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Magic Marinades

marinade

Summer evenings are the perfect time to barbecue a meal to enjoy outside. Spice up any barbecue by marinating your protein. Flank steak, chicken, seafood, tofu, or even big portobello mushrooms all can benefit.

Most marinades rely on lots of salt—exactly what you don’t want to add to your diet. If your barbecues are low in sodium, you and the people you care about have a better chance of sharing many more healthy years.

Cutting salt out of your diet won’t eliminate flavor. That can come from fresh herbs and spices, naturally sweet fruit juices, and savory ingredients like garlic and ginger, which add taste without adding salt.

Always keep meats refrigerated while marinating and discard marinade after use. Marinate meats, chicken, seafood, tofu, or mushrooms for about half an hour, and no more than an hour. If they’re together longer, the acid in the marinade will make the protein mushy.

Try these marinades to give your food some fantastic flavors to savor.

Teriyaki Marinade

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar or mirin
1/2 cup sugar
2–3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger

Mix all ingredients and marinate meat, chicken, tofu, etc. for half an hour in refrigerator.

Nutrition information:

Calories: 26, Carbohydrates: 4 grams, Protein: 0 grams, Sodium: 154 mg

Red Chile Marinade

2 tablespoon lower sodium mustard
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 tablespoon chili powder or 1–2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients and marinate meat, chicken, tofu, etc. for half an hour in refrigerator.

Nutrition information:

Calories: 66, Carbohydrates: 1 gram, Protein: 0 gram, Sodium: 38 mg

Orange-Sesame Marinade

1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 orange, zested and chopped

Toast sesame seeds by heating in a dry frying pan on medium heat. Grind them in blender or food processor. Zest orange, peel away white membrane and mix all ingredients together. Mix all ingredients and marinate meat, chicken, tofu, etc. for half an hour in refrigerator.

Nutrition information:

Calories: 67, Carbohydrates: 1 gram, Protein: 1 gram, Sodium: 5 mg

Curry Marinade

1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala

Mix all ingredients and marinate meat, chicken, tofu, etc. for half an hour in refrigerator.

Nutrition information:

Calories: 44, Carbohydrates: 3 grams, Protein: 0 grams, Sodium: 1 mg

Thai Peanut Dressing

3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup oil

Put all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend on medium speed until thoroughly blended. Marinate meat, chicken, tofu, etc. for half an hour in refrigerator.

Nutrition information:

Calories: 63, Carbohydrates: 1 gram, Protein: 0 grams, Sodium: 11 mg

The information in this column is meant for people who want to keep their kidneys healthy and blood pressure down by following a low-sodium diet. In most cases, except for dialysis patients, a diet high in potassium is thought to help lower high blood pressure. These recipes are not intended for people on dialysis without the supervision of a registered dietitian.


Contributor Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. A recipient of the Susan Knapp Excellence in Education Award from the National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition, she has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.

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