Tips & Tricks

October 25, 2011

Low-Sodium Dining Card

Around these parts, when you ask, you shall receive. So behold. The laminated low-sodium dining card. It’s pretty small, a 5 by 5-inch square. Which is, of course, laminated thanks to my laminating-loving mother. It fits effortlessly into my purse or work bag. And is so greatly appreciated by kitchens across America and abroad. I have it translated in Italian, Thai, French, and Spanish for effortless travel eating. While it clearly states the things I cannot eat–emphasizing often overlooked sodium offenders like the dreaded salt-water boil–it also importantly outlines all the ingredients the kitchen can use. This is how I […]

October 20, 2011

Getting Salted

I am so happy that so many of you have been venturing out to restaurants for low-sodium meals. High five. Up high. Down low. Low -so. But salt happens. You call the restaurant ahead of time. You send in a list of the things you can and cannot eat. You even bring a laminated version with you. You order something simple, like a salad. Or maybe even something extraordinary, like fried asparagus. You hear from the waiter that the kitchen has everything under control. You eagerly hold your fork and knife, awaiting your low-sodium meal. The plate arrives. You […]

September 21, 2011

Counting Sodium

So let’s say that you wake up, drink your morning brew, and open up Sodium Girl. And let’s say you find these low-sodium Zucchini Squash Soufflés staring at you, saying good afternoon. First, you ask, what in Julia Child’s name are these things? The answer is: a mixture of a 400 dg F oven + 1 large zucchini and 1 squash, finely grated + 1 beaten egg + sprinkles of chili powder and ground black pepper. A quick molding job (i.e. clumps plopped on a pan) and about an hour later, you have a fluffy veggie treat. The second thing […]

August 3, 2011

Sodium Girl in the Kitchn

Appetizers. They are like the loch ness monster of low sodium food–super hard to find. Especially when being catered to at someone else’s home. So I was delighted when the Kitchn asked me to do a piece on some salt-free, bite-sized snacks that would be safe for low sodium diners; seriously appealing to the other, non-restricted guests; and easily made with simple ingredients that any home cook might have on hand. But don’t hog these recipes. Feel free to share them with your friends. Not just for your or my own benefit. But because they really are fun twists on […]

May 13, 2011

College, Kidneys, and Viral Videos

Perhaps you’ve heard of someone named Justin Bieber. He is a teen dream and he is said to be responsible for an international outbreak of Bieber Fever. Not gonna lie. I caught it. You may have also heard of Rebecca Black. Although slightly less well known and with no “fever” to her name, she too recently swept the nation with her song “Friday,” in which she “drives” around with her friends and sings (auto-tuned) about how excited she is that it is Friday. I’m already sorry for linking to this video. But Bieber and Black, watch yourself. You may both […]

April 29, 2011

Blast from Past: Fuel Efficient

Today, my non-work task lists includes the following items: 1) find wetsuit somewhere in “organized” sports closet; 2) pick up mountain bike from shop downtown; 3) pack up cooler with an extravaganza of low sodium carbohydrates; 4) buy sunscreen; and 5) get on the road by noon thirty. Pretty standard for a Friday, really. Or at least a Friday before race day. Tomorrow, I’m swimming, biking, and running at the wonderful Wildflower triathlon – my sixth tri event in the past three years – and I can’t wait to be surrounded by beautiful bushels of mustard buds and amazingly chiseled athletic […]

April 20, 2011

Salt-Free Umami Broth

Umami. The elusive fifth taste. The other four – sweet, sour, bitter, and salty – can be found in canned products and even more surprisingly, in natural ingredients. Sweet is easy. Just grab a fresh strawberry or even a red pepper and taste the natural sugars that seep out with each bite. Sour is even simpler. Just bite into a lemon. Or a spoonful of greek yogurt. Or a dash of vinegar. And bam, you’ve got sour. Bitter can be found in a plate full of chicories, like endive, or slices of freshly peeled horseradish. And salty, well you don’t […]

April 15, 2011

Friendly Emails and Falafels

Some people aren’t afraid to ask for things. You know who I’m talking about. That person who sends you their holiday wish list in May. That roommate who always seems to be too busy to pick up their own dry cleaning. And that friend who always orders the BLT sandwich but then requests that the lettuce be switched out for spinach, the tomato be served on the side, and the bacon be replaced by a freshly butchered and fried chicken. No bread, of course. You know those people. I know those people. And I definitely don’t judge them. I just […]

April 13, 2011

Low Sodium Questions and Answers

Today we are going to take a slight departure from our normal Wednesdays and I’m going to tell you about all the things I love. I love the rain. I like the sound of it. I like the way the air smells after it. I particularly like it when I am not wearing shoes. I don’t necessarily love the rain – achem – when it comes in April. April is supposed to be about flowers, spring cleaning, and candy. Which I love to eat after dinner and for breakfast. But I like the rain – ok, I’ll say I love […]

April 4, 2011

Short Story on Shrimp

There are a few things we just inherently trust: parents (excluding years 13 to 22) the pythagorean theorem weather predications made by groundhogs and when it comes to low sodium cooking, nutrition labels To live a successful (and almost effortless) low sodium lifestyle, one has to be educated. You’ve got to know your stuff. By reading blogs and books and searching the internet, you will be able to confidently approximate how much sodium is in that piece of celery, that muffin, or that plate of pasta on the menu. Which will enable you to make smart eating decisions quickly, without […]

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