Easter dinner traditionally means one of two main courses — either ham or lamb. But neither is an acceptable choice if you’re on a low-salt, or a low-fat, or a low-salt, low-fat diet as I am. That can make being a guest at someone else’s Easter feast a problem for you.
So do what I did this year. Invite family and/or friends to your house where you control the menu. Then assemble a low-salt, low-fat meal that everyone will enjoy, even if some guests are missing the ham (they can buy some at their houses).
I started this year with a fresh turkey. Frozen and self-basting turkeys are loaded with salt, as much as 380 mgs per four ounces. A fresh turkey has 75 mg of sodium per four ounces. If you plan to eat 8-12 ounces as I do, that’s a big difference and worth the extra cost of a fresh turkey. I found one at my local Jewel this year for $1.99 a pound.
Inject the turkey with low- or no-sodium broth to keep it moist while cooking. Cook for about 20 minutes a pound, this will vary depending on your oven. I cooked my almost 17-pound bird about six and a half hours.
For side dishes, I made green beans in a balsamic/olive oil glaze and asparagus roasted with low-salt panko breadcrumbs and low-fat cheese. I bought low-fat gravy to serve with the turkey. It has a lot of sodium, so watch yourself here. I have yet to find a salt-free pre-made turkey gravy.
I also did a stuffing with salt-free wheat bread, mushrooms, peppers and onions. The meal began with a big salad bowl of field greens, spinach, tomatoes and low-salt olives with oil and vinegar for dressing.
In the end, I still went over my daily salt and fat allotments, but I also splurged with the gravy and had two chocolate brownies for dessert, so that likely explained it. Think about how far over I would have been had I not done all this.
John
The No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar Journal 
That is a real holiday mea. The green beans look delicious!
Those were store-bought but this summer we’ve been eating beans from my garden…so good.
Thanks for the low sodium ideas! I too am on a low sodium diet—very hard—because of kidney issues. I have yet to find fresh turkey in my grocery stores out where I live, but the sides you made look great.
There is one frozen turkey – Costco carries but I can’t remember the brand
😦 that is also 75-80 grams of sodium/3 oz. Just take a close look at the nutrition info if you have a Costco nearby.