February 1, 2012

February First and Final Farewell

As we say rabbit, rabbit for a new month, we are also (sadly) saying goodbye to our guest blogger Chelsea and her good gal pal, Meradith, who so bravely took on Low-So January even though neither had any good health reason to kick salt from the kitchen.

If I used emoticons, I’d definitely put a frowny face right here.

These two ladies took no short-cuts when it came to no-salt living. They braved meals out, meals with others, lunches in the office, and weekends far away from home. By watching them, it became very clear: with patience, practice, preparation, and some damn good recipes, low-so living is not too shabby. And now I have proof that I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Before I say goodbye to January and these two low-sodium heroes, I want to say thank you.

Thank you for giving us an amazing model on how to dive right into a low-sodium diet. For showing us how to take it seriously but keep it fun. For going beyond the salt shaker (and your comfort zones) and trying new dishes, new spices, and new approaches to ordering from a menu.

I know they’ve inspired me and I hope they’ve inspired you too. And if you have a loved one, just getting used to their low-sodium needs, point them to the Low-So January posts. It will surely transform their new dietary diagnosis from a daunting task into an exciting adventure.

So with that, I pass the baton to Chelsea and Meredith for one final post. Expertly written as usual. 

(and I’m sprinkling some red chili pepper out in your honor)

Chow on.

We may not be Oprah. Nor Maria from the Sound of Music. But Mrs. A and I thrived during Low-So Jan (if we do say so ourselves) and definitely played favorites.

On the last day of this delicious month, we wanted to share some of our top tips and go-to grub as we sign off of the guest blog spot on Sodium Girl.

CHELSEA’S FAVORITE MEALS

Low-So Breakfasts

The Rise and Shine (15-minutes): 2 scrambled eggs + cracked pepper + diced tomatoes + 2 corn tortillas: 100mg

The Snooze Button (10-minutes): Fage Yogurt with Honey + 1/4 cup of Galaxy Granola (FYI: Not So Sweet Vanilla is the best thing to happen to me since spandex): 40mg

The Overslept (5-minutes): Mother’s Sodium-Free Plain Rice Cakes + Bon Maman Raspberry Jam: 0mg

Not Another Salad: An Alternative Low-So Lunch

Annie Chung’s Sprouted Brown Sticky Rice Bowl + Annie Chung’s Roasted Seaweed Snacks + your favorite veggies/protein

(I recommend avocado, cucumber, tomato and tofu)

sodium count: 70mg + whatever your veggies/protein bring

Easy Low-So Snacks

  • Raw almonds + dried cranberries (FYI: these are my LowSo AmEx – I don’t leave home without a bag of these tucked in my purse): about 5mg
  • Stretch Island Fruit Company’s All-Natural Fruit Strips (FYI: so good that non-Low-So’ers steal them from my purse on the regular): 0mg
  • 365 Organic Cinnamon Apple Sauce: 5mg

Sodium Girl’s Greatest Hits: My Top 3 Low-So Dinners

  1. The Last Moroccan Meal
  2. Salt-Free Corn and Brussels Pasta
  3. Creamy Chicken Curry

MRS. A’S FAVORITE LOW-SO TIPS

  • Buy no salt added condiments. Ketchup and mustard are easy to find if you’re willing to look and it’s likely that whatever you’re adding them to already has enough sodium, so you won’t notice the differences.
  • Make your own marinades. Anything pre-bottled from the store is usually super high in sodium. Making your own keeps it fresh and healthier. Rice vinegar is my go-to when a dish needs to be perked up.

We can’t close out without thanking our magical muse: the irreplaceable Sodium Girl. She has been on call for us in every sense- responding to urgent texts from the grocery store line, answering frantic calls about recipe substitutes ten minutes before guests arrive and emailing recipes every time we requested them (that’s a lot). We couldn’t have made it through January 2nd, let alone this entire Low-So month without her. So, we already suspected this, but now we know it for sure: she’s the best. And thank you to all SG readers for allowing us to pretend we know what we’re talking about.

The von Traps may have sang, “So long, farewell,” but Mrs. A and I won’t bid “adieu” to Low-So living anytime soon. The lessons from this past month will stay on our palettes as we check out the hottest new restaurant, continue to cut salt in favor of better flavors and of course, keep it hot in the kitchen.

annette February 2, 2012 at 9:12 am

Funny how, when I looked at “0 mg,” I instantly read it as “OMG!” Color me weird, but moments when I find lo-/no-so goodies are like that for me…

jessg23 February 2, 2012 at 9:23 am

I do the same thing ALL the time. Even when I’m the one writing it.

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