Cut the Salt and Boost Flavor Naturally With Lemons (Plus, a Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipe!)
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If you can say one thing about the Americans and our food, it’s that we like our salt. Although the Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Americans recommends an intake of 1,500 milligrams to 2,300 milligram per day of the salty stuff (depending on age, activity level, medical history and genetic dispositions), virtually all Americans consume more sodium than we need. In fact, our daily sodium intake comes in at an estimated average of 3,400 milligrams per day — mostly because of the heavily processed foods we tend to like to eat. Yeowsers!
And I hear ya, salt is a cook’s best friend. It can bring out flavor and intensity and help to balance a dish. But, salt isn’t the only way to reach culinary perfection. In fact, there’s a much, much healthier alternative to brighten up and season your dishes: lemons!
And of all the lemons out there, Sunkist lemons are our favorite, as they’re grown in California and Arizona, available all year round and are just so darn fresh. That’s why I recently picked up a bunch of fresh lemons and got to playing in the kitchen, reducing my sodium intake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest.
With all of this talk of salt, I’ve recently started paying extra attention to exactly how much sodium is in my food. (‘Cause, I’ll be honest — when I look at a nutrition label, I’ll often look at the calories, fat, fiber and protein, and skim over sodium!) And man is it sneaky. I knew it would be high in canned items like beans and soup, but even my salsa and gluten-free bread and tortillas had a decent amount of sodium in it.
And — here was the shocker for me — even my beloved butter pecan ice cream had hundreds of milligrams of sodium in my usual double-scoop serving. Ack! So I thought, hey, why not recreate it, adding a lemon twist and taking out the salt altogether? And so I did. Check out my light and low-sodium version that’s also gluten-free and dairy-free!
Lemon Coconut Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
- ½ c. thick coconut cream
- 2 very ripe large frozen bananas
- zest of a whole Sunkist lemon, reserving 1 tsp
- juice of ½ Sunkist lemon
- ⅓ c. pecans, chopped
- 4 whole pecans
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- Combine coconut cream, bananas, lemon zest and juice in a blender until smooth. (If it's too thick, add a little non-dairy milk.)
- Place mixture in a freezer-safe bowl and stir in chopped pecans. Freeze until set, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Once set, divide between two bowls and top each with ½ teaspoon of reserved lemon zest, two whole pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup if using. Enjoy!
How You Can Use Lemon to Reduce Your Sodium Intake, Too
Looking for more tasty ways to incorporate Sunkist lemons into your eats to reduce your sodium intake? Try using lemon to flavor roast chicken or turkey, squeeze lemon slices over seafood or perk up your salsa and guac with lemon juice. Home cooks, be sure to bookmark and save the amazing infographic below for creating a lower-sodium dish that tastes amazing!
Save me and share me for future reference!
Didn’t that infographic blow your mind!? Try it! And if you’re looking for even more fresh recipes and info about sodium and sodium alternatives to be healthier this summer, be sure to check out the Sunkist S’alternative site here. So, so SO many good ideas on there!
Say it with us now, table the salt and go with Sunkist! —Jenn