Jewel-Osco Hold the Salt on the Fries
May is National Stroke Awareness Month and it couldn’t be a better time for you to adopt a new attitude, learn how too much sodium negatively affects your health and change your diet. Researchers say fat and sodium play a key role in stroke. These findings were reported at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference in 2005.
Excess sodium in the diet is not necessary for health or to improve the taste of your food. Start reading labels to find the best overall bets for nutrition. The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping sodium intake under 2,300 milligrams per day for most individuals. The recommendation is even lower for some people depending on medical history. Limiting sodium in the diet can help with blood pressure management, which is smart for the heart and the kidneys.
Worried about taste? As salt is decreased in foods, taste buds adjust over time. Try finding flavor in herbs, spices, and even with cooking techniques. Roasting vegetables adds a wonderful layer of flavor. Try combining several types of vegetables along with garlic, olive oil, or a variety of herbs and spices for even more taste bud appeal. –kim kirchherr, MS, RD, LDN, CDE, Jewel-Osco dietitian
Here are some ideas to help you start combining fresh herbs with your foods. They are healthy alternatives to using salt.
- BASIL – a natural snipped in with tomatoes; terrific in fresh pesto; other possibilities include pasta sauce, peas, zucchini
- CHIVES – dips, potatoes, tomatoes
- CILANTRO – Mexican, Asian and Caribbean cooking; salsas, tomatoes
- DILL – carrots, cottage cheese, fish, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes
- MINT – carrots, fruit salads, parsley, peas, tabouli, tea
- OREGANO – peppers, tomatoes
- PARSLEY – The curly leaf is the most common, but the flat-leaf or Italian parsley is more strongly flavored and often preferred for cooking. Naturals for parsley include potato salad, tabouli
- ROSEMARY – chicken, fish, lamb, pork, roasted potatoes, soups, stews, tomatoes
- SAGE – poultry seasoning, stuffings
- TARRAGON – chicken, eggs, fish
- THYME – eggs, lima beans, potatoes, poultry, summer squash, tomatoes
- WINTER SAVORY – dried bean dishes, stews
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Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced into strips
2 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 (1 pound) loaf focaccia bread
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Brush eggplant and red bell peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil; use more if necessary, depending on sizes of vegetables. Place on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven. Roast eggplant until tender, about 25 minutes; roast peppers until blackened. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté mushrooms until tender. Stir crushed garlic into mayonnaise. Slice focaccia in half lengthwise. Spread mayonnaise mixture on one or both halves.
4. Peel cooled peppers, core and slice. Arrange eggplant, peppers and mushrooms on focaccia. Wrap sandwich in plastic wrap; place a cutting board on top of it and weight it down with some canned foods. Allow sandwich to sit for 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Recipe courtesy of www.allrecipes.com. For this and more delicious ideas, visit www.jewelosco.com and click the “plan” tab for recipes.
