111015 - Low sodium macaroni salad

Heart, diabetics, kidney, and other patients are told to restrict their sodium intake. I find it is really hard to find prepackaged food products that meets the criteria I have been given. Manufacturer's like salt because it preserves the product, and they think everyone likes the taste better.


Reduced sodium macaroni salad

My local grocery store deli macaroni salad label indicates nearly 500 mg of sodium. Since macaroni is a zero sodium product, the sodium added is entirely the sauce and the salt they add to it. Thus, I came up the the following recipe for macaroni salad that works for me. Also, it lets me attend "bring a dish" social events and with a dish I can safely eat. I notice that people seem to want extra helpings, so I think it is a workable recipe.


If you are on a low sodium diet, or just interested in better health, consider this recipe, or its popular alternatives described.

Ingredients for the low sodium macaroni salad

mg	Calories	qty	unit	ingredient	pct vol
500	240	4	tbsp	salad dressing (FF)	8%
0	0	1	tbsp	vinegar	2%
0	120	2	tbsp	sugar	4%
0	60	0.5	tbsp	olive oil	2%
0	5	0.5	cup	celery	16%
0	420	1	cup	macaroni- boiled	33%
0	3	0.5	cup	onions- diced	16%
110	13	0.5	cup	tomatoes- drained, diced	17%
Label compare ingredients: macaroni, tomatoes, onion, celery, salad dressing, sugar, olive oil, vinegar With a serving size of 1/2 cup, this makes 8 servings * macaroni swells to about double volume after cooking, per serving numbers given account for this

Prepare macaroni and chill

Place macaroni on stove top and cook for about 15-30 minutes, depending upon your elevation (higher altitudes require longer cooking times). You can test a sample of the macaroni by trying to mash it with a fork to ensure consistency is to your liking.

When cooked, drain water and placed drained macaroni in freezer or refrigerator to cool, while you mix the sauce.

Prepare sauce and other ingredients

Ingredient setup

In a small bowl, mix salad dressing, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly until sugar grains are no longer noticeably present and mixture is consistent. Place in refrigerator while you prepare final ingredients. If you prefer mayonnaise, you can use it instead.


Dice onion and celery to consistency you prefer. If you do not like one or more of these, you can omit them. They will not appreciably change Calorie or sodium content.

Mix components, chill, and serve

In a very large bowl or cooking utensil, place diced macaroni in bowl. Add sauce mixture and eggs. Place onion and celery over the other ingredients. Stir until macaroni, sauce, and other ingredients are thoroughly mixed. You can then place in smaller bowl for storing and transporting. It is best to chill it in refrigerator for one hour before serving. If the macaroni are too warm, the mixture will not be very consistent.


Store in refrigerator. It stores well. Salad dressing and eggs are highly susceptible to spoiling at room temperature, so keep any unused portion refrigerated for safety.

Sodium content comparison

This recipe makes eight half cup servings of macaroni salad. If you examine a prepackaged (store) product, you will find that most of them have a very high sodium content.

Comparisons and options table
1/2 cup	mg	Calories	mg reduced	Kcal reduced
Store macaroni salad*	490	180	0	0
this recipe	76	107	85%	40%
If you chop and five olives to the base recipe.
add olives	121	110	77%	39%
If you use fresh tomatoes or a no-salt added tomato product.
fresh tomatoes	62	107	87%	40%
If you double the sauce to the base recipe.
double dressing	138	137	72%	24%
If you add a cup of plain yogurt to obtain creamy style to the base recipe.
creamy option	88	121	82%	33%
*Depends on brand, ranges observed are 300 to 800 mg All options are baseline to the main recipe. If you want to mix options, you will need to calculate the differences and add the results to meet your preferred option. If you want salt added, suggest you use the low sodium seasoned salt. Use of regular salt defeats much of the purpose behind the effort.

A common request is to have olives added. Olives are low Calorie, but very high sodium. Others want a more creamy product and double, or more, the sauce portions. If you do this, it is an additional 70 mg sodium and a about 25 Calories for each added sauce portion. You can also add a cup of plain yogurt instead of adding additional sauce. This will make a very creamy macaroni salad.

When I bring the creamy macaroni salad to a party it goes fast and no one seems to notice it is low sodium. Remember that people will tend to avoid things they are told are "different." I prefer the not too creamy version, but find some will avoid it because it looks and tastes different.


If you have a no-salt added diced tomato or use fresh tomatoes, you will reduce the salt content in the salad.

Final issues

Final product

The salad tends to improve in flavor as time progresses and the spices mix into other ingredients. If you do not leave it out at room temperature, it will store for a week or more.


The store purchased option salt and other preservatives tends to cause its product to remain unspoiled longer, so I assume this version, if it is not eaten, will not last as long.


A common question about macaroni and potato salad is "why are they so high in salt." Simply put, they salt it. They salt the water that is used to cook the main ingredient. Then they salt the sauce mixture. The often add over 3,000 mg in just pure salt when they make it.

---

Sam Martin
Website: http://www.purepotential.com
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111015 - Low sodium potato salad

I find it is very hard to find prepackaged food products with low sodium. It is in almost everything. Manufacturer's like salt because it preserves the product, and they think everyone likes the taste better.

Reduced sodium potato salad

My local grocery store deli potato salad is a whopping 460 mg sodium per half cup. Thus, I came up the the following recipe for potato salad that I find very satisfying. It also lets me bring and eat potato salad at the neighborhood cookout. No one seems to have noticed that my salad is much different from what I brought before, so I think it is a workable recipe for anyone on a low sodium diet, or just interested in better health.

Ingredients for the low salt potato salad

mg	Calories	qty	unit	ingredient	pct vol
500	240	4	tbsp	salad dressing (FF)	7%
0	0	1	tbsp	vinegar	2%
0	120	2	tbsp	sugar	3%
0	60	0.5	tbsp	olive oil	2%
0	5	0.5	cup	celery	13%
0	200	2	cup	potatoes- diced	52%
0	3	0.5	cup	onions- diced	13%
130	210	3	each	eggs- boiled, diced	10%
Label compare ingredients: potato, onion, celery, egg, salad dressing, olive oil, vinegar With a serving size of 1/2 cup, this makes nearly 8 servings

Prepare potatoes and eggs

Using two sauce pans. Boil potatoes and eggs for about 15-30 minutes (use longer cooking times for high elevation location). You can tell if potatoes are done to your liking by mashing one with a fork while cooking.

Drain potatoes and place in freezer or refrigerator. Remove eggs from heat, remove hot water, and cover with cool tap water.

Prepare sauce and other ingredients

In a small bowl, mix salad dressing, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly until sugar grains are no longer noticeably present and mixture is consistent. Place in refrigerator while you prepare final ingredients. I prefer fat free salad dressing to mayonnaise because of its taste, and its Calorie and fat reduction characteristics. If you prefer mayonnaise, you can use it instead.

Dice onion and celery to consistency you prefer. If you do not like one or more of these, you can omit them. They will not change calorie or sodium content appreciably.

Peel eggs and clean them under running water. Finely chop eggs. I often place chopped eggs in bowl of sauce mixture after completion of this step. It avoids creating another used bowl.

Mix components, chill, and serve

In a very large bowl or cooking utensil, place diced potatoes in bowl. Add sauce mixture and eggs. Place onion and celery over the other ingredients. Stir until potatoes, sauce, and other ingredients are thoroughly mixed. You can then place in smaller bowl for storing and transporting. It is best to chill it in refrigerator for one hour before serving. If the potatoes are too warm, the mixture will not be very consistent.


Store in refrigerator. It stores well. Salad dressing and eggs are highly susceptible to spoiling at room temperature, so keep any unused portion refrigerated for safety.

Sodium content comparison

This recipe makes nearly eight half cup servings of potato salad. If you examine a prepackaged (store) product, you will find that most of them have a very high sodium content.

Comparisons and options table
1/2 cup	mg	Calories	mg reduced	Kcal reduced
Store potato salad*	460	150	0	0
this recipe	82	108	82%	28%
If you chop and five olives to the base recipe.
add olives	125	110	72%	27%
If you do not add eggs to the base recipe.
no eggs	65	81	86%	46%
If you double the sauce to the base recipe.
double dressing	146	139	68%	7%
If you add eight chopped dill hamburger slices to the base recipe.
add dill pickles	129	108	72%	28%
If you add a cup of plain yogurt to obtain creamy style to the base recipe.
creamy option	95	122	80%	19%
*Depends on brand, ranges observed are 300 to 800 mg All options are baseline to the main recipe. If you want to mix options, you will need to calculate the differences and add the results to meet your preferred option. If you want salt added, suggest you use the low sodium seasoned salt. Use of regular salt defeats much of the effort.

A common request is to have olives added. Olives are low Calorie, but very high sodium. Others want a more creamy product and double, or more, the sauce portions. If you do this, it is an additional 70 mg sodium and a about 25 Calories for each added sauce portion. You can also add a cup of plain yogurt instead of adding additional sauce. This will make a very creamy potato salad.

When I bring the creamy potato salad to a party it goes fast and no one seems to notice it is low sodium. Remember that people will tend to avoid things they are told are "different." I prefer the not too creamy version, but find some will avoid it because it looks different.

Dill pickles are another requested addition. Dill pickles are almost no calories but are very high sodium (370 mg for 8 dill slices).

Final issues

The salad tends to improve in flavor as time progresses and the spices mix into other ingredients. If you do not leave it out at room temperature, it will store for a very long time.


The store purchased option salt and other preservatives tends to cause its product to remain unspoiled longer, so I assume this version, if it is not eaten, will not last as long. I have never had that happen, but I don't let it sit as long as a store brand and do not normally use the creamy version.


A common question about potato and macaroni salad is "why are they so high in salt." Simply put, they salt it. They salt the water that is used to cook the main ingredient. Then they salt the sauce mixture. The often add over 3,000 mg in just pure salt when they make it.

---

Sam Martin
Website: http://www.purepotential.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PurePotentialMusings
Hubpages: http://purepotential.hubpages.com

The Website

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111015 - Low sodium salsa - lower cost too

If your doctor says limit the salt, or you just think a low sodium diet is a good idea, you might try this low sodium salsa that I make. The doctors, nurses, several nutritionists, two hospital, and a lot of "about your condition" pamphlets given out at the health centers all said that salsa was "off the menu" due to its high sodium content. It does not need to be. Here is how to get salsa back on your menu.

Reduced sodium salsa (zero sodium for some)

I originally developed this recipe for salsa due to a local store raising the price of my favorite picante sauce to $15 per gallon. I consider salsa to be a required meal addition for many dishes, and that new price was rise a of $3, all done at once. That was years ago. This recipe version costs about $5 at today's store prices, contains about the same ingredients, and is low sodium too.


If you can obtain no-salt added tomato products, this salsa recipe should be nearly a zero sodium salsa. Since my local store stopped stocking the no-salt added tomato products, the ingredients of this recipe show the available tomato products. It is still a very low sodium salsa.

Ingredients for the low sodium sodium salsa

mg	Calories	qty	unit	ingredient	pct vol
1,320	150	3	cup	diced tomatoes- w/ juice	34%
3,120	180	3	cup	tomato puree/sauce	34%
0	40	2	cup	onion- diced	23%
0	20	0.5	cup	jalapenos- finely diced	6%
0	0	1	tbsp	cilantro	1%
0	0	2	tbsp	garlic powder	1%
0	0	1	tbsp	parsley flakes	1%
0	0	1	tbsp	sweet basil	1%
Label compare ingredients: tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, parsley, basil With a serving size of 2 tbsp, this make 70 servings

Notes about sodium, quantities and types used

The sodium content in this recipe can vary widely depending on which tomato product manufacturer can you buy. From one store, the salt content in the store brand tomatoes is half what is shown here. The above is wally gv, and they are the highest sodium stockers I know, but its cheap. I have complained but they ignore the complaints. If you use another store product, the sodium in your salsa will be lower by as much as 25%.


The quantities used for the tomato products are specifically selected so you can use the large can of store purchased products. This avoids having excess food needing to be stored in the refrigerator. I prefer puree tomatoes as this makes a thicker salsa, but this is preference only. Greek sweet basil is a little stronger, and a common option used. For most people, cilantro makes a salsa great, but some insist it be made without it.

Mixing the ingredients

Ingredient setup

In a very large bowl or cooking utensil, place tomato puree and diced tomatoes in bowl. Do not drain the diced tomatoes. Mix lightly to generate uniform consistency.
Add onion, jalapenos, and spices listed. Mix well. Using a large jar for the finished product, pour mixture, or use a soup spoon, to transfer salsa into a large jar. You can also use a large funnel as well, if you have one.


For a suitable jar, I cleaned a previously purchased store product's large, wide mouthed jar. I keep two of them, with one cleaned and stored for the next fresh salsa mix to be made. The large sealable jar avoids refrigerator space issues, and allows the salsa to be sealed, when not being used or it is being stored. It also minimizes transfer of odors between refrigerated items.


Store in refrigerator. It stores well. I have never had a problem even when the salsa is not completely used in a two month or longer period. Always store a new batch in a cleaned jar. Do not just refill the existing jar or you may have spoilage before completely using the old and new mixture up.

Sodium content comparison

If you pick up a store salsa product, you will see the serving size is expected to be two (2) tablespoons per use. Few people ever use just two tablespoons per serving, but that is what it is, so that is what the comparisons are based upon. This is probably one reason doctors and hospitals say to put it "off your list." People often use at least 4-6 tablespoons on dishes.

Comparisons and options table
2 tbsp	mg	Calories	mg reduced	Kcal reduced
Store Salsa*	220	10	0	0
this recipe	63	6	72%	45%
better tomato product	53	0	75%	45%
If you chop and use fresh tomatoes, they have a near zero sodium content.
fresh tomatoes	41	6	81%	45%
If you can find them in your store, the no-salt added tomato product will reduce the sodium content to nearly zero.
no-salt added tomato products	0	0	100%	0%
*Depends on brand, ranges observed are 160 to 350

The taste is better than most store products. It is comparable in flavor and consistency to the higher cost refrigerated salsa you can buy.

When I bring chips and salsa to a party it goes fast and no one seems to notice it is low sodium. Remember that people will tend to avoid things they are told are "different." If you tell them that it is low sodium, they will avoid it. Before I discovered this I used to bring two versions, store and the recipe. I told them which was which, and nobody would touch the low sodium version. At one party I started eating the one I thought was the low sodium version and noticed it tasted much salter. I checked and realized that I had accidentally mixed up the labels. Everyone was eating the version they thought was the "normal" one. From then on I just brought one option and kept quiet about what was in it. Since it is a heart healthy salsa, I am helping them be healthier.

Final issues

The salsa tends to improve in flavor as time progresses and the spices mix into other ingredients. If you do not leave it out at room temperature, it will store for a very long time. If you wish to leave out a salsa for a long time, pour some in a bowl and serve that way. Throw away any salsa not consumed in bowls left at room temperature for very long. If you do not, you will spoil the stored product.

Now you can enjoy life and have your salsa too. (Forgive me please, I could not resist.)

---

Sam Martin
Website: http://www.purepotential.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PurePotentialMusings
Hubpages: http://purepotential.hubpages.com

The Website

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