Help Need LO salt cooking ideas

[IMPAT]

Please help...This is driving me My husband was just put on a Lo salt 1600 cal.diet.NO table salt can be used...Using mrs.dash now for the table. I have discovered that EVERY can of Veg.and gravy,and can soups and soup mix's all have salt...500 -1200 mg salt. how do ya figure out what to use? Im at a loss... any ideas? He just got out of iccu.Slight stroke. Im scared to death I will add to much salt and make his BP go back up again...Thanks in advance...IMPAT

 

[FireDance]

http://www.megaheart.com/kit_recipes_index.html

That looks like a pretty good site Impat. You might try checking out Dean Ornish's books. I know when my husband was having this problem that we did the Ornish program and it really helped him. I can't remember just what the title was, but it was something about reversing heart disease. His theory is backed up with research. Get your husband the book and let him take a look. Lots of case histories from heart patients. Some very nice recipes. It's WAY low fat. It's worth a shot though. You get used to not eating salt. Yes you do. Keep repeating that. It's really hard though if you're used to eating a lot of salt. Good luck and do keep us posted!

 

[IMPAT]

Thanks FireDance I'll check it out.. Pat

 

[Sarrah]

I don't use salt often when I cook. It hasn't anything to do with salt restriction it just seems over the years we use less salt for some reason. Not to say I don't enjoy a handful of home roasted almonds with salt.
I think what maybe of help to you would be to cook very simple meals till you adjust to ideas you get along the way. Example cook simple simple. Perhaps hamburger mixed with an egg, fine choped onions, garlic then a bit of pepper then oven cooked. You can shape this into patties or meatballs or meat loaf. Fresh or frozen veggies over canned, unless they are home canned and you didn't use salt to can them. Home made soups made in the oriental style rather than our western style are usually based on a good broth with out salt. They are quick once you understand the concept. I don't know if you are home during the day or work away from home. That of course makes a difference.
The less processed the ingredients are the less salt it should contain. So I suppose I am saying cook from scratch.

 

[IMPAT]

Thanks Sarrah... No I do not work away from home.My work is in my home ,taking care of I husband,1 Border,and 1 mentaly challanged man geting over cancer...
I think your right Sarrah,about doing "from Scratch" cooking... Im learning..Just hope my family puts up with my cooking a little while longer.. If / when TSHTF doing without the frills,like pkg.gravy and other mix's will be the ONLY way anyhow.Yes? Pat

 

[mzkitty]

There's lots of recipes without salt that I'm sure are heavenly. Check this one out:

Creamed Corn & Crab Soup

3 cups chicken stock
1 17-oz can creamed corn (don't think those have salt, do they? I would use a can of salt-free whole kernel and some real cream in that case)
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 pound flaked crab meat
1 green onion, chopped

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add corn and bring to a second boil. Stir in cornstarch. Cook and stir until thickedned and clear (may be made ahead to this poiint). Add crab meat and serve immediately. Garnish with chopped green onion.

Serves 4


French Tomato Soup

5 large carrots, grated
5 small onions, sliced
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup raw long grain white rice
1 quart canned tomatoes, pureed
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 quart hot milk
1/2 cup warm light cream
pepper to taste

In a large kettle, butter-steam carrots and onions, covered, for 15 minutes (without browning) or until tender. Steam (or cook) rice and add to vegetables with tomatoes and soda. Add milk and cream. Reheat without boiling and season with pepper.

Serves 8 to 10


Acorn Squash with Applesauce

2 acorn squash
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup seedless raisins
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and halve acorn squash, then remove seeds. Place, cut side up, in a baking dish. Mix together the lemon juice, raisins, applesauce, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts. Spoon mixture into the cavities of the squash and dot with butter. Pour 1/2 inch of hot water into the bottom of the baking dish, cover, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 30 minutes more.


My mother used to have to eat pretty much saltless food in her last years, and it's not hard, really. Most recipes you use now can be adapted, I would think. These are from my San Francisco book, as usual.

 

[Sarrah]

MzKitty has some good recipes there.
Perhaps you might like to make up ahead of time what it is you now buy in pkgs for quick use Pat. I don't know what type of thing there are in pkgs so perhaps I can help and I'm sure others on here from different places know more. One thing I've learned in the years I've lived in different areas is there is always more than one way to cook.
I've always been a from scratch cooker. That is because I've always feared what type of thing is in pkgs. It's always been a quiet thing with me. Unless someone wants to know why I do it I just don't say.
I don't know what type of foods you eat so if we all knew that perhaps it might help. One thing we like here is pork. DH and I eat low carb so we use fats you wouldn't use but you can adapt any meal easy enough. Spare ribs and pork chops. I often sprinkle both sides liberally with paprika, ginger, granulated garlic, and pepper. I cover the pan I put them in and bake at 350 for an hour or two. I think this is an easy meal. I usually serve this with coleslaw or green salad. That is a meal for us. Lots of things can be seasoned and not sauced nor gravy'd I think.