Quaker Natural Granola with Apples, Cranberries, and Almonds (55mg Sodium)

Well, I found another way to help reduce my daily Sodium intake.

I was needing to replenish my morning cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios (160mg Sodium per serving), and decided to make a small step in reducing my daily intake of Sodium.  So, I checked every nutrition label on every box of "adult" cereal that I felt I could eat, and all were at that level -- or much higher!  All except one, Quaker Natural Granola with Apples, Cranberries, and Almonds (55mg Sodium per serving.)


I tried it this morning for breakfast, and I'm liking it -- except it needs a but of sugar for my taste.  :)


SOURCE: Quaker product page

A Guide to Bread

A Guide to Ingredients


Flour


Flours react differently in their ability to absorb moisture. Depending on humidity and temperature, the amount of flour needed in a recipe may vary by as much as a cup or two. Therefore, the amount of flour called for in a recipe is always approximate. It is best to start with a smaller amount of flour and slowly add more while kneading to achieve a smooth, satiny textured dough. There are several types of flours used for bread making. The primary difference between flours is their protein content. When mixed with liquid, certain proteins form gluten which gives an elastic quality to dough. Gluten provides the framework for dough to rise by stretching and trapping the gas bubbles given off by yeast as it grows. The type of wheat, where it is grown, and the milling process all influence the amount of gluten. The higher the gluten content, the more volume the bread will have. Secondary differences are taste and texture. The most commonly used flours for bread baking include:

• All-Purpose Flour, a blend of hard and soft wheat flours, is suitable for yeast breads as well as quick breads and most cakes.
• Bread Flour, with its high gluten content, results in bread with good volume. Dough made with bread flour should be kneaded longer than dough made from all-purpose flour to fully develop the gluten.
• Whole Wheat Flour, which contains the entire wheat kernel, adds a distinctive "nutty" taste to doughs. Some all-purpose flour is often added to it to lighten the dough and yield a larger volume. Whole wheat flour should always be stored in the refrigerator to prevent rancidity.
• Rye Flour, limited in gluten, is usually combined with all-purpose, whole wheat or bread flours to improve volume and texture.

Recipe: Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Vinegar
• 1 med Jalapeño, seeded & minced
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
• 6 ea Taco Shells

Recipe: Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 1 part chili powder
• 1 part ground cumin
• 1 part garlic powder
• 1 part onion powder
• 1/4 – 1/2 part crushed red pepper

Recipe: Low-sodium Cornbread (light and moist)

You can get Ener-G baking powder/soda at Healthy Heart Market.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Cornmeal
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder (or 2 tablespoons Ener-G baking powder)
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 large Egg
• 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 cup Corn, cooked

Recipe Websites for Recipes I Can Modify

Bread Machine Diva blog

Tia Rosa's Tostadas Estilo Caseras

I found some amazing tostada shells last night at WalMart, which make great tortilla chips when you break them up.  They are great for controlling your portion size (once I open a bag of tortilla chips, they usually are all eaten in 1 or 2 sittings.)  If I use tostada shells, I can bring 4 shells to work in my lunch, break them up into tortilla chip size, and be happy.

The best part of all is that they are only 15mg of Sodium per shell!  They are the Tostadas Estilo Caseras (or Homestyle Tostadas Caseras), by Tia Rosa.