Flavorful Low-Sodium Family Meals

My family's health is very important to me and with all the news of what is good and isn't good, it's hard to tell.  I do know one things and there is too much sodium in everything we eat so I look for ways to cut out the sodium.  With the proper seasoning, any meal can be jazzed up without having to add salt. One staple in my cabinet is Mrs. Dash seasonings.  There are so many to choose from but my favorite is the Mrs. Dash Original Blend as it has a blend of 14 herbs and spice and can be used on fish, chicken and more.  What is better is that there is no sodium in it.


When a recipe calls for sodium, try one of Mrs. Dash's seasoning choices instead.  I usually skip the sodium and replace it with other seasonings and no one has complained yet.  We also try to buy fresh or frozen foods that haven't been processed.  The processing process adds so much sodium and when you can buy fresh, you don't have the same worry.


I have learned to watch food labels and try to avoid the ones that have a crazy amount of sodium.  Looking for low sodium products on the label is the easiest way to avoid it.  I don't ever place the salt shaker on the table since it only encourages the extra use of salt.


Also, by incorporating more fruits and vegetables at the dinner table, the amount of sodium will be reduced.   We try to find ways to cook meals that don't require so much sodium such as fruit or salads.  There are many ways to eliminate sodium but I think the biggest way is changing how you shop for food.   Those are our worse enemies and once you try to eliminate the processed foods, you can start working on reducing the amount of salt you use in recipes as well as on the table.  It's an easy to adopt habit that is good for you and worth it!


Look for recipes that specifically target low sodium objectives such as this bruschetta bread recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (120mL) roasted red peppers, from a jar
• 1 Tbsp.(15mL) Mrs. Dash® Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend
• 1 tsp (5mL) lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (60mL) black olives
• 4 Oz (115g) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 whole French baguette
• olive oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat barbecue grill to medium high.
2. Drain and chop red peppers.
3. Chop black olives.
4. Mix together red peppers, Mrs. Dash® Garlic & Herb, lemon juice, black olives and feta cheese in a medium bowl.
5. Slice French baguette into 1/2 inch (1.25cm) pieces and spray pieces lightly with olive oil.
6. Grill on barbecue until toasted on both sides.
7. Place toasted bread on a large tray.
8. Top each piece of bread with approximately 1 Tbsp. of red pepper mixture.

Share your special tips on how you reduce sodium usage in your house or better yet, join in with the other TwitterMoms here.


I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mrs. Dash and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.