Thanksgiving Recipes

Here are some low sodium Thanksgiving recipes, preparation is the key to a successful Thanksgiving meal, to make your day more enjoyable make some of these dishes ahead of time.

Low Sodium Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 14 lb Turkey use the lowest Sodium you can find
• 1 8 oz Jar of Apricot Preserves Smuckers has lower sodium than most other brands
• 1 8 oz Bottle of Mustard
• 3/4 cup Low sodium Chicken Stock for pan sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp Corn Starch for pan sauce
• 1/2 cup Bourbon (for pan sauce optional, you can use apple cider as well)
• 1 Whole shallot minced for pan sauce
• 2 T Unsalted butter for pan sauce
  
  Instructions
• Thaw your Turkey to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey.
• Rinse the turkey under cold water and place in a large roasting pan.
• Mix all of the mustard and apricot preserves in a bowl
• Using a sauce brush, coat the entire bird liberally with the glaze. Get it into all the nooks and crannies.
• Cover the turkey with foil and roast for 3 1/2 to 4 hours (Apply a second coat of glaze at the 1.5 hour mark), or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180°F as read by a meat thermometer.
• Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of baking to create a crisp crust.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
• Use the drippings at the bottom of the pan to make a low-sodium pan sauce.
• Place the pan on a stove top burner.
• Add the Shallots to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat until they are softened.
• Add the rest of the glaze and the bourbon (or cider) to the pan and heat it to the point of simmering (note, all of the alcohol burns off in this if you are worried about alcohol in the dish).
• As the pan is heating up, scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to incorporate the drippings, shallots, and liquid.
• Allow to simmer or until the liquid reduces by half.
• Increase the heat to achieve a full simmer, whisk in the stock, butter, and corn starch (to your desired thickness).
• Allow final liquid to reduce by half then serve in a sauce tureen to pour over the turkey.
  
  Tip
• 
  Make sure to find a bird that has not been injected with sodium or brined prior to freezing. A fresh bird is also a great low sodium choice. You are looking for something that will keep you under 100 mg of sodium per 4 oz serving.
  
  
  
  Low Sodium Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Here is a delicious stuffing that is seasoned with spices that screamed fall: sage, rosemary, and thyme. The bread, while softened by the process was still spongy. It was packed with bits of onion, apple, and celery with a secret ingredient of venison sausage.

Ingredients

• 1 inch Loaf of King's Hawaiian Round Bread cut into 1 cubes or other low sodium bread
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 stick
  
• 2 Medium onions - diced
• 2 Stalks of celery - diced
• 2 Medium Granny Smith apples - cored and large diced
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1 Tbsp sage
• 1 Tbsp rosemary
• 1 Tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 lb of low sodium sausage meat

·        1 cup low sodium chicken stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes.

Remove the bread and place in a very large mixing bowl.

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, rosemary, sage, thyme, dried cranberries and pepper.

Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and translucent.

Add to the bread cubes.

In the same pan, cook the sausage meat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spatula to a small grind.

Add to bowl with the bread and vegetables.

Add the chicken stock, mix well, and pour into a 9 x 12 inch baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle.

Serve warm.

Cranberry Sauce in your Slow Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz bag Fresh Cranberries
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice fresh squeezed
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• pinch Ground Cinnamon
• pinch Ground Ginger
  Instructions

In a slow-cooker, add all ingredients and toss to combine.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours

Near the end of the cooking time, use tongs to remove the cinnamon stick. Then use a wooden spoon to break up the cranberries. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

This recipe has only 3 mg of sodium per 2 tablespoon of cranberry sauce.

Easy Low Sodium Slow Cooker Recipes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potatoes are naturally low in sodium and a good source of fiber so make this low sodium Sweet Potato Casserole any time, but to make is really special try this coconut topping.

For The Sweet Potato Casserole

• 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter Plus more for greasing
• 1 1/2 pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into a large dice
• 1 1/2 pounds Sweet Potatoes peeled and cut into a large dice
• 1 small bundle fresh Thyme 
• 3 cloves Garlic peeled and smashed
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
• 2/3 cup Mascarpone Cheese
• 2 1/2 tsp Nutmeg Freshly grated
• 2 large Eggs beaten

·        1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Sweet Potato Casserole Topping

1/3 cup pecans, chopped

1/3 cup flaked coconut (sweetened)

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

Walnuts

Combine pecans, coconut, brown sugar, and flour. Stir in a tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potatoes. Sometimes I top them with walnuts if you like a little crunch.

Directions

Heat your oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Grease a large casserole dish with unsalted butter.

In a large pot of water, add the Russet and sweet potatoes, thyme and garlic.

Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the thyme and garlic. Rice the potatoes over the pot and place the pot over low heat. Allow the potatoes to dry out before you begin adding additional ingredients. You can squeeze out the extra moisture with a cheese cloth if you want to speed the process. 

Add the butter, mascarpone, and evaporated milk. Stir to combine, but do not over mix.

Season well with pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in the eggs. 

Spread evenly into the buttered casserole dish add the Sweet Potato Topping and bake for 1 hour minutes, until light golden brown on top and puffed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Cut and serve. 

Low Sodium Pumpkin Pie

Get your Low Sodium Pumpkin Pie Recipe HERE

Get your Low Sodium Turkey Recipes

The Best low sodium Salad Recipes

One of the best low sodium salad recipes is this Tomato and Basil, it's colorful and the taste of tomatoes and basil are made for each other.

Tomato and Basil Salad

This is a colorful and flavorful salad that only has 195 mg of sodium for 1 ¼ Cup of salad, the Heirloom tomatoes are sweeter and juicer than most other varieties.

Ingredients

4 large heirloom tomatoes

¼ cup fresh chopped basil

2 medium thinly sliced cucumbers

2/3 cup crumbled feta Cheese

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Ground Pepper

Directions

Whisk basil, lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange tomatoes and cucumbers in a serving dish. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with feta and top with basil, if desired.

Walnut and Beet Salad

Walnuts are so nutritional and they help manage your blood sugar levels, they are high in healthy omega 3 fats. Add some super healthy greens and a bit of cheese for protein (the nuts have protein too), and you have a nice balanced meal.

• 7 oz fresh beets
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup arugula/ rocket
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 oz of Gruyere cheese 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
  Directions

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off the fresh beets.

Cut into slices; then dice into pieces.

Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat and pan-fry the beetroot for about 10 minutes, or until soft with a slight crunch. Allow to cool.

In a bowl, mix all the salad ingredients and serve.

This tastes great as it is or add your favorite dressing.

Low Sodium Fish Recipes

Fish is one of the healthiest foods we can eat; it is best source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are incredibly important for your body and brain.

Fish is high in many important nutrients, including high-quality protein, iodine and various vitamins and minerals. Fatty types of fish are also high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.

There are so many great low sodium fish recipes here are some of my favorites

Spicy Sole and Vegetables

This is one of the Queens favorite recipes, Sole is one of the healthiest fishes to eat as it has a great source of selenium, vitamin B12 and phosphorus and add it to some of your favorite vegetables you won’t believe how good it tastes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 sole fillets (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• ½ cup of finely chopped bell peppers
•   2 green onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. 

Place fillets over mushrooms. Sprinkle with paprika, lemon pepper and cayenne.

Cook, covered, over medium heat 5-10 minutes or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. Sprinkle with tomato and green onions.

Serves 4

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

1 serving: 174 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 69mg cholesterol, 136mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 23g protein.

Lemon Baked Fish

Fish is often overlooked by Phase One dieters, but you are allowed 6 oz of fish or lean meats per day. Here is one of my easy to bake fish recipes that are a little tangy.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 4 cod fillets (6 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
  
  DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°. In a shallow bowl, mix lemon juice and butter. In a separate shallow bowl, mix flour and seasonings. Dip fillets in lemon juice mixture, then in flour mixture to coat both sides; shake off excess.

Place in a 13 x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with remaining lemon juice mixture. Bake 12-15 minutes or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. Mix parsley and lemon peel; sprinkle over fish.

Nutritional Facts
1 fillet: 232 calories, 10g fat (6g saturated fat), 87mg cholesterol, 477mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 0 fiber), 28g protein.

SOUTHWEST SALMON

This is such a tasty healthy recipe, this Southwest Salmon has a spicy Mexican flavor then this is definitely worth making.

Ingredients: 

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium Red Onion, chopped

2 large Garlic Cloves, chopped

1/2 to 1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 

1 tsp. Ground Cumin 

Ground Black Pepper

Juice of 2 limes

3 Tbsp. Honey 

1 tsp. Chili Powder 

Four 6 oz. Salmon Fillets 

1 Red Bell Pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

10 oz Frozen Corn kernels, defrosted 

1/2 cup low sodium chicken Stock

1 15 oz. can low sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained

2 to 3 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped

6 cups Baby Spinach

Directions:

Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the Olive oil.  Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 4 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, preheat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  In a shallow dish, combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder and pepper.  Add the salmon fillets to the lime-honey mixture and toss to coat thoroughly.  Add the seasoned salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

To the cooked onions, add the bell peppers and corn kernels and cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the black beans and cook until the beans are just heated through.  Remove the skillet from the heat and add the juice of the second lime, the cilantro, and spinach.  Toss to wilt the spinach and then taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve the lime-and-honey-glazed salmon on top of the warm black bean and corn salad.

Low Sodium Seasoning Mix

Making your own low sodium seasoning mixes is the only way to know for sure what you are adding into your food, here are some of my favorite low sodium seasoning mixes.

HOMEMADE LOW SODIUM TACO SEASONING

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

 Combine all ingredients in a bowl and use to season your favorite taco meat.

 Seal tight into a bag to keep fresh.

Low-Sodium Ranch Seasoning Mix

Control your own seasoning mixtures by making your own, here is a low sodium version of a Ranch Seasoning Mix that you could make into a dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1/2 cup minced onion (dehydrated)
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 3 teaspoons chives
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
  Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container out of direct light.
  
  Low Sodium Ranch Dressing 
  

To make a low sodium Ranch dressing add 1/4 cup of buttermilk to 1 tablespoon of Ranch Seasoning Mix.

MoJo LoSo Spice Mix

If you’re on a low sodium diet, there is no need to sacrifice the seasoning of your meals; here is a MoJo Lo So Spice mix that you can add to your chicken, lamb , fish or beef.

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbs garlic powder
• 1 tbs onion powder
• 1 tbs black pepper
• 1 tbs basil
• 1 tbs parsley
• 1 tbs marjoram
• 1 tbs thyme
• 1 tbs sage
• 1 tbs cumin
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• zest of 1 small lemon or lime

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Store in an air-tight container.

Low Sodium Salad Dressings

Finding a low sodium salad dressing is difficult,so I’ve decided to share some of my homemade low sodium salad dressings.

Low Sodium Creamy Avocado Dressing

So if you want a change from the vinaigrette salad dressing, here is a creamy low sodium Avocado Dressing that may is a delicious alternative, the Avocado makes a wonderful smooth and creamy texture. This Creamy Avocado Dressing is full of healthy ingredients and is the perfect choice for any salad.

Ingredients

1 ripe medium avocado cut into cubes
½ cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
9 fresh cilantro sprigs chopped

Instructions

Place avocado, yogurt, garlic, onion, lemon juice, and parsley in a blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

For a thinner dressing add a little more water until desired consistency is reached.

Low Sodium Greek Yogurt Dressing. 

For a creamy dressing with only 56 mg of sodium, stir together.

2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of crumbled feta cheese.

Stir in one tablespoon of chopped, fresh dill.

For a thinner dressing add one teaspoon of buttermilk for an additional 5 mg of sodium.

Low Sodium Oil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Here’s a simple way to whip up a basic oil balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing using hemp seed oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar, try adding some spices to  like cumin or paprika if you like a little heat.

• 3 tablespoons hemp oil
• 1 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

Whisk together all ingredients until evenly and well blended.