Dear Chef Kathleen,

I was just told by my doctor that I have to lose weight and cut way back on my sodium due to high blood pressure. He said I can't eat any more than 150 mg of sodium per meal. I realize that I can read labels, but how do I know how much sodium is in fresh foods? I really need breakfast ideas because I'm pretty sure my bacon and egg favorites aren't good for me.
I just don't know where to start.

Andrea


Dear Andrea,

According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic, "about 11 percent of the sodium in the average person's diet comes from adding salt or other sodium-containing condiments to foods while cooking or eating. But the majority of the sodium—77 percent—comes from eating prepared or processed foods that contain the mineral."

A diet of mainly low-sodium fresh foods and very few processed foods is key for you at this time.

To find out the sodium content in fresh and processed foods, pick up a copy of "The Complete Book of Food Counts, The Book That Counts It All: Calories, Carbohydrates, Protein, Cholesterol, Sodium, Fat and Fiber" by Corinne T. Netzer ($7.99 paperback).

Another great bargain in the same price range is "The Pocket Guide to Low Sodium Foods." It's organized by supermarket aisles and contains more than 3,000 generic and brand-name foods for low-salt diets. It's a great-at-a-glance reference book, one you can easily tuck into your briefcase.

Fitday.com is a free online resource that offers nutritional information including sodium counts for fresh foods and thousands of brand-name foods too.

Limiting your sodium intake to 150 mg per meal is challenging, but doable. Once you get the hang of it, you won't feel like you're missing out on a thing. Think of all the residual health benefits you'll receive once you start eating more fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains!

A mere slice of bacon will set you back 192 mg of sodium. Breakfast sausages contain between 300 and 700 mg per serving, so they're on the only-with-the-doctor's-permission list. A small egg has 47 mg of sodium. A large egg, the size most commonly purchased and served in restaurants, contains 63 mg of sodium.

A two-egg breakfast adds up to 126 mg of sodium and that's before you add a single ingredient, side dish or beverage.

Egg whites contain 55 mg. Egg substitutes weigh in at 115 mg for a mere 1/4-cup serving, so they're no sodium bargain either; however, Kroger brand egg substitute contains only 80 mg of sodium per 1/4-cup serving. But remember, when you're calculating your sodium intake, be sure to factor in the portion sizes you're likely to consume. A 1/4-cup serving of egg substitute is hardly enough to sustain you to lunch time.

The good news is there are still plenty of satisfying and filling breakfast options. Though processed and packaged, not all breakfast cereals are off limits.

Kashi makes some really great low- and no-sodium cereals. Kashi Organic Promise Autumn Wheat has zero sodium. It's hearty and filling, especially if you top it with fresh fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and bananas are sodium free.

Reading labels always pays off, especially when you're comparing products under brand names we associate with good health. Quaker Old Fashioned and Quick Oats contain no sodium per serving, but a serving of Quaker Baked Apple Instant Oats contains 230 mg. Most people cook up two packages at a time.

What's a bowl of cereal without milk?

Try it, you'll like it.

Milk weighs in at 120 mg per one cup serving of whole milk and 127 mg per one cup serving of nonfat. You can certainly enjoy your cereal with milk if you choose a no- or very low-sodium cereal and no- or very low-sodium fruit.

Other heart-smart toppings to think about: soy milk and yogurt. Some light soy milks have about 80 mg of sodium per 8-ounce serving, but a lot of soy milks have added sea salt, so shop wise. Some brands of yogurt feature 6-ounce products containing about 80 mg of sodium, but compare labels because a lot of varieties contain more than double that. One of my favorite breakfasts is a bowl of cereal topped with fruit and yogurt (a low-sodium bargain at only 80 mg a serving!).

I recommend making a list of your favorite fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, meats and seafoods and looking up the sodium content of each. Post this on your refrigerator so you're never in the dark about what you're eating.

kd@chefkathleen.com