America’s big food companies are hearing us, a little bit

My hunt for low-salt,low-fat, low-sugar foods has been a tough one in the two and a half years since my angioplasty, but little by little I am finding items and blogging about them here to help you kick the evil triangle of salt, fat and sugar as I am trying to do. Just check my ingredient and recipe pages for help.

Turkey meatball ingredients include lean ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, low-fat cheese and Italian seasoning. — Lower-fat, lower-salt packaged products are out there, you just need to hunt for them.

A recent article in the Washington Post gave me some hope that America’s major food processing companies may slowly be getting the message that consumer tastes are changing. The piece noted that several major companies, such as Kraft and Kellogg, have seen earnings fall in recent quarters. Continue reading “America’s big food companies are hearing us, a little bit” →

March 23, 2015 1

The salt demons start grabbing us early in life, new study finds

Salt has become one of the evil triangle of foods in my life, along with fat and sugar, since my angioplasty two years ago. Salt is in every processed food we eat, and especially so in snack and baked foods.

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, once considered a healthy snack, really aren't for me. — Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, once considered a healthy snack, are one of many packed with salt. Read labels when buying for your children, and yourself.

So I wasn’t surprised by a recent headline I saw, Kids’ Food Cravings Mean Diet Too High in Salt, CDC Says.

“Kids love pizza, bologna, cheese and chicken nuggets. U.S. public health officials don’t like the salt in those foods and say a diet dominated by them may harm children’s future health,” the Bloomberg story notes. And the news just gets worse. Continue reading “The salt demons start grabbing us early in life, new study finds” →

October 3, 2014 2

Panko breadcrumbs at Costco: a great deal

Panko breadcrumbs are a great low-salt alternative to regular bread crumbs that I’ve written about before. I use them in my turkey meatballs and turkey meatloaf as well as on my low-fat chicken parmigiana.

Like most things low-salt, however, they routinely cost at least twice as much as comparable high-salt breadcrumbs. So I was thrilled to see that Costco is currently carrying mega-boxes of panko breadcrumbs, two pounds, for only $3.99. You could find yourself paying that much for half a pound at a regular grocery store.

Costco has a deal on panko breadcrumbs, offering two pounds for $3.99/

Continue reading “Panko breadcrumbs at Costco: a great deal” →

February 3, 2014 3

Costco Shopping — can you find no salt, no fat items at a warehouse?

Some people think the only places you can find no-fat, no-salt, no-sugar foods is at a Whole Foods, Trader Joes or other similar upscale store. I beg to differ. I regularly shop at Costco and, while it takes some work, you can find plenty of acceptable things to eat there, even on a restricted diet.

The photo here shows a recent cart full of items I bought at a local Costco. Salmon had been cheaper at Costco than at other retailers. Lately though, I’ve noticed Costco has raised its salmon price to $8.99 a pound, comparable to other retailers.

You can find items for your restricted diet even at a warehouse club like Costco.

Costco produce is normally less expensive than more mainstream stores, if the produce isn’t on special at those stores. I regularly buy my bananas there. I also regularly buy the portobello mushroom caps you see in the photo. And I look for seasonal favorites such as the California figs you can see in my cart. Continue reading “Costco Shopping — can you find no salt, no fat items at a warehouse?” →

August 19, 2013 7

What Can You Eat on a No Salt, No Sugar, No Fat Diet?

In recent months, I’ve slowly been building new menus to reflect my new restricted diet, trying to avoid salt, fats and sugar. My wife has been great in shopping with me, reading every label and finding the hidden sugar and salt bombs in most processed foods that I simply can’t eat any longer