Pickled Vegetables Recipe

As a Registered Dietitian, you can work in many areas, including recipe development. I have the wonderful opportunity to work with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). I've developed recipes for the NKF for more than 4 years. They featured one of my recipes yesterday, and I wanted to share it with you! Click on the link below to view the recipe for pickled Summer vegetables.

 

Pickled Summer Vegetables

Pickling is a great way to preserve food. If you have an abundance of vegetables in your garden, you can consider pickling some to enjoy later in the year. My recipe is a lower sodium spin on pickling. Enjoy!


If you want more recipes, you can access to all these recipes for FREE by signing up for the Kidney Living publication through the NKF or by signing up for FoodCare on the NKF's website.

The recipes below are more samples of my recipes featured in the Winter issue of Kidney Living. This website features recipes for individuals with various stages of kidney disease, diabetes, and their families. Just plug your information into FoodCare, and it will provide feedback on the recipes you select. As always, please consult your doctor and registered dietitian before making dietary changes.


Here are some of the recipes I created for the NKF in the Winter issue of Kidney Living.

Poblano Pepper Soup

 

Spicy Meatloaf

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you liked this post, you might enjoy:

Recipes for Winter & the Super Bowl

Spring Salad Recipe: Fresh Fruit and Spinach Salad

I love Spring! Everything seems green, new, and alive! I even love the rain . . . it's good for naps (hahaha). And, we all know April showers bring May flowers.

This year, I started a small herb garden. We will see if I have my grandfather's green thumb . . . or not. Let me know if you have any tips for growing herbs in containers. I would love to hear from you.

I love herbs! They are a great way to add flavor to dishes without adding fat, sugar, or salt. Since I am a clinical dietitian (aka I work mainly in a hospital setting), I have many patients who are trying to limit added fat, added sugar, or sodium in their diet for various health reasons. 

So this week, I plan to share some healthy recipes that are limited in added sugar, added saturated fat, or sodium. These recipes are healthy and full of flavor! How can that be?!? Well, we are using some fresh, seasonal ingredients. We are also going to be using local herbs (out of my garden) and aromatic vegetables to bring tons of flavor without all the fat, sugar, and salt. Stay tuned!

Today, I am featuring one of my favorite salads. It reminds me of Spring and provides fruit and vegetables in one dish! I made this for my family on Easter, and it was a hit!

Ingredients
Strawberries
Blueberries
Pecans
Spinach
Mint
Vinaigrette (I used a raspberry vinaigrette; it was delicious)
*Feta 
(*Optional: you may omit the feta if you don't like this cheese, or if you are watching your sodium or saturated fat intake.)

Wash all fruits, herbs, and vegetables. Toss all the ingredients together. Dress with vinaigrette before serving. Enjoy!

If you've never tried a salad that mixes fruits and vegetables, this is a great one to start with. If you have a friend or family member with a sweet tooth, this is also a great salad to make for them. Try it!

For even more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter .

Kidney Month: Dietary Sodium

Happy Kidney Month! 

I worked as a renal dietitian for approximately 6 years. I loved the patients, families, and nephrology team I was able to work with. My team helped me grow from a recent graduate and new RD into an experienced, renal RD. They mentored me and helped me grow professionally. Check out this post for more information about my awesome nephrologist and social worker mentors.

So where does sodium come from?
Most of our dietary sodium comes from table salt, which is sodium chloride. We get sodium in processed foods where it is added to increase shelf-life and enhance food's taste. Foods high in sodium include: cheese, condiments, deli meats, pizza, processed foods, soy sauce, and many more. We also add salt when cooking or eating foods. And, we get sodium from many foods consumed when we eat out. Many restaurants or "fast foods" are high in dietary sodium. The average American usually eats 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day. That's more than double what the AHA recommends! For reference, there are ~2,300 milligrams of sodium in 1 teaspoon of salt.

How much sodium should I consume?
The American Heart Association recommends reducing dietary sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day to promote heart health. Patients with high blood pressure or kidney disease usually have a 1,500 - 2,000 mg sodium restriction per day. Some people are 'salt sensitive' and reducing dietary sodium can greatly improve health. Talk with your personal RD or doctor before you start any new diets. Some disease states or medications require a consistent or even high intake of sodium.

How can I reduce my sodium intake?
1) Choose low sodium foods

• Read the Nutrition Facts Labels when grocery shopping. Try to find things < or = 140 milligrams of sodium per serving. This will help keep your dietary sodium intake from processed foods low.
• Look for lower sodium substitutes. Many products offer reduced sodium alternatives. For example, most canned vegetables and soups have a lower sodium alternative.
• Choose food naturally low in sodium. Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Canned fruits and vegetables usually contain sodium. You can drain the liquid and rinse canned foods until not foamy (see picture). This will greatly decrease the sodium. 
• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium, and eating fruits and vegetables has many health benefits. The DASH diet, which is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is low in sodium, high in potassium which is a mineral naturally present in many fruits and vegetables, and has been shown to decrease blood pressure (aka hypertension).

2) Add flavor without adding salt

• A lot of our dietary sodium is added while cooking. So, try reduce the amount of salt you add when cooking. 
• You can flavor foods with a salt substitute. Salt substitutes are made from potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride (table salt). Note: Some medications or disease require a low potassium diet, so check with your RD or MD before starting a salt substitute.
• Use herbs and spices while cooking. Salt adds flavor, so if we decrease salt we need to increase flavor with something else. For example, try using garlic powder or fresh garlic instead of garlic salt when cooking. You still get the garlic flavor but without the salt!
• Use aromatic vegetables to add flavor. I'm from Louisiana, and most Cajun or Creole recipes start with adding onion, bell pepper, and celery. Why? Because these three aromatic vegetables add flavor!

I hope these ten tips will help you reduce your salt and dietary sodium intake. Please check with your RD or MD before starting a new diet. Some medications and medical conditions require regulation of dietary sodium intake.

If you have a family history of high blood pressure or kidney disease, check in with your doctor to get a physical. Tell your doctor your family history of kidney disease, your concerns for your health, and ask about what screening you should do. Be #kidneyaware.

Stay tuned this week we will focus on kidney disease and some dietary restrictions that are commonly prescribed. Always talk with your personal dietitian or physician before starting a new diet or exercise program. For more information, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

February is American Heart Month

I hope you have enjoyed this month's celebration of American Heart Month. If you missed any of the ways you can improve your heart health, check out these posts on:

• Cholesterol and Heart Health
• Dietary Fats and Heart Health
• Fiber and Heart Health
• Sodium and Heart Health
• Physical Activity and Heart Health

So, how can you be heart healthy?
- Eat a Healthy Diet
- Be Physically Active
- Check in with Your Doctor

Food choices and physical activity level are modifiable factors that you change to improve your heart health. Please check with your personal RD or MD before staring a new diet or exercise program. 

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Dietary Sodium and Heart Health: 10 Tips to Reduce Your Salt Intake

February is American Heart Health Month, so we are looking at lifestyle changes you can make to be more heart healthy.

So, how can you be heart healthy? 
- Eat a Healthy Diet
- Be Physically Active
- Check in with Your Doctor

Today we are focusing on healthy dietary choices to be more heart healthy. A diet low in sodium can help keep your heart healthy. High sodium diets are linked to many health consequences including: heart failure, enlarged heart muscle, kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and stroke.

So where does sodium come from?
Most of our dietary sodium comes from table salt, which is sodium chloride. We get sodium in processed foods where it is added to increase shelf-life and enhance food's taste. Foods high in sodium include: cheese, condiments, deli meats, pizza, processed foods, soy sauce, and many more. We also add salt when cooking or eating foods. And, we get sodium from many foods consumed when we eat out. Many restaurants or "fast foods" are high in dietary sodium.

How much sodium should I consume?
The American Heart Association recommends reducing dietary sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day to promote heart health. The average American usually eats 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day. That's more than double what the AHA recommends! For reference, there are ~2,300 milligrams of sodium in 1 teaspoon of salt.

How can I reduce my sodium intake?
1) Choose low sodium foods

• Read the Nutrition Facts Labels when grocery shopping. Try to find things < or = 140 milligrams of sodium per serving. This will help keep your dietary sodium intake from processed foods low.
• Look for lower sodium substitutes. Many products offer reduced sodium alternatives. For example, most canned vegetables and soups have a lower sodium alternative.
• Choose food naturally low in sodium. Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Canned fruits and vegetables usually contain sodium. You can drain the liquid and rinse canned foods until not foamy (see picture). This will greatly decrease the sodium. 
• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium, and eating fruits and vegetables has many health benefits. The DASH diet, which is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is low in sodium, high in potassium which is a mineral naturally present in many fruits and vegetables, and has been shown to decrease blood pressure (aka hypertension).

2) Add flavor without adding salt

• A lot of our dietary sodium is added while cooking. So, try reduce the amount of salt you add when cooking. 
• You can flavor foods with a salt substitute. Salt substitutes are made from potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride (table salt). Note: Some medications or disease require a low potassium diet, so check with your RD or MD before starting a salt substitute.
• Use herbs and spices while cooking. Salt adds flavor, so if we decrease salt we need to increase flavor with something else. For example, try using garlic powder or fresh garlic instead of garlic salt when cooking. You still get the garlic flavor but without the salt!
• Use aromatic vegetables to add flavor. I'm from Louisiana, and most Cajun or Creole recipes start with adding onion, bell pepper, and celery. Why? Because these three aromatic vegetables add flavor!

I hope these ten tips will help you reduce your salt and dietary sodium intake. Please check with your RD or MD before starting a new diet. Some medications and medical conditions require regulation of dietary sodium intake.

If you have a family history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart attack (myocardial infarctions), please check in with your doctor to get a physical. Tell your doctor your family history of heart disease, your concerns for your health, and ask about what screening you should do.

We will go through each of the dietary and lifestyle topics this week to look more in depth on how you can be heart healthy. Stay tuned.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.