, you can always spice it up on your own. But more specifically, I love matzo because it provides a solution to one of the biggest sodium challenges (which we will […]

March 20, 2015

Salternatives and Mushroom Spice Streusel

Did you know that this week is actually, officially #saltawareness week? It is! And you’re already steps ahead with the amazing SALTERNATIVES we’ve been exploring that boost the natural flavor of your food and wow all your friends. At the same time. No shaker necessary. Before we get to a quick collage of our favorite salt-free salt swaps, lets also just take a moment to review the difference between salt and sodium. Because they are not the same thing. Table salt contains 40% sodium and 60% chloride. And while we generally think of the salt shaker as the only source of sodium, sodium also exists in most whole foods, from cantaloupe to eggs. […]

March 17, 2015

Low-So Green Sauces

Pardon the interruption of Salt-Free Salt month. But I though, it being St. Patty’s day and all, I’d bring you something green. Well two things: First, my Low-So Spinach Sauce. And then, my Kale Pesto French Toast. They are both superhero condiments of edible proportions. So let’s start with spinach. I love this sauce not just for it’s velvety texture. Nor its tangy taste. Nor the fact that you can sneak in a whole load of vegetables into your next pasta, salad, or steak dinner. What I love so much about this sauce (or dressing, depending on how you use it) is that it uses spinach. […]

March 6, 2015

Salt-Free Salt and Lamb Jam

This month we are going to cover yet another seemingly impossible sodium challenge: salt. Yup. Salt. Because when it comes to a truly low-so good diet, if you simply take out the salt, you will still find yourself longing for it. And that’s why you cannot just remove it from your life and diet and favorite roast beef recipe; you have to replace it. I’m not the only one saying so. The recommendations for the new 2015 Dietary Guidelines (coming later this year) actually highlight this very essential fact as well — i.e. putting emphasis on replacement versus removal — and make a few […]

February 20, 2015

Bacon Spice and Coconut Bacon Bits

We are midway through our month of low-so sausage and low-so bacon, and it’s time to shift our focus from the big bites to the itty bits. I’m talking bacon bits. That crunchy topping that gets sprinkled on top of iceberg lettuce salads, crumbled on top of pastas or deviled eggs, and baked right into the crispy crust of a casserole. Even though they are teeny teeny tiny, these little bits can sure add a lot of sodium to a simple, healthy meal. Like over 200mg per 7g serving (or a few teaspoons). And that’s because bacon bits are (surprise!) mostly made from cured, salted bacon. But you […]

February 13, 2015

Low-Sodium Homemade Sausage

Two things stand between your love of sausage and your low-so diet. One, the salted casings and two, the salty brines or cures or just plain salt used in the stuffing. So pretty much, the whole shebang. But hold up. Because there are a few, easy, non-salty solutions to this sausage dilemma. Meaning, yes, you can still enjoy your sausage fix by making it at home. Without the salt. And with a ton of flavor. The first step is to make fresh sausage versus cured (or “hard”) sausage. This basically means you will use fresh meat, grind it, stuff, it and, then […]

January 30, 2015

Low-So Boule, Challah, Challah Buns

I love my daughter’s preschool. But there are two stand-out reasons why it has changed my life: 1) they are helping me potty train a toddler and 2) they make fresh challah every Thursday. Not at the same time. As we’ve been discussing all month, bread can seem like a big low-sodium challenge. The store-bought loaves can equal upwards of 200mg per slice. And because we tend to eat a lot of bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, those numbers can really add up. But with many low-sodium products on the shelves and many more creative low-sodium swaps at your fingertips, you now know how […]

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