Get the Salt Out (62 page)

383
Change the sodium-to-potassium ratio in baked goods
to a ratio that is closer to what we receive in natural foods. Even if you use sodium-rich baking powder and baking soda, you still can improve the sodium-to-potassium ratio by increasing the potassium content of baked goods: use whole grain flour instead of commercial refined flour and add other potassium-rich natural foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Employing any of the following tips will also improve the important ratio of these minerals.

384
Use unrefined sea salt or Real Salt
instead of common table salt in recipes, and try reducing the salt slightly. Usually a 25 percent (or even 50 percent) reduction in the salt indicated doesn’t affect the quality of baked goods.

385
When you double a sweet recipe, don’t increase the salt;
its not necessary. Other ways to reduce the sodium content in baked goods include replacing any of the following ingredients with their lower-sodium alternatives:

386
Melted butter or margarine:
canola oil or melted unsalted butter.
One Salt Shaker.

387
Peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut butters:
unsalted peanut butter, unsalted almond butter, or other unsalted nut butters.
One Salt Shaker.

388
Buttermilk:
nonfat yogurt combined with nonfat milk. To replace one cup of buttermilk in a recipe, use 3 A cup nonfat yogurt mixed together with
X/A
cup nonfat milk. This substitution provides 170 milligrams of sodium compared to 257 milligrams in one cup of buttermilk.
Two Salt Shakers.

389
A substitute for buttermilk even lower in sodium:
soured milk. To sour milk, add one tablespoon of brown rice
vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of nonfat milk and let stand until it curdles.
One Salt Shaker.

390
Baking powder:
Featherweight Baking Powder. This product, which is available in many supermarkets, not only helps you get the sodium out, but it also helps you avoid the aluminum common in many baking powders.
One Salt Shaker.

391
Skip sodium-rich baking powder, baking soda, and salt altogether,
and use the natural leavening power of egg whites in desserts. Angel food cake and macaroons, which both contain egg whites, are two good examples of desserts that simply don’t need traditional sodium-rich leavening agents. Macaroons are usually thought of as being made only from coconut, but they don’t have to be. In the following recipe, ground blanched almonds are used to make a deliciously different kind—nutrient-packed Almond Macaroons.
One Salt Shaker.

Blanch the almonds in hot water to cover, remove the skins, and grind to a fine meal. Mix together the egg whites, almond extract, and Sucanat and add to the almond meal. Mix until well blended, then chill the dough for 1 hour.