Roadside Dietitian

By Pam Whitfield, MS, RD and Don Jacobson

Save the salt for Loveland Pass!

Here’s a simple truth:  you will not die if you DON’T add salt to your food.
     The Recommended Dietary Allowance for salt (sodium) is 2,400 mg—about one teaspoon. This is not ADDED SALT! It is the salt already found in food.  Many Americans get 4,000 to 6,000 mg/day—two to three times what we need. There are drivers who are brining their arteries with 12,000 to 14,000 mg/day.
     Salt—sodium—is no good for high blood pressure/hypertension. It also encourages your body to hold on to extra fluids. If you are on BP meds, your doctor has likely suggested you restrict your sodium intake to 2,000 (or even 1,500) mg per day. 
     Aside from the saltshaker, we find a lot of salt in fast foods.  You will be surprised at the amount of sodium that hides in a seemingly “healthy” dish like a grilled chicken sandwich. If you eat a lot of fast food, check out the nutrition info for what you’re buying. 
     Processed foods like lunchmeats and smoked or aged foods like beef jerky and cheese are often loaded with salt.  Canned foods tend to be sodium-rich, too. Read the nutrition label to see how much.
     Soup is a perfect example. Many OTRs think a can of condensed soup is a single serving. Check out that label. There are frequently 2.5 servings in a 10-ounce can! At 800 mg of sodium each, that means 2,000 mg for that one can of soup—an entire day’s worth of salt! 
     Bottom line? If you are redlining your BP, lose the salt! And, if your BP is OK now, quit shakin’ and start readin’! 
Pam Whitfield and Don Jacobson are the authors of
Roadcookin’: A long haul driver’s guide to healthy eating (2008). They can be reached at their Web site www.roadcookin.com or on Twitter at Roadcookin.

 

Recipe of the month

Pedro’s Rice
(Lunchbox oven)
4-oz. ground beef (90% or better)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, crushed
1/2 c water
1/2 c Minute Rice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Pepper to taste

In oven liner pan, place burger and brown meat in oven until crumbly (15 min.). Open oven, carefully remove the pan and drain off grease. Add all other ingredients and stir thoroughly. Place back in oven, cover, reduce heat, and cook about 20 min. or until rice is tender.

Nutritional Information (1 serving): Calories:
521, Carbohydrates: 56 gm, Fat: 17 gm (sat fat: 6 gm), Cholesterol: 71 mg, Protein: 34 gm, Sodium: 102 mg, Fiber: 5 gm