5 Low Sodium Recipes You Must Include In Your Meals

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – exercising is just half the picture when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eating right is an extremely crucial factor too, and is undoubtedly the key to you remaining in the pink of health – sickness free et al.

The world is waking up to this realisation too. Proof of that is cola companies scrambling towards creating fruit drinks due to aerated drinks losing their fizz, chocolate makers cutting down their sugar content and junk food manufacturers cutting down the oil content in their foods and inching towards creating healthier offerings for their menus.

And when it comes to a dieter’s biggest enemy – sodium is surely at the top of the list, with its long-term effects highly harmful and sometimes even fatal. What are the effects of sodium, you ask? Well, some of its most harmful after-effects include heart disease, high blood pressure, a possible stroke, kidney failure, you name it.

The most worrisome fact is that Indians – often the youth – consume food with high salt content – a top carrier of sodium. And since salt is virtually everywhere, in junk food, in snacks, in our home preparations, etc., we’re all at a high risk of falling prey to sodium’s wrath.

That’s when a low sodium diet comes into play. Besides being extremely effective in helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle, low sodium foods aren’t your typical ‘bland’ diet fare, with many low sodium options being downright tasty. Oh, and low sodium foods also lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cirrhosis, etc. So, if you’re thinking of switching to a low sodium diet then you’re absolutely making the right choice.

Of course, with so many low sodium options out there, picking the right food is going to be a task, which is exactly what we’re here to help you with. So without further delay, let’s take a look at 5 low sodium recipes you must include in your meals.

#1 Granola Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

1 heaped cup mixed nuts

1/4 cup mixed seeds (sunflower, poppy, pumpkin, sesame)

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 tablespoons maple syrup

About 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 and 1/2 cups dried fruit

Calories Per Serving: 184

Sodium Per Serving: 22 mg

Also, read 8 Low Sodium Foods To Keep Your Heart Healthy.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Put oatmeal, mixed nuts, mixed seeds, coconut, and cinnamon on a baking sheet. Stir well; smooth out. Drizzle with maple syrup and olive oil; stir. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Every 5 minutes or so take out and stir, then smooth down with a wooden spoon and put back in the oven. When granola is golden, remove from oven, mix in the dried fruit and let it cool. Serve with milk or yoghurt.

#2 Apple Crumble

Ingredients:

5 cups sliced peeled apples

3 tablespoons apple butter

Cooking spray

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup regular oats

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons chilled butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Calories Per Serving: 251

Sodium Per Serving: 29 mg

Preparation:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 2

Arrange the apples in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray, pressing down lightly to compact.

Step 3

Combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; cut the butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

#3 Banana Oatmeal Choco Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup plain soy milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 ripe banana cut into small pieces

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Calories Per Serving: 138

Sodium Per Serving: 114 mg

Preparation:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the first 6 ingredients (through sugar) in a bowl. Whisk together oil, soy milk, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; stir to combine. Fold in banana, walnuts, and chocolate chips.

Step 2

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough onto a pan with a small ice-cream scoop. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown, turning baking sheet halfway through. Let it cool on a wire rack.

#4 Herb Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:

Ingredients

1 chopped large yellow onion

1 chopped large carrot

1 chopped large celery stalk

2 minced garlic cloves

7 chopped fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (12- to 16-pound) fresh or prebrined turkey*

1 cup water

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Calories Per Serving: 280

Sodium Per Serving: 121 mg

Preparation:

Step 1

Combine the first 7 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

Step 2

Position a rack on second-lowest level in oven; preheat to 500°. Have a large roasting pan ready with a rack set in pan.

Step 3

Put 1/2 cup vegetable mixture inside neck cavity and 1/2 cup inside chest cavity of turkey. Scatter remaining vegetables on bottom of pan, and add 1 cup water. Truss turkey by tying ends of legs with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under bird. Using a pastry brush, brush turkey with 1/2 of the melted butter. Place turkey, breast side down, on roasting rack. Roast 30 minutes; turn oven down to 350°. Baste turkey with pan juices; roast 30 minutes more.

Step 4

Remove turkey from oven. Carefully (using something to protect your hands) turn turkey breast side up. (It won't be very hot at this point.) Baste with pan juices and remaining butter; return to oven. If the breast is becoming too dark, shield with foil. Roast, basting with pan juices again after 45 minutes. Turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into thickest part of a thigh away from the bone.

Step 5

Tilt juices from cavity into pan. Transfer bird to a carving board, and cover loosely with foil. Let rest for 30-40 minutes before carving. Carve turkey, and serve.

#5 Hash Browns

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded peeled baking potato

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Cooking spray

Calories Per Serving: 97

Sodium Per Serving: 97 mg

Preparation:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 475°.

Step 2

Place potato in a large bowl, and cover with cold water. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain and rinse potato. Dry thoroughly in a salad spinner, or pat dry with paper towels. Combine potato, onions, and bell pepper in a bowl. Add the cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and onion powder; toss well to coat.

Step 3

Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminium foil; coat thoroughly with cooking spray. Place a 3-inch biscuit cutter on the prepared baking sheet. Fill biscuit cutter with 1/2 cup potato mixture (do not pack). Carefully remove cutter, leaving potato patties intact. Repeat the procedure with remaining potato mixture. Coat tops of potato patties with cooking spray. Bake at 475° for 20 minutes. Turn and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.