Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: low fat low sodium low cholesterol diet

Question:
Have had to change our diet drastically due to a recently diagnosed heart condition my husband has. Have been hunting for low fat, low sodium, low cholesterol, recipes. Finding it more difficult than I thought, can succeed in one area only to fall short in the other. Anyone help me About Low Fat, Low Sodium

Answer:
I don't know if these recipes are low enough in sodium to help, but here goes: From Lean, Luscious, and Meatless, by Bonnie Hinman and Millie Snyder New Orleans Red Beans and Rice 1 cup kidney beans 6 cups water 1 1-pound can tomatoes, chopped, unsalted 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 cups chopped garlic 1 cup chopped celery 1 bay leaf 2 tsp dried basil 3/4 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp pepper salt to taste [you would probably want to skip this :-)] few drops bottle hot sauce (opt) 3 cups cooked brown rice Soak beans: Place beans and 4 cups of the water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 to 2 hours. To cook: Drain beans and return to saucepan. Add remaining ingredients, except rice, along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 1 -1/2 hours, until beans are tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. To serve, place 1/2 cup of cooked rice on each of six serving plates. Divide bean mixture evenly and spoon over rice. Each serving provides: 2 g. fat, 157 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol. Seashells and Mushrooms with Basil Creme Sauce 8 ounces macaroni shells, uncooked 4 cups sliced mushrooms 2 tsp dried basil 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp pepper 1 Tb. all-purpose flour 1 cup evaporated skim milk 3/4 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (3T) Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. While pasta is cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle with basil, garlic powder, and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Place flour in a small bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the milk, stirring to make a thick paste. Gradually add the remaining milk, stirring until smooth. Add to skillet, along with Parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the seashells. 4 servings; each serving provides 3 g. fat, 170 mg sodium, 7 mg. cholesterol. From Lean Cuisine by Barbara Gibbons and the editors of Consumer Reports: Italian Flank Steak Makes 6 servings. 1 1/2 lb flank steak 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 tsp sugar (optional) 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp grated lemon peel 1 small clove garlic, minced or 1 pinch garlic powder (optional) pepper to taste Score steak 1/8 inch deep on both sides in diamond design with sharp knife. Place steak in baking dish or heavy-duty plastic bag. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over steak. Refrigerate uncovered several hours, turning steak several times. Pour off marinade, including onions and mushrooms, reserving. Broil or grill steak 3 inches from heat 4 to 6 minutes on each side, or until done as desired. Meanwhile, heat mushrooms and onion in reserved marinade in tightly covered skillet 1 to 2 minutes. To serve, slice steak very thinly against the grain; top with onion and mushrooms. Per serving: 6.6 g fat, 73.8 mg cholesterol, 89.1 mg sodium. [note from MLL: flank steak is relatively low in fat and saturated fat, so look for more recipes using it.] Temple Chicken Breasts Makes 4 servings 2 whole chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb), split, trimmed of fat 1/4 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp garlic powder (optional) 1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice 2 T. soy sauce (optional = skip this to reduce sodium) 2 T. dry white wine 1 large Temple orange, peeled, segmented Sprinkle chicken with pepper and garlic; broil skinside up 10 to 15 minutes or until skin is crisp. Pour off fat. Blot chicken; place skin-side up in shallow baking dish. Mix orange juice with soy sauce and wine; pour over chicken. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 oven, basting frequently, 45 to 50 minutes. Add orange sections and bake 5 minutes, or until just heated through. Serve chicken with sauce. Per serving: 3.2 g fat, 79.3 mg cholesterol, 60.1 mg sodium. From 1001 Lowfat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler Roasted Eggplant with Pasta 1 medium eggplant (3/4 lb) 1 large tomato, seeded, coarsely chopped 4 green onions and tops, sliced 2 T balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar 1 T olive oil 1-2 tsp lemon juice 1 T finely chopped parsley 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) fusilli or rotine (spirals or corkscrews), cooked, room temp 1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce eggplant 6 to 8 times with fork; place in baking pan. Bake, uncovered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool until warm enough to handle easily. Cut eggplant in half; scoop out pulp with large spoon, and cut pulp into 3/4 inch pieces. 2. Combine eggplant pulp, tomato, and onions in bowl; stir in vinegar, oil, lemon juice and parsley. Spoon over pasta and toss. 6 servings. Per serving: 3 g fat, 7 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol. Cheese Pizza Dough 1 3/4 cupt all-purpose flour, divided 1 package fast-rising yeast 1/2 tsp sugar 2/3 cup very hot water (120 degrees) 2 T. grated fat-free Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese 1. Combine 3/4 cup flour, yeast, and sugar in medium bowl; add hot water, stirring until smooth. Mix in Parmesan cheese and enough remaining 1/2 cup flour to make smooth dough. 2. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth, kneading in Cheddar cheese. Cover dough with bowl; let stand 15 minutes before using. 3. Spray 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Top. Bake at 425 about 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is browned. Without toppings, and cut into 6 large slices, per serving: 0.3 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 49 mg sodium. [Ideas for toppings: homemade tomato sauce, fat free mozzarella, lots of roasted or grilled veggies - go wild. MLL] Hope this gives you a few ideas to try! Look for the books in the public library and you'll find lots more ideas. Good Luck!