Tailgating - Healthier With No Salt

by Lawanna Beam
Bean's Things

Resources for Low Salt Menus and Recipes

Tailgating equates good food! That's a given. And since we do a lot of barbequeing, etc., these usually contain a good amount of salt. I have just been diagnosed with Meniere's Syndrome. For those of you who are not familiar with this, you usually experience some degree of hearing loss, have tinnitus (a ringing in your ears) and dizziness and vertigo. This is not life threatening, but it does reduce your quality of life somewhat until you learn how to manage it. One of the most important things you can do is reduce your salt intake. Now for most of us, that is a major challenge, because after researching and reading labels, there is salt in almost everything! We all need some salt in our diets, but nowadays most processed foods have way more than necessary.

Now it occurs to me that I am certainly not the only one, tailgater or not, who deals with this. There are many chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease that require lowering your salt intake. I thought my life was over when I found out I had to lower my salt intake. But I have been exploring the web for information and happily found out that there are a lot of products that are both tasty and healthy. I would like to share some of the products I found to be helpful.

No Salt Se as oning s

There are many spices that are available that contain no salt. Here are a few I have tried. I always keep one salt free seasoning in my purse when I eat out.

Nu-Salt Salt Substitute This is put out by the same people who make Sweet and Low. It can be used both at the table and in cooking.

Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blend Mrs. Dash puts out a whole series of salt free seasonings. The ones I have tried are the Onion and Herb and the Table Blend. Both are very good. Contains no MSG.

AlsoSalt Sodium Free Salt Substitute This is sold at Tom Thumb stores in our area. You can also buy it online at alsosalt.com if it's not available in your area. They have butter flavored too.

Spike Gourmet Natural Seasoning This one comes in several varieties. Tailgaters might want to try the Cajun and Grillin'.

Bell's All Natural Salt Free Seasoning This one is great in egg salad and chicken dishes.

No Salt Sauces

Here are no salt sauces that are available. If you can't find them in your area, go to http://healthyheartmarket.com/ketchupandbar-b-q.aspx and you can order them on line.

Colgin Liquid Smoke Great for grilling and making soups.

Heinz No Salt Tomato Ketchup - Made with AlsoSalt

Lum Taylor's Barbeque Sauce If you are on a low sodium diet and love BBQ sauce, you have a new best friend named Lum. This sauce is terrific!

Diana's Lime Wasabi Grill Crazy Use this sauce with chicken, fish or seafood.

Natural Hickory Liquid Smoke This has been around since 1869 and is a smoke enhancer for any type of food.

Natural Pecan Liquid Smoke All natural.

Mrs. Dash Garlic Lime 10 Minute Marinade Salt free made with real lime juice.

Texas Sassy Tequila Ketchup This is perfect for hamburgers, hot dogs or anything grilled. Add it to your favorite meatloaf or use it as a dipping sauce.

Mrs. Dash Zesty Garlic Herb 10 Minute Marinade Salt free with a touch of orange.

Mrs. Dash Southwester Chipotle 10 Minute Marinade Salt free with a touch of lime.

Mrs. Dash Mesquite Grill 10 Minute Marinade Salt free with a touch of apple.

Mrs. Dash Lemon Herb Peppercorn 10 Minute Marinade Salt free with a touch of lemon. Delicious.

Monty Smith's BBQ Sauce This one is everyone's favorite. A taste you will never forget! This one is not salt free, but it has only 10 mg of sodium per 2 Tbsp serving.

Healthy Heart Market Taco/Chili Mix Add this wonderful seasoning mix to ground turkey, chicken or beef for your favorite Mexican dishes!

Williams Original Chili Seasoning No salt added. Seasons 2 lbs meat for chili.

NOTE: If a product changed to a lower sodium level, you may see these various terms alerting you to the changes:

Reduced or less sodium: At least 35-percent less sodium than the original version of the product

Light in Sodium: At least 50-percent less sodium than the original version of the product

Low Sodium: 140mg of sodium (or less) per serving

Sodium Free: Less than 5mg of sodium per serving

One other tip, if you are restricted to under 2000 mg a day, it's better to eat an equal amount at each meal rather than eating most of your daily allotment in one meal. Another way to cut your salt intake in baking is to add only half of what it calls for.

Reading Labels

Reading labels is a biggie too. Once you start, you will find there is salt in almost everything, so we get a lot more salt in our diet than we could ever imagine without adding it at the table. I personally was blown away with the amount of salt I was eating without even being aware of it.

Dining Out

When dining out, you can reduce the sodium content of a meal by trying these simple suggestions:

Use pepper, lemon juice, or b ring your own salt free seasoning for flavor

Go easy on condiments and sauces. Mustards, catsup, salad dressings, sauces and gravy substantially increase the amount of sodium in your meal

Request that food is prepared without added salt and ask for sauces, salad dressing and gravy be served on the side

Recognize words that indicate a high sodium content ; marinated, pickled, smoked, au jus, teriyaki, soy sauce or in broth

Keep it simple . Often special sauces and toppings add extra sodium to foods. Ordering a broiled cut of meat or fish is a better choice than entrees covered with special sauces. Plain meat-type sandwiches are lower in sodium than chicken, egg or tuna salad sandwiches.

There are many healthy recipes available. But I found one that is geared for tailgaters. Go to http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_tailgating_recipes . There are lots of really easy, tasty recipes. And remember, if it calls for salt, reduce the amount by half. You'll be healthier for it!

Great Informational Web Sites for Low or No Sodium

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_tailgating_recipes This web site features healthy recipes for tailgaters. And remember, if any recipe calls for salt, reduce the amount by half.

http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/IngredientSources.htm

http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/Archive.htm#sauces

http://www.lowsodiumliving.com/saucesmenu.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-sodium-recipes/RE00101

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/food/lowsaltdiet.html

http://www.lowsaltfoods.com/food_center/lsfoods/condiments.htm

http://www.italian-food.us/

http://www.lowsaltfoods.com/food_center/lsfoods/baking.htm

Conclusion

As I explore more, I will share what I learn with my tailgating friends. So stay tuned!

About Me

Here's a little history about how Rain or Shine Canopy came to be. My husband is a remote controlled airplane enthusiast. He attends "fly ins" all across the United States. He decided that he needed a good quality canopy to protect him from the elements. So he bought a tailgate canopy and absolutely loves it! The quality is outstanding and it's very easy to assemble. In addition, I found there were a few products that go hand in hand when you are on the road. For example, comfortable camping chairs, mosquito repellent and wine coolers just to name a few. So I have included a few that we found very useful and make our trips a lot more enjoyable!

Be sure to check out my web site at www.rainorshinecanopy.com. Also, my blog at www.rainorshinecanopy.blogspot.com. I have included great tailgating tips and a fun video of Paula Deen cookin' up some scrumptious Bacon and Cheese Jalopeno Poppers for all you tailgaters!

Article submitted Wednesday, February 10, 2010 & read 126 times.

Lawanna Bean is a new writer with SearchWarp. She is retired and now has the time to pursue her hobbies. Velvet, her cat, is her constant companion. Her hobbies are collecting dolls, reading, cooking and gardening. Check out her new web site at www.rainorshinecanopy.com and her blogs at www.rainorshinecanopy.blogspot.com

Leave your comments through Blogz:

» left by Richard Vail (2 years 75 days ago.)

Now that's a lot of information, thanks for brining this to us. I for one should follow your advice.
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» left by Mark Neil (2 years 75 days ago.)

'Welcome to SearchWarp community!'
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» left by Linda DeWitt (2 years 74 days ago.)

I am going to mark this article as a favorite because I think it has some valuable information. Some items I am going to try. I already use Mrs Dash and love the product. Thanks for sharing and welcome to Searchwarp.
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» left by Mary Ann Humphrey (2 years 73 days ago.)

Great Article
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