There are quite a few members here who are concerned with creating heart healthy meals for either themselves or loved ones. Shambo comes to mind. She has a blog which you will find very informative. I watch the sodium in our meals, too. I used to cook for a heart patient. I focus on adding herbs, vinegars, lemon juice, and wine (not for a diabetic probably) for flavor punches that make you forget there is no salt. The good thing about adopting a low sodium diet is that in a short time the palate adjusts and anything with salt will taste unpleasantly salty. Cooking methods like grilling and broiling add flavor without salt or fat. I use cooking sprays or a tiny bit of olive oil for all my pan cooking. For ease the Mrs. Dash selection of herb mixes are very good. My 16 year old is salt conscious and loves them. We use the tomato/basil/garlic and the table blends all the time. Here is a link that might be useful: Don't pass the salt! Shambo's blog.

I have a few crockpot recipes that I enjoy but I'm trying to select a few that I think may seem "healthier" than others! Posted by: rider (My Page) on Tue, Oct 28, 03 at 9:18 Turkey breast. I throw mine in with chicken broth, some butter, olive oil, spices, carrots, celery. Black beans sometimes. Despite the disaster with rice in my last episode, the meat comes out great. Like Annie, I shred it for burritos, etc. Chicken Cacciatore (crockpot) #30569 by dallice (see my other recipes) posted on Jun 8, 2002 (4 reviews) My husband loves chicken cacciatore, I did not. Not until I came up with this recipe. Quick and easy, and the crock pot is very convenient. The leftovers are great too! 7-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 (15.00 ounces) can diced peeled tomatoes 1 can tomato paste 1 (14.50 ounces) can tomato sauce 2 (2.25 ounces) cans mushrooms, stems & pieces 1 can sliced olives 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes 2 teaspoons dried parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon thyme 2 teaspoons italian seasoning 1 tablespoon sugar 1. Clean any unwanted fat from chicken pieces. 2. Add all ingredients to crock pot, mix well, making sure chicken is covered. 3. Cover and cook for 7 to 9 hours. 4. Serve over pasta, or for a delicious change try mashed potatoes. 5. Add a green salad. 6. It's dinner! CROCK POT BEANS Posted by: Kevin_S (My Page) on Mon, Apr 28, 03 at 21:27 Woodie, no real recipe. Dried beans of your choice, soaked overnight; cranberry, lima-yummmmm, marrow, great northern, pinto, ect. An onion, chopped, A rounded tablespoon of bacon fat or Crisco, Some sea salt and some fresh ground pepper. Dump it all in a crock pot with enough water (spring) to more than cover beans.....set on low. No need for ham or anything unless you want some in there. Takes an hour or two to come up to heat....best if cooked 5 or 6 hours.

There are several sources online with loads of information & recipes. Also, there are several online shopping sources for low sodium foods. I've been cooking super low sodium for the last four years, ever since my husband was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. A low sodium diet is really challenging but it's also an adventure, seeing just how creative you can be in delivering tasty, low salt meals. I've also been writing a blog about my low sodium cooking adventures. If you follow the link below, you will find a list on the right hand side of the page with links to three really informative sites. I especially recommend "Low Sodium Cooking" and "Megaheart." Both sites offer lots of information, tips, sources, and recipes. Also you can sign up for the monthly newsletters that include even more recipes & info. And the authors of both those sites have written low salt cookbooks that are available for purchase either from their websites or Amazon. In addition, I've got another list of places where you can purchase low salt products online. Again, I heartily recommend Healthy Heart Market, Heartwise, and Saltwatcher. I've ordered many, many products from these three vendors and have found some great products. You specifically mentioned bread. Making low sodium yeast bread is easy. Just remember that salt moderates the yeast activity, keeps it in check. So, if you lessen the quantity of salt in a recipe, you should equally lessen the amount of yeast. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 tsp salt and 2-1/2 tsp yeast, you could decrease the salt by one teaspoon and also decrease the yeast by one teaspoon. Because the salt amount is lowered, you want to carefully watch your dough during rising so that it doesn't over-proof. You have to be careful about using yeast bread recipes with no salt whatsoever. I've seen, even on some low salt websites, recipes with the exact same amount of yeast as regular salted doughs. If you want to read further about the effects of salt in yeast dough baking, please refer to the blog entry listed below. I reference two interesting discussion from "Cooking for Engineers" and the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day." I know I've rattled on, but this is a subject that I'm pretty passionate about. Good luck. And, if I can be of any help, please feel free to contact me either through this forum or my blog. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Please DON'T Pass the Salt!

I was googling to find Heart-Healthy recipes and ran across your post. I would like to request the Healthy Eatin' Recipes Vol. 1 if it is still available. Perhaps you've made Vol 2 by now?! Our family has a terrible heart history and I have high cholesterol. Thanks! drake6234@gmail.com