What's Your Sodium Style?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunkist S’alternative for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Let's take a break from all the crafting this month to talk about food -- my next most favorite thing to talk about.  I don't consider myself a real health nut {obviously, since the last recipe I shared was for Chicago-style deep dish pizza}, but I do read my share of food labels.  Usually I'm looking for the amount of carbohydrates because that's what you do with a diabetic kid.  Occasionally I look at the calories or fat content, but not usually because that makes me feel guilty and sad.  There's another little something I should be checking out -- the sodium content.  Some foods, like pretzels and potato chips, are obviously salty, but lots of foods have "hidden salts" that can be dangerous for your health.  Are you curious now about your sodium IQ?  Head on over to Facebook and take the Sunkist Sodium Quiz to find out if your daily food choices make you a Sodium Smarty or a Serial Salt Offender. 

The quiz is super quick and fun and you may be surprised by the results.  I almost always choose salty snacks over sweet so I was afraid about where I would end up, but it turns out I did OK.

Sometimes I amaze myself!  If you didn't do as well as you may have hoped or if sodium content is a concern, you may be interested in the Sunkist S’alternative, a healthy way to reduce sodium, increase potassium and enhance the flavor of food by using Sunkist® lemons as an alternative to salt.  Did you know lemons could be an alternative to salt?  I never would have thought of that, but it makes sense.  What is salt but a flavor enhancer, really?  Lemon juice does much the same thing, with added health benefits.  I sometimes worry that if I buy low-sodium products or cook with less salt my foods will be bland.  I have learned that as you reduce your sodium intake, your taste buds will adjust, and allow you to enjoy the true flavors of food that salt often masks.  Sunkist S’alternative offers this yummy-sounding recipe {and several others} for us to try:

Sunkist® Lemon Seafood Paella -

Ingredients: (Makes 8 servings)
*1- 32 oz can low sodium vegetable broth
*1 cup dry white wine
*1 teaspoon saffron threads
*1lb. of firm, fresh pieces of whitefish such as tilapia, bass, halibut and swordfish, cut into 16-21 pieces
*1lb. or 16-21 mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
*1lb. or 16-21 medium sized clams, rinsed
*cup chopped fresh parsley
*3 Sunkist® lemons, zest and juice
*3 Tbsp. olive oil
*1 _ cups minced onion
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*teaspoon crushed red pepper
*3 cups uncooked short-grain rice such as Valencian, Arborio, or Calrose
*1 cup frozen green peas
*1- 8oz jar of sliced, roasted red peppers

Instructions:
• To prepare broth, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

• To prepare paella, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish pieces to pan and sauté 1 minute. Remove fish from pan, reserve and keep warm. Add onion to pan and sauté 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add rice and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, bring to a low boil and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Stir in the peas and red pepper slices. Add mussels and clams to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in the reserved fish and chopped parsley and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in lemon juice and check for seasoning. Cover with a towel and let stand 10 minutes before stirring

 

I always think I should try to be healthier and eat more fish.  This sounds like a delicious way to give it a shot.  Head on over and take the Sunkist Sodium Quiz today!