[ohlove]

Ugh... food is the bane of my existence. I can cook, but I don't have a great deal of patience with it. Especially since I'm trying to eat low calorie and with a 2,000 milligram sodium restriction. I'm looking for meal ideas that are both healthy and low in sodium. One other small detail... I'm not a vegetarian, but I can't cook raw meat (I have issues ). I'm open to ideas with meat, but meatless options would be great too. I end up eating the same few things all the time, so I get tired of them quickly and the frustration makes it harder to keep to a healthy diet. Thanks for your help!

[Jennifer 3FC]

I know this is hard - Suzanne and I did a week of The Rice Diet for a book review. It sure did require creativity.

Try putting balsamic vinegear on things - the more aged the balsamic, the better it gets. That can be expensive, though. You can also try the Cuisine Perel vinegars - all sorts of different flavors. (still pricey but one bottle goes a long way). Suzanne ate a lot of roasted vegetables with tomato vinegar that week, and loved it.

Do you like curry? Curry spices are super tasty mixed with tomatoes and your choice of vegetables. We like to roast eggplant and mix with tomatoes and curry powders. Eat it on a bed of lentils - that will add calories but also will stick to your ribs. If you buy spice blends, check ingredients to see if salt is in there.

Good luck!

[AnnieDrews]

Herbs, herbs, herbs! My favorite herb is rosemary. Love it fresh, but dried will do. I love it on roasted potatoes, chicken, etc. I do chop it or crush it in my hand before adding as it can get kind of "needle-y" (is that a word?). Fresh garlic is always good. I used fresh dill for the first time recently and loved it. Garlic powder, sprinkled on bread or veg, actually has a salty flavor to it (NOT garlic salt).

I've also started using low sodium items such as chicken stock/broth, beef broth, etc. for soups, stews, cooking liquid for rice. I do not notice less flavor with these and am pleasantly surprised.