Monday, January 7, 2013

It's a salty world out there

Yes, it's a salty world out there.  And those of us with high blood pressure have to learn to navigate our way through it.  Even after losing weight, my blood pressure still has to be monitored.  I brought it down just from losing weight, but I was still taking my regular BP medicine. Then the doctor decreased my dosage.  That's a good thing, right?  But then my blood pressure started climbing, even though I was walking.  I realized I was going to have to cut back on salt, more than I had been doing already.   I had already stopped using it at the dinner table, and only used no-salt-added vegetables, low-sodium soups and other products, but it just wasn't enough.  So I started reading labels and looking up sodium content.  Along the way I found that "we" are obsessed with salt.
Our food is loaded with it.  To almost unbelievable excess.  Most people do not realize how much more salt is put into our foods than when I was growing up.  In our groceries, it's really not for taste, it's for profit.   The shelf life of food is lengthened by adding extra salt.  Gradually companies have increased the amount of sodium in their products and we've become used to how it tastes.  We are so used to it, it no longer tastes salty to us, which is why you will see people salting their already over-salted food in fast food places.  Restaurants have increased the amount of salt in their recipes to keep up with the public's taste buds.  We just can't taste it anymore if it's not used to excess. 
An average person is only suppose to have between 2200 and 2400 milligrams of sodium a day, but an entree at Olive Garden or a deluxe burgers with fries at McDonald's run about 1800mm to 2200 alone.  Ask to see a restaurant's nutritional information, you will be shocked.  Those two restaurants are no different than any others.  So what do we do?  
While many restaurants are cooperative, and if they can, they will limit the salt, however, sometimes there is just no low-sodium choices.  Also, salt is hidden where you would never expect.  For example, my family and I went out for a steak dinner for Father's Day.  We went to Longhorn Steak House, which is a very nice restaurant.  Like other steak houses, they season their steaks (salt), some are marinated (salt), then they add a pat of butter on the top of the steaks to give them that lovely glistening effect before serving.  They use salted butter, so that butter is extra salt. Your baked potato has salted butter, so does your vegetables, and the vegetables may also be seasoned.and sometimes cooked in salted water first. (salt, salt, salt)   Bread has salt in it and we already discussed the butter.
What about something bland like rice?  Do not assume rice has no salt.  In restaurants it's seasoned and then salted butter is added..  Appetizers are generally very salty.  Cheese fries?  They salt the fries, then add cheese and bacon, both full of salt.  Your salad?... the dressing is made with salt and sugar, and croutons and cheese sprinkled on top.  And of course, desserts are full of sugar and...what else?...salt!
So what did I eat when I was there?   That first time, I merely said no seasoning on my steak.  I had a light vinaigrette dressing on the side of my salad, baked sweet potato, vegetables with my steak. I skipped the roll and of course, the cheese fries.   But my blood pressure was still pretty high when I tested it and I couldn't understand where I went wrong.  After investigating, I found the hidden salt in my meal.  Next time my husband we went for steak dinner, I had my salad with vinegar and oil, and asked them to leave off the croutons and cheese.  Steak, unseasoned, no extra butter on top.  Baked sweet potato, no butter or sugar.  Now, I'd been used to putting no sugar on my sweet potato, but in restaurants no cinnamon either, because many restaurants use a cinnamon/sugar mix.
Despite my meal's restrictions, my steak tasted great.  Steak doesn't really need all that salt on it to taste good.  And sweet potatoes taste good even with no butter or sugar. Using less salt, you actually taste the original flavor of the food, which is why we eat it in the first place.  I did ask the waitress if they had unsalted butter for my sweet potato, but no dice.  She was kind enough to tell me about the extra salted butter being added on top of the steak, a perfect example of hidden salt source.  Most restaurants use salted butter, so if you go out to eat, you have to count for those extra milligrams of sodium, or skip butter completely.
It never hurts to ask the waitress for help and tell them you are watching your sodium.  At Chili's for example, the waitress informed me that they cook their own tortilla chips.  I was able to request ours be left unsalted.  Just watch how much salsa you eat.  Although it's made with tomatoes, peppers and onions which are healthy, it is high in salt.  In fact, most entree's at Chili's are high in sodium, but with careful ordering and portion control, you can eat there without sending your BP through the roof.  Fajitas are a good menu choice. 
Fast food burger joints are known to be high in salt and fat.  Stay away!  However, McDonald's will make you a batch of unsalted fries if you are willing to wait for them to make them.  Get the smallest size, remember it is still  carbs.  Their salads are full of sodium, however.  Whether fried or grilled, the chicken is seasoned and the cheese, croutons and salad dressing add to the high sodium count. 
Red Lobster is a good place to eat if you are on a diet and watching your sodium.  In fact most seafood places are pretty good.  You can order fish, get it broiled, seasoned with just lemon, and garlic and at Red Lobster they offer half portions.  Believe me, a half portion is plenty!  Portion sizes are another thing that have increased over time.  Tell the wait staff you are on a low sodium diet, and ask for your vegetables to not be seasoned either.
I've had good success at a local Mongolian stir fry place called Crazy Fire.  I assume it is typical of these stir fry restaurants.  You pick out your own fresh ingredients, and add what spices you want yourself. Then you take it up to the guys who stir fry it for you and ask you what sauce you prefer. Stick to individual spices as most spice blends offered have salt in them.  Unless it is clearly marked on the bottle, " no salt", assume it's in there!   No sauces, either.  They are loaded with salt and very fattening.  I get my stir fry with zucchini, bean sprouts, onions, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms, with chicken and/or shrimp, garlic and some herbs. No rice or pasta.  It still comes out tasting great even without the sauces.  You can load up with vegetables and walk out of there stuffed!  Asian buffets are the same, if you have the will power to avoid most of the stuff offered on the bar and stick to the stir fry, fruit and treat yourself to some sushi.  Ask for low-sodium soy sauce or bring a bottle of it yourself.  I did!  Even with  low-sodium soy sauce, I dilute it further with a little water and use it sparingly.  Soy sauce is mega-high in sodium!
Surprisingly, Sweet Tomatoes restaurant is not as health friendly as you would think.  Despite having a giant salad bar and proclaiming their food is so healthy, their dressings are high in salt, so are their soups, the butter is salted and the specialty salads might have bacon, cheese, ham bits, and croutons mixed in, along with salad dressing.  And why do they have to use salted sunflower seeds?  Another hidden source of extra sodium.  The pasta dishes and cheesy pizza sticks all have cheese or cheese sauce and so are very salty.  They do have fresh fruit and usually a sugar-free mousse of some kind offered, though not always.  When I go, I help myself various lettuces and vegetables.  I treat myself to a little bit of broccoli salad,and toss.  I do not add salad dressing, using the sauce on the broccoli salad as my dressing.  Broccoli salad is made with mayonnaise and mayonnaise is high in salt, so watch it!  If you do not like broccoli salad, you can mix in a small amount of a specialty salad and mix that in, or use a small bit of their vinaigrette or skip the dressing altogether.   I wish they offered some low-sodium soup choices, but they do not, so I skip the soup and the pizza.  If you get a baked potato, remember the butter is salted.  I do treat myself to one or two of their mini-muffins and some of the sugar-free mousse.   Mousse and puddings are high in salt, another hidden salt source.  So even if they are low-sugar, you must keep the portion size down.  Despite it's limitations, a meal at Sweet Tomatoes with the salad, muffin, and mousse for dessert, you do not walk out of there feeling deprived and that is why I recommend you can treat yourself to Sweet Tomatoes once in awhile..
It's nice to go out for a treat occasionally and one of my favorite places is a frozen yogurt place called Skinny Dip.  They always offer a no-sugar-added choice and have fresh fruit on the toppings bar. Resist the other more fattening toppings and sauces and remember frozen yogurt like ice cream has salt in it, so watch your portion size. 
Let's face it, eating at home is easier because you can control the sodium yourself but you still need to be wary when shopping.  In my next blog, I will discuss shopping low-sodium.






 

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