April 2025 – The No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar Journal

Before my first heart attack in 2012, the Panera chain of fast-casual restaurants was a regular stop for me at lunch time. But the overwhelming amounts of salt in most of their offerings meant I couldn’t go there post-heart attack, as I wrote back in 2014.

This week, however, I found myself with little choice but a Panera, so I thought I would give it another try. Panera salad offerings are plentiful and I found one with a reasonable amount of salt if I used my own oil and vinegar instead of a store dressing. But the tiny size of what I received compared to the high price means I won’t be heading to Panera again anytime soon.

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Eggs prices have been coming down lately. A store near me had them on sale for $2.99 a dozen recently, causing a stampede of people around the egg freezer. But if prices are still to high for you, here are some protean alternatives courtesy of LoseIt.

A tasty edamame appetizer at Seasons 52.

Plain Greek Yogurt
Tofu
Cottage cheese
Lentils
Tempeh
Protein Shakes
Edamame

There’s two on there I’d eat, Greek yogurt and edamame. Cottage cheese has never appealed to me, it just looks wrong doesn’t it?

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Lean ground turkey (be sure to buy the leanest kind) is a great addition to any healthy diet, taking the place of fattier meats. I’ve long been a turkey meatloaf lover. Now, here’s a new turkey meatloaf recipe I just saw on the Food Network site that you can try.

The ingredient list (before we take the salt out):

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Asparagus always seemed like something only posh people ate when I was a grubby blue-collar kid growing up in Brooklyn. These days, I must be posh because I regularly eat asparagus and have come to love them. I recently read This Is the No. 1 Thing to Look for When Buying Asparagus which answered a question I’ve always had about them.

*Asparagus and zucchini ready for my backyard grill. I use these disposable grilling sheets to keep my main grill clean*.

Ever see asparagus sitting in a tray of water in your supermarket? That always looks messy to me. But it turns out that’s a must, according to the Food & Wine article. the water helps keep asparagus fresh.

Other tips — look for firm stalks, dry buds and know when it’s asparagus season. My tips include smelling it, old asparagus has a distinctively bad smell. Also decide whether you like very thin stalks or thicker ones. I normally go small, I love the more delicate flavor.

On the health side, asparagus is high in nutrients but low in calories, according to 7 Reasons You Should Eat More Asparagus

With summer coming to northern climes, my favorite way to prepare asparagus is grilled on my backyard grill. Simply wash them, then lay them out in a disposable aluminum pan, spray with olive oil, season with a salt-free Italian spice mixture and grill them for 8-10 minutes depending on your grill. Here’s one quick recipe I found on Hey Grill Hey.

You’ll find more tips in this piece I wrote as well, just click here.

We’re into April now, past the time most people give up on New Year’s resolutions like, “this year, I’m going to eat healthier.”

Stuck at a fast food outlet? Try to find one still offering salads like this one at Buona Beef in Chicago.

Eating healthy in a society drenched in high-fat, high-salt, high-calorie, high-sugar foods can seem like an impossible mountain to climb. If you’re like me, you’ve climbed it many times, only to slide back down when you hear the siren songs of your favorite junk foods.

But don’t give up, here’s an interesting piece called 13 Small Changes You Can Make to Eat Healthier Forever that may help.

The steps really are small, like start your day with a glass of water or eat a vegetable with every meal, but they can add up.

Some, like focusing on fiber and adding more omega-3s (found in such fish as salmon), I’m already doing. Others, like thinking about food as a friend rather than an enemy or getting enough sleep, I still struggle with.

Healthier eating is a journey, not a destination for most of us. Keep walking.

Month: April 2025

Back at Panera, but not for long

Eggs too expensive? Try these protein sources

A new turkey meatloaf recipe

Asparagus — how to buy it, why to eat it

Better eating can seem like a mountain to climb, but here are some small steps to start the journey

Blogs I Follow

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