There’s no denying you have too much salt in your diet (unless you’re in a very small minority of Brits who can boast such as wellness claim). Still, just because it’d be better for your wellbeing if you cut down your salt intake, it doesn’t mean you have to compromise on flavour. Here are some low-sodium meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that taste great without boosting your blood pressure.
1. Banana and nut porridge: There is absolutely no sodium in this delicious and comforting breakfast, making it the perfect way to start a winter’s day. Packing your porridge with bananas, nuts, and cinnamon is a great way to rise and shine, being completely devoid of cholesterol and providing just 310 of your daily calorie allowance. Plus, in each serving of this protein-packed breakfast you will find nine grams of fibre, and plenty of blood pressure-lowering potassium in the bananas.
2. Granola: While there is a little salt in granola – about 22mg or so – comparatively it’s a little amount and granola is still mega beneficial for your heart. The best thing to do is to cut your prep time down and make a big batch for the week on Sunday night. That way, you can grab this breakfast first thing and not have to think about food again until lunch. As well as being filling and heart-healthy, granola is contains three grams of fibre and three grams of protein per serving.
3. Crispy potato hash browns: You don’t have to give up your favourite breakfast side dish, you just need to make a few small changes to make it a little less salty. Using a combination of cooking oil and high heat, rather than the oil traditionally used for frying, this recipe offers the same taste but with only 97mg of sodium. Plus, each serving of this classic dish yields only 97 calories and less than one gram of fat – what a winner.
4. Beetroot, Orange, and Ricotta Salad: When lunchtime rolls around, why not tuck into a nice bit of beetroot? Combining this colourful vegetable with salad, orange and ricotta provides you with 94g protein per serving, even though the calorie count is just 132. This lunch is sweet and salty, despite having only 88mg sodium, so you can satisfy your taste buds without hurting your waistline.
5. White bean and roasted garlic dip: If you’re a chips-and-dips kind of snacker, but can’t afford the sodium content, have a go with this 94mg wonder. Grinding up white beans gives you four grams of fibre and seven grams of protein, while using garlic and lemon juice to season this dip cuts the sodium count, which can be sky-high in other savoury dips.
6. Pappardelle with lemon gremolata and asparagus: Containing 106mg of sodium, this is the saltiest dish we’ve come across so far but it is dinner we’re talking about here. Combining lemon gremolata with asparagus and pappardelle pasta gives you an amazing burst of vitamin K, five grams of protein and two grams of fibre. Aside from keeping you feeling full all night – and thus helping you to avoid unhealthy snacking – this zesty, fresh dish has only 179 calories per serving.
7. Minted gin froth: Bet you didn’t expect to find cocktails on this list! A minted gin froth contains no sodium at all, but that’s not the only reason why you can enjoy it, guilt-free. While being minty and refreshing, a minted gin froth contains no fat and very few calories, so look online for exciting, healthy recipes.
