sodium help

[instg8r]

I'm rather new to being vegetarian, the main reason I decided to go vegetarian was for health reasons (then I found out about how badly the animals suffer and now there is no going back!) I have hypertension, but my blood pressure hasn't dropped. I've noticed that a lot of the fake meat products have a LOT of sodium, and I seem to be adding salt to my veg meals for add'l flavor (I like to have ranch w/ my veggies, Im planning to go vegan eventually but for now...) do you guys have any suggestions how I can eat a tasty and filling vegetarian meal w/ minimal sodium???? Pls keep in mind that Im a poor and busy college student! Thanks in advance!!!!

[instg8r]

ok so I will take that as a big fat no :(

[Kusinagi]

Well.... what do you want to eat??

[silverundertone]

try baking up some beans...you can use them in salad..or...they make agreat sandwich (weird..but its really good)..
they also make salt substitutes which have alot of potassium in them,which you may want to try....

[bluegrrrl79]

try baking up some beans...you can use them in salad..or...they make agreat sandwich (weird..but its really good)..
they also make salt substitutes which have alot of potassium in them,which you may want to try....
Yes if you look around they have various salt substitutes...some made of potassium that taste like salt, and others that are mixed spices that will add flavor without the salt. I suggest looking online for recipes or buying some vegetarian cookbooks, this will allow you to make some nice meals but control the salt factor, instead of prepackaged foods.

[instg8r]

im not a big fan of beans.....
i like eating the fake meats from boca and morningstar, but there is a lot of sodium!
other then that i eat a lot of cereal (w/ vanilla soy milk) fruits, veggies (w/ ranch)
ive tried one dish w/ tofu and i liked it, but it was made w/ pasta which i would like to get away from ---- what do u all eat that doesnt have a lot of sodium?

[Kusinagi]

Lots of veggies. Whipped, solid, chunked, steamed, roasted.. lots of tofu, uhm.. cereal, rice, beans, nuts, fruits, pie, cake, sometimes fake meats, tofutti fake ice cream stuff (but not often because it's too strong tasting).. uhm.. I don't use salt when I cook at all, though..

[catswym]

well, i eat a lot of beans.

you could also do nuts and nut butters for protein--if you get natural kinds they have no salt added.

all processed foods have lots of sodium. if you don't want to consume lots of sodium, don't eat processed foods.

beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts are all good sources of protein with low sodium.

also, if you have hypertension i would try to increase the potassium intake. eat bananas, cantaloupe, things with lots of potassium.

in general, i eat a lot of fruits and veggies. secondly whole grains, then protein sources. i don't eat fake meats except maybe once or twice a month because i don't want to eat that processed stuff.

[Coney]

I don't think it's bad for you to eat the fake meats, just watch your sodium intake for the rest of the day, and limit yourself to one fake burger per day.

Do you excersise to the point of sweating a lot? That will help with lowering your sodium in your body.

-Try putting vinegar on your food, like on baked potatoes, instead of salty stuff.
-Use fresh lemon/lime juice on salads instead of dressing.
-Use more spices on plain foods, like onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle powder, cumin, and get herbs to add also. You can do alot for enhancing the taste of foods w/o getting the added sodium.

You can always use dry TVP and make vegan hash out of it, using vinegar and some soy sauce or Braggs on top. Chop some cooked potatoes, onions, add onion powder and garlic powder. Use your imagination for spices to add. It's cheap and filling and good. I've been making that on the weekends for breakfast.

[Hummusisyummus]

Try cutting out the fake meat and other processed stuff for a few weeks and see what happens. Try hummus instead of Ranch. Cardio exercise helps, too.

I'm not being very helpful...

[instg8r]

thanks for all the advice!
the processed meats are quick and easy, thats why i like them
i dont have a lot of time to go grocery shopping and i have trbl keeping 'fresh' produce in the house :( - i buy the cans of fruit, but then those have a lot of sugar :( grr
why does eating healthy have to be so hard?
and yes i do work out, like 45 mins/5 days a wk

[Autumn Leaves]

What if you went raw for a while (?)

:hi:

[instg8r]

I wouldnt even know where to begin!!
(im willing to try it though if somebody can point me in the right direction)