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Cooking the right foods for someone with heart failure is as important as the medication they take. Food should be as salt-free as possible to reduce the chance of sodium overload. Knowing what to cook requires constant attention.
Buy fresh fruits as often as possible. They usually have more flavor and less salt than canned or frozen versions of the same food.
Whenever possible, use foods that are labeled unsalted, salt-free or very low sodium. Read food labels and choose brands with the least amount of sodium. Choose items with less than 140 mg. of sodium per serving. If you are shopping for a quick meal, look for frozen dinners and entrees with less than 300 mg. of sodium per serving.
Avoid all prepared and canned foods as sodium is the preservative used to prepare the food.
Substitute fresh foods and canned foods for processed foods. For example, use fresh milk instead of evaporated milk or condensed milk and fresh instead of canned vegetables.
Substitute low-sodium food items for similar items which are very high in sodium. For example, instead of tomato sauce, try using tomato paste plus an equal amount of water. Or instead of tomato juice, try using tomato pasted plus twice the amount of water. Instead of broth or bouillon, use very low-sodium instant broth by Herb Ox® or others. Instead of pasta sauce from a jar, try using very low sodium pasta sauce by Prego® or others. Substitute garlic powder, onion powder or celery seed for garlic salt, onion salt or celery salt. And most importantly, instead of salt, try using an herb blend like Mrs. Dash®, Parsley Patch® or Salt-Free 17®.
Food must taste good to be enjoyed. There are many interesting flavors to enjoy besides “salty,” including savory, sweet, spicy, peppery and tangy.
Here are some suggestions of herbs, spices and flavorings to use in place of salt. Add them during cooking for a fuller flavor.
- With beef, use a bay leaf, garlic, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage or thyme.
- With lamb, use curry powder, garlic, rosemary or mint.
- With pork, use garlic, onion, sage, pepper or oregano.
- With veal, use a bay leaf, curry powder, ginger or marjoram.
- With chicken, use ginger, lemon or lime juice, marjoram, oregano, paprika, poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage, tarragon or thyme.
- With fish, use basil, curry powder, dill, dry mustard, lemon or lime juice, marjoram, parsley or pepper.
- With carrots, use cinnamon, cloves, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary or sage.
- With corn, use cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika or parsley.
- With green beans, use dill, curry powder, lemon juice, marjoram, oregano, tarragon or thyme.
- With greens, use onion, pepper or vinegar.
- With peas, use ginger, marjoram, onion, parsley or sage.
- With potatoes, use dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley, pepper or sage.
- With summer squash, use cloves, curry powder, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary or sage.
- With winter squash, use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or onion.
- With tomatoes, use basil, bay leaf, dill, garlic, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley or pepper.
Try new seasonings one or two at a time so you can learn which ones you like best. If you aren't sure where to start, we suggest all-purpose favorites like salt-free garlic and onion powders, oregano, parsley and red or black pepper.
In general, herbs have a more subtle flavor than salt does, so you can use more.
If you don't want to fuss with a lot of different seasonings, try a different herb blend such as Mrs. Dash® and Parsley Patch®. Choose brands that have no sodium in them.
A splash of wine or flavored vinegar, added near the end of cooking, perks up the flavor of soups, stews and sauces. The alcohol from wine cooks off.
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