low sodium food

[annie]

some of us have been struggling with low sodium eating for years, some are new to it. some of us are good cooks and some, like me, have trouble boiling water without burning the house down.

i started another thread on this earlier but it was specific and i want to go general. so if some stuff here sounds like you came into the middle, you did.

i am defining low sodium as less than 1000 mg a day, tho less than 500 would be better for many of us. it is possible to do but a whole lot of work.

so any solutions? let us know.

[annie]

Annie, I'm only eating healthy NOW cause this water (edema) is scaring me. I'm also diabetic & have to watch the carbs.

oh that is just totally unfair. the only good thing about a low salt diet that i have found is that chocolate is low sodium and if you can't eat chocolate, then my heart goes out to you.

I agree we will always crave some salt, I could live on chips & dip!:eek: Been so many years since I've used a salt shaker that adding it to even an egg would taste too weird now.

anytime i eat something with salt on it i thinK "oh that is really good." guess 65 years isn't long enough to get used to it.

No, I don't recall asking for a Senior Citizen forum, I don't think of myself as old even though my body seems to be worn out. I also screwed up bigtime as far as getting disability. I'm self employed but it only brings in a very small amount of income. I live with an older gentleman that's disabled mentally & I cook,clean,do laundry,etc in exchange for a place to live. Not much cleaning gets done these days but he doesn't mind.:rolleyes:

i am proud of being old, getting old is not for sissies. also i have found that there are all sorts of services out there for seniors that are not available for younger disabled people. if i had had some of the services that i have now twenty years ago i would have had a much better life.

can't remember who else was involved in that except for thelma, who seems to have gotten lost in this new version of braintalk.

do you know about the In Home Supportive Services program? IHSS. they pay a worker $8.50 an hour to take care of seniors and the disabled, clean, cook, etc. the senior gets awarded a certain number of hours a month and is responsible for hiring the caregiver. the IHSS provides health insurance if you work enough hours. they also pay into social security.

I hope you have a support network! Seems you've pushed yourself your entire life & perhaps not gonna reap too many rewards for it now. I'm sure you are doing the best you can.

yeah, it can be a big problem. but i would rather be independent as possible and enjoy my life the way i want it. these idiots come in and say "you could get rid of all those books and then you would have lots more room to do what you want." me: "i want to read books." them: "if you get rid of all these books you would have more room to read books."

that is an actual conversation i once had with a visiting nurse.

Eating out is a real tuff one with going low-sodium. I had a patty melt last week rather than go to Chinese place!And who wants to eat salads in a restaurant when going out to eat is a treat????

thai restaurants can be very good. not the buffet style, but one where they cook from scratch. if they know you and know the problem they can figure out all sorts of stuff. I once had a wonderful thai restaurant that cooked me about five wonderful things. ate there every working day. unfortunately they went back to thailand and i never found such a good one again.

remember the S in MSG stands for sodium. i am highly allergic to MSG so eating it is not going to happen. i turn purple and stop breathing if i get very much of it.

I'm gonna pick up some jugs of water for tea,etc. Tap water here is from a PUD, I'll try to research it.

remember ice cubes also. rice. couscous. if you are going to drink 800 mg of sodium a day in tap water, you could drink bottled water instead and trade that 800 mg in on pizza. i beleive in making my sodium count for something.

i boil pasta in tap water but everything else is bottled water. of course my tap water could pickle eggs, yours may be a lot better.

did you take the pickle off of your hamburger? pickles are sneaky amounts of sodium and unless you really love them you can lose a lot of sodium by dumping them.

[linniec]

Trader Joe's Low Sodium Foods-- Products that contain 140 mg or less of sodium per serving.
( This was current as of 2/ 3/ 08 ---Since their shelf stock changes, it may not be 100 % accurate)
Not all of these foods may meet your specifications, such as Microwavable, etc.
But it may serve as examples of what to look for in this, and all, Grocery stores.


GROCERY
All Fruit Sauces (Apple, Mango,
Pear, Apricot…)
Almond Butter
Arborrio Rice
Authentic Italian Pasta
Brown Rice Medley
Brown Rice Pasta
Cashew Butter
Cous Cous
Fruit Spreads & Preserves
Fully Cooked Brown Rice
Harvest Grain Blend
Lasagna Noodles No Boil
Light Coconut Milk
Lightly Smoked Sardines
Lychee
Mandarin Oranges
Mango Slices
Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Multigrain Pasta with Flax
Organic Quinoa
Organic Smooth or Crunchy Peanut
Butter
Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk
Peach Halves
Pear Halves
Roasted Soybean Butter
Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
Sunflower Seed Butter
Whole Kernel Corn - No Salt Added
Whole Peeled & No Salt Added Plum
Tomatoes
Whole Wheat Pasta
Wild Rice

FROZEN
Alaskan Cod Fillets
Asparagus Spears
Black Raspberries
Broccoli Florets
Cr*me Brulees aux Framboises
Free Range Australian Rib Eye
Steak
French Green Beans
Frozen Chicken (boneless, skinless
breasts, thigh meat, breast
tenderloin)
Fruit Floes (ALL)
Gone Bananas
Halibut Steaks
Italian Gelato (Chocolate & Tiramisu)
Lamb Chops
Peach & Blueberry Panna Cotta
Petit Peas
Sharon's Sorbets
Spanakopita
Strawberries
Thai Mango Chunks
Tiramisu Torte
Vegetable Birds Nest (not including
dipping sauce)
Wild Ahi Tuna
Wild Blueberries
Wild Caught Swordfish Steaks
Wild Salmon
REFRIGERATED
Angus Beef Boneless NY Strip Steak
Butcher Shop Ground Beef Patties
(80/20; 85/15; 96/4)
Butcher Shop Boneless Pork Loin
Chops
Center Cut Pork Loin Cutlets
Cream Cheese (ALL)
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Ground Chicken
Ground Turkey
High Protein Organic Tofu
Jarlsberg Lite Cheese
Lite Mild Cheddar Cheese Snack
Sticks
Lite Shredded 3 Cheese Blend
Marinated Mozzarella in Extra Virgin
Mediterranean Hummus
Olive Oil
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
Sliced Yogurt Cheese
Spinach and Sour Cream Dip
Sliced Lite Muenster Cheese
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Sliced Swiss Cheese
Traditional Fresh Ricotta
Turkey Breast Tenders
Tzatziki
SNACKS
Classic Original Water Crackers
Multigrain & Flaxseed Water
Crackers
Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips
Poppyseed Tortilla Chips
Reduced Guilt Potato Chips (Lightly
Salted & White Cheddar)
Roasted Garlic Salsa
Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips
Tortilla Chips with Identity Crisis
Unsalted Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
Veggie Flaxseed Tortilla Chips
Coming Soon… Virtually Comprehensiv

DAIRY
French Village Nonfat Yogurt
Greek Style Yogurt (0%; 2%; Plain;
Mediterranean Cheese)
Sour Cream (ALL)
TJ’s Low Fat Yogurt (Strawberry;
Mixed Berry; Lemon; Peach)
TJ’s Organic Milk (ALL)
TJ’s Rice Drink
TJ’s Soymilk
DRIED FRUITS & NUTS
Antioxidant Nut & Berry Mix
Apple Rings
Candied Walnuts
Cashews
Cinnamon Almonds
Dragon Fruit
Dried Berry Medley
Dried Bing Cherries
Dried Cranberries
Dried Pineapple
Ginger Slices
Honey Roasted Peanuts
Just Almond Meal
Mango & Ginger Go Nuts Trek Mix
Oh My! Omega Trek Mix
Organic Banana Chips
Organic Dry Roasted Almonds
Pacific Shores All Fruit Trail Mix
Pitted Prunes
Plainview Pistachios
Rainbow End Trail Mix
Raw Brazil Nuts
Raw Sunflower Seeds
Raw Valencia Almonds
Roasted Peanuts (Salted &
Unsalted)
Roasted Plantain Chips
Slab Apricots
Sugar & Spice Trek Mix
Sweet & Spicy Pecans
Tamari Roasted Almonds
Thai Lime & Chili Cashews
Thompson Seedless Raisings
Tropical Mangosteen
Walnut Pieces
Whole Chilean Avellanas
FRESH JUICE
Green Protein
Mango & Antioxidants
Orange Juice (ALL)
Plentiful Pomegranate
Protein with Pizazz
Super Cee
Very Green


BEVERAGES
All Natural Apple Juice
Dixie Peach
Green Plant
Lemonade
Low Sodium Garden Patch
Pomegranate Green Tea
Rice Drink (Organic or Vanilla)
Soy Essential
Sparkling Apple Cider
Sparkling Mojito Beverage
Sparkling Pomegranate Juice
CANDY & COOKIES
100 Cal Graham Toucan Cookies
(cinnamon or chocolate)
Bites O' Brownie
Cat Cookies (ALL)
Coconut Macaroons
Crispy Crunchy Oatmeal Raisin
Cookies
Dark Chocolate Espresso Beans
Dark Chocolate Pistachios
Dunkers
Figments
Joe Joe's
Meringues (ALL)
Milk & Dark Chocolate Covered
Almonds
Milk & Dark Chocolate Covered
Cashews
Milk Chocolate Chips
Organic Ginger Snaps
Peanut Butter Cups
Pound Plus Chocolate Bars (72%
Cocoa; Bittersweet and Milk)
CEREAL
Antioxidant Nut & Berry Blend
High Fiber Cereal
Low Fat Cinnamon Raisin Granola
Low Fat Mixed Berry Granola
Maple Pecan Granola
Natural Toasted Oat Bran
Oatmeal Complete
Whole Grain Cranberry Oatmeal


Linnie

[annie]

hi linnie

there is a trader joe's not too far from me, it is the closest supermarket to me.

however, their low sodium advertising is extremely misleading. 140 mg per serving my left hind foot. one serving is one cracker.

they used to carry all sorts of low sodium stuff but no more. especially watch out for anything that says no preservatives. salt is not counted as a preservative, and so they pack anything without preservatives with salt.

a truly low sodium diet is 324 mg a day. a DAY. everything after that your body cannot use and has to dispose of.

it is possible to eat that few mg of sodium. it is a lot of work.

in general, everything unprocessed is low sodium and everything processed is not.

i see frozen peas up there. peas and lima beans are sorted in brine, and are one of the highest sodium frozen foods.

bottom line is, read the label. check portion size. these advertisers are not trying to keep you healthy, they are trying to sell you their products.

[linniec]

Can you then become a vegetarian (beans being an example)? The problem with a vegetarian diet is nutrition. Or this is what I took from
Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé ,(which is still available at the library and your local bookstore.)

Beans and rice together do make a complete protein . She, of course, pushes cooking with fresh beans. That is one way she solves the problem of getting a complete or complementary protein. Beans and rice is/are good stuff. I don't know how well it all does in the microwave though I'm sure someone does.
I do make oatmeal in the microwave. The problem here is in making sure that it doesn't overboil its container. Aircooked popcorn is another possibility which I'm sure that you've thought of.

How about those overly expensive, but still possible, already chopped salads? They are usually beyond pricey, but I know a place that often sells them for $1.00 on Fridays. They're no gastronomic prize winners but are both quick and can be edited to fit your needs.

Oh yes, I also munch unsalted almonds, pecans, and walnuts . A handful a day is all you need. And then there's the apple a day thing.


Linnie

[Buttons2]

Well my post must be very old! Cause I completely forgot how sodium can be in tap water! I've been on a strict low-sodium diet for the past 2 1/2 weeks now. The edema in my legs was beginning to scare me (even on a diruetic). I lost 5# of water the first week.

I have flaxseed granola (1/2cup) for breakfast with whole milk. Less than 200mg of sodium. Or I eat an egg with fresh veggies & some leftover brown rice. I added some shredded cheddar to that yesterday cause I was craving cheese after 2 weeks without any!

But here's the kicker! I started drinking tap water for the first time in years rather than bottled water! Plus I'm adding lots of ice cubes. How do I find out the sodium content in the tap water? I wish I had remembered this......

I'm eating rice medley or brown rice,cooked without oil or salt of course. (I'm also cutting out fat as much as possible,I have to lose this weight!)

I eat alot of salads or fresh steamed veggies. No canned or processed foods. And I agree you really have to check the serving amount on all labels,a can of healthy choice chicken noodle soup has 960mg of sodium,they advertise it as low-sodium,who eats 1/2 can of soup? Plus the stuff is tasteless!

I know celery is high in sodium,what other veggies are?

I'm eating no salt peanuts in the shell for snacks.

Just trying to keep my sodium intake under 1,000mg is hard,I can't imagine going down further than that.

[annie]

Well my post must be very old! Cause I completely forgot how sodium can be in tap water! I've been on a strict low-sodium diet for the past 2 1/2 weeks now. The edema in my legs was beginning to scare me (even on a diruetic). I lost 5# of water the first week..

moderate sodium maybe, definitely not strict low!

what works best for me for swelling is pineapple. fresh pineapple is the best, then canned, then juice. the juice does help, and i think it is safer than diruetics.



I have flaxseed granola (1/2cup) for breakfast with whole milk. Less than 200mg of sodium. Or I eat an egg with fresh veggies & some leftover brown rice. I added some shredded cheddar to that yesterday cause I was craving cheese after 2 weeks without any!.

milk is very high in sodium. so is cheese. swiss is the best, but even swiss is very high. ricotta is ok, farmer cheese also if you can find it. eggs are high. brown rice has more sodium than white rice. the water the rice is cooked in has sodium. don't know about the granola, read the label.

i suspect your breakfast is more like 300 or 400 mg.

which is over the limit for an entire day for a strict low sodium diet.


But here's the kicker! I started drinking tap water for the first time in years rather than bottled water! Plus I'm adding lots of ice cubes. How do I find out the sodium content in the tap water? I wish I had remembered this.......

the web site for your water company will probably have it.

los angeles water has sometimes 80 mg per cup. eight glasses of water has more sodium than a piece of pizza.


I know celery is high in sodium,what other veggies are?
.

carrots.

there are sodium counters around, google low sodium.


Just trying to keep my sodium intake under 1,000mg is hard,I can't imagine going down further than that.

i stayed under 500 for years. not an easy task. of course there used to be all sorts of low sodium foods in health food stores. milk, bread, soup, cheese. you do know about cottage cheese? you have read the label?

i have lots of trouble cooking now, tend to set the kitchen on fire while having seizures. you really have to cook everything from scratch for a strict low sodium diet.

some days the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that chocolate is very low sodium.

[annie]

Can you then become a vegetarian (beans being an example)? The problem with a vegetarian diet is nutrition. Or this is what I took from
Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé ,(which is still available at the library and your local bookstore.)

the best vegetarian cookbook i ever found for nutritional information was a strange little paperback called something like "From Laurel's Kitchen." strange because they are involved in some religious cult, but the information is excellent. this was when i first found out about my B 12 problem, and they explain the whole thing very clearly.


Beans and rice together do make a complete protein . She, of course, pushes cooking with fresh beans. That is one way she solves the problem of getting a complete or complementary protein. Beans and rice is/are good stuff. I don't know how well it all does in the microwave though I'm sure someone does.
I do make oatmeal in the microwave. The problem here is in making sure that it doesn't overboil its container. Aircooked popcorn is another possibility which I'm sure that you've thought of.

vegetarian cooking is a lot of work. too many opportunities to burn the house down. and you wind up with enough food to feed an army.

none of this stuff is targeted to an elderly woman living alone.


How about those overly expensive, but still possible, already chopped salads? They are usually beyond pricey, but I know a place that often sells them for $1.00 on Fridays. They're no gastronomic prize winners but are both quick and can be edited to fit your needs.

Oh yes, I also munch unsalted almonds, pecans, and walnuts . A handful a day is all you need. And then there's the apple a day thing.


Linnie

i will stick with my soup. finding more unsalted soups on the internet, expensive but so simple.

[lowsodium]

Hi Annie,
You can check http://eatlowsodium.com
There you can find a list of low sodium food products and also purchase the ones you like. All the products on the site have less than 200mg of sodium per serving.
Demir

some of us have been struggling with low sodium eating for years, some are new to it. some of us are good cooks and some, like me, have trouble boiling water without burning the house down.

i started another thread on this earlier but it was specific and i want to go general. so if some stuff here sounds like you came into the middle, you did.

i am defining low sodium as less than 1000 mg a day, tho less than 500 would be better for many of us. it is possible to do but a whole lot of work.

so any solutions? let us know.

[annie]

This is a great site! Some stuff is high in sodium (toaster pastries) but the soup is my mainstay and the ketchup is also excellent and hard to find.

Will be spending money here.

[grumpybear111]

i need to eat more sodium, i will be back in ICU for more days then i care to be:(