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Low Sodium Diets

Thu, 04/09/2009 - 20:56 — Synchro

If you are on a low sodium diet, don't despair. There is quite a bit you can eat when in the outdoors. You just have to think your menus out, and plan well. If there are ingredients you cannot find, drop us an email, we can tell you where to find them.  When I was first put on a low sodium diet, I had no idea what I could eat. But as the months went by, I found that I could eat almost everything I liked, I just had to change the recipes a bit. This has helped when backpacking with others not on a special diet.

Sarah & Kirk ~ June 2006

Low Sodium Diets and Trail Cooking:

 

Things you can do to get there:
My Dr's. recently put me on a low sodium diet - and this has definitely made planning trail food more interesting.  A good percentage of recipes can be changed to a low sodium diet.

Notes about changing recipes and what to avoid:
Learn to research everything you take. Especially condiment packages. Read very carefully.

Salt free peanut butter is made by Trader Joe's and Adam's® Peanut Butter nationally. You can also find homemade peanut butter in some health food stores. You can also find nut butters made from cashews, almonds and walnuts.

Cashews are a great source of protein. Trader Joe's is an excellent source for them.

Think of freeze dried and dried fruits and vegetables as freebies. If you dry your own vegetables, and use frozen to start with, read the packages. Some brands pre salt the vegetables.

Sun Belt® granola bars are very low in sodium. They also contain no corn syrup. Walmart® usually carries the brand.

Canned chicken should be used in the smallest cans for 1 serving recipes - 3 ounce cans can be found. If you wish to cut sodium down further, drain the can. Canned meat doesn't have to be avoided - if you watch what else goes into your meal - this means using carbs and vegetables that have no sodium added beforehand.

Some canned tuna, chicken and turkey can be found that is processed with no additional salt. These can help your diet.

Chicken of the Sea® I have seen other brands as well - I belive I have seen Hormel® carry a no salt line.

Dried hamburger is a great alternative! It is very low in sodium, and very easy to prepare. See the gear section for how-to.

Butter Buds® / Molly McButter® / Butter Flavored Powder - be careful when called for, it can be left out of any recipe with no harm. It contains a lot of salt!

Bullion powder - what you want to use is low sodium, MSG free varieties - which do exist in chicken, beef and vegetable flavors. Safeway® grocery stores carry the Herb Ox® varieties. Making your own is also quite easy, we have a couple recipes here.

You can use instant Chinese noodles instead of ramen. They are not deep fried, nor do they come with packets of bullion.

Dry milk powder does contain sodium, be careful with it, it is a "hidden" source. Most soy milks have less sodium overall, so unless you are making pudding, it can be a good substitute.

Higher fat versions of products many times have less sodium.

Carry an herbal "fix-it" kit with you on the trail - small bags from the craft store filled with herbs and spice blends can save a bland meal without salt.

Spice Hunter carries a number of salt free blends and are found in the spice section at many grocery stores.

Swiss cheese is your friend. Many swiss cheeses are very low in sodium naturally. Read the labels. They travel well in packs.

Avoid Parmesan and hard cheeses. They are very high in sodium. Cheddar cheese is one of the highest in sodium.

Corn tortillas are sodium free to minimal amounts by most manafactures. Flour tortillas can be over 500 mg for one soft taco sized tortilla. If you take corn tortillas, expect breakage, but realize they are great for eating bite sizes with.  While not super appetizing, lettuce leaves do travel with if wrapped in slightly damp paper towels, and can be used for wraps on the trail.

In our book, Freezer Bag Cooking: Trail Food Made Simple, we have quite a few recipes that are low sodium, or that can easily be converted to lower sodium.

Note: To further cut down sodium, canned meats can be drained, and any cheese can be left out.

Places to find products:

If anyone knows of place like this that offer this kind of food in other countries.  Please let me know and I will add it here.

But, as a warning, do realize that in hot weather you will sweat a lot - TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST BEFORE HIKING! Some medications can cause you to become dehydrated quickly.