Good low salt bouillon cubes or paste?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

My dad is supposed to be following a low salt diet due to congestive heart failure. Not only does he not follow a low salt diet, he eats a majority of foods highly processed, high in salt. His health took a major turn for the worse this winter and I'm hoping he will make some changes. One of his favorite foods is broth made from high salt bouillon. Does anyone have a favorite brand of low-salt bouillon cube or paste that they like? I will have to mail order it. Our local grocery has low-salt boxed and canned broths, but not much in the way of bouillon cubes of any type.

There is a minimum of things I can do, he never listens to me and is making his own decisions on these things so will have to live with the consequences. But this might be one easy change that he would make. It's one thing to not follow a low salt diet when you should, its another level of stubborn to eat a diet comprised of mostly high salt foods. He says he doesn't care, wants to die, etc. but I tell him the sad fact is he might stick around and feel really weak and lousy for quite some time before he dies if he doesn't follow the management protocols.

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seagrass_gw Cape Cod

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I'm sorry you are going through this, pink mountain. Obviously you care, but your father doesn't. My mother's husband suffered from numerous health issues - diabetes, congestive heart failure, kidney disease requiring dialysis. She tried her best to balance all of the dietary issues but he just blew her off. After he died, we found salt shakers hidden all over the house. He was determined to live/die the way he chose. And he did. Don't beat yourself up over it. Is what it is.

Big hugs,

seagrass.

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Comments (11)

jn91871sf
8 years ago
better than boullion low sodium , its a paste
ci_lantro
8 years ago
Vogue Cuisine Chicken Soup and Seasoning Base (low sodium) isn't too bad; I liked it well enough to repurchase. Kinda' pricey.

Minor's is supposed to be pretty good but I haven't tried it.

Both available on Amazon.
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partst
8 years ago
Trader Joes has a concentrate that comes in a small box of
12 pouches of chicken flavor broth. I sometimes use it to make chicken gravy if
I don’t have any other options. I like it better that the cubes or the better
than bouillon.

I had the same issues with my father and finally gave up and
decided I wasn’t going to be the food police any longer. Good luck!
Lars
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I think Vogue brand has the lowest sodium, but I haven't tried it. I have bought Telma in the past, but it is extremely high in sodium. I have tried Minor's and liked it okay.
bragu_DSM 5
8 years ago
We have Fareway stores that sell a paste, beef, veggie and chix, all are lower sodium than cubes. I will post the name when I find it. Following my stroke last year I drank a lot of bouillon … and it was good/adequate/acceptable for a hot lunch with a couple of crackers ...
User
8 years ago
Swanson makes an unsalted broth.
shambo
8 years ago
I've been using low or no sodium broths for the last 12 years, every since my husband was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I've tested just about everything that has been available. There are some really good options now for use in cooking. But it sounds like your dad enjoys a plain cup of broth as a snack. And he'll really notice the difference if you serve him an unsalted broth.

I tried all the low sodium Better Than... products, but their sodium content was still too high for my comfort level. I keep a couple of boxes of the chicken broth concentrate packets from Trader Joe's in my pantry at all times. Each packet makes one cup of broth, and they don't require refrigeration. They're made by Savory Choice. If you check the company's website, you'll discover organic chicken, beef, and vegetable low sodium packets along with regular low sodium chicken and vegetable. The organic is about 460 mg sodium per serving, while the regular is 360 per serving.

Years ago someone on this forum got me interested in Minor's. and I've been ordering from them regularly ever since. I always have a tub of chicken broth concentrate in my fridge. My favorite is the roasted chicken flavor. Their low sodium products range from 130 mg per serving to 187 for the roasted chicken.

The thing I like about using the concentrates is that I can make exactly the amount I want. The boxes of broth/stock are fine, but sometimes I want just a cup or two of broth. Then I've got a bunch left over. So the concentrates serve a purpose, and I wouldn't be without them. Plus, I think they have better flavor than the dried powdery stuff.
cathyinpa
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
It can be incredibly difficult, can't it? On a previous "no onion garlic broth"
(or something like that) thread, I recommended the Savory Choice due to FODMAP
concerns. I ordered this from Amazon (pricier than Savory Choice website) and
based Shambo's rec will look at TJs. I think it can be customized for dilution, serving, etc. which is kind of nice.

Caretaking deserves gold stars and grace, lpm. As an aside, yesterday I took
my dad some mashed potatoes because he had a tooth pulled, some frozen beer brats/kraut, and bbq spareribs for when he feels better. I also took my mom some plain
chicken, brown rice and chickpea/potato curry. I was dropping that stuff off in
my church clothes, going to church and then coming back, changing and planting
their garden for them. As I was lugging the cooler in my mom said, "Did
you just get out of the shower?" HA! Some days you just really have to
laugh -- my husband is getting a lot of mileage out of that one!

Hope all goes well

Cathy in SWPA
l pinkmountain
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you very much everyone! Minor rant coming.

I get so aggravated at my dad. He's not senile and I am not his caretaker because no one can do it. He knows better than everyone and he just argues with me constantly. About absolutely everything. Literally every conversation with him is an argument. I try to converse with him as little as possible. He complains and whines and moans about problems that are mostly his own doing. This weekend I made him special low salt potato salad and low salt baked beans, two of his favorite foods. SO said they tasted great and I thought they were good too. Put them in see-through small individual serving containers, labeled. Today I took over some wild rice pilaf and a pork chop, and in his fridge was an opened container of canned baked beans, with my home made ones sitting right next to them! This is not a memory issue. He is only vaguely aware that other people are in the world, let alone paying attention to what someone is doing for him. Baked beans are one of the many high salt foods he insists on eating. His cleaning lady was there and she smirked when I pointed out that he opened a can of baked beans instead of eating the home made ones. Typical of my dad.

Then he cries and cries when he suffers all the weakness that his congestive heart failure brings to him. His feet are all swollen and I think his kidneys are on their last legs. He cries and cries and says he wants to get better and get his strength back, and then fights with anyone who is trying to help him. Pft!! He also has a woman who he pays to cook for him. She is on a low salt diet herself! He claims she doesn't know how to cook! I personally don't care what he does, but the way he spreads his misery to me is very hard to take. It's frustrating to know that absolutely nothing does any good.

Oh well. I'll get him some low salt bouillon, he will probably not use it and continue to eat the Manischevitz boxed chicken soup mix with the extremely high sodium content. I can't even eat it, it makes me sick to my stomach it is so salty. We eat low salt at home though, and will take advantage of the advice.

Dad's older sister and brother had this same heart condition and managed it quite well up into their 90's. But they followed the doctor's advice on diet, and never had the awful food habits my dad has to begin with.
shambo
8 years ago
Ah, LPink, I feel for you. I can only imagine your frustration. It's very difficult working with people who won't even try to cooperate with you. Especially when you're doing something for their betterment.

I agree about those boxed soup mixes. They're so salty that my mouth starts burning. And that was the case back in the days before my husband's CHF diagnosis.

I wish I had some great words of advice or encouragement for you. You're a good daughter, but there's only so much you can do if your dad's unwilling to even give low sodium foods a try. I know it's hard. Take care...

Good low salt bouillon cubes or paste?

seagrass_gw Cape Cod

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Good low salt bouillon cubes or paste?

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