Sodium Question

Someone who I respect mentioned that there is a lot of soy in my bentos which has a lot of sodium in it. It you are watching your salt for a medical reason I would definitely advise against using a lot of products with soy sauce in it.

I don't actually use a lot of soy, even though it is mentioned a lot. The soy bottle that sometimes gets pack is pretty small and she always comes home with some still in there. In foods like fried rice or other foods that I stir fry with some, I usually only use a few dashes.

The jury is still out as to whether sodium is bad for you. There have been no repeatable tests that can claim that sodium is bad for a healthy person. According to my nutrition professor there isn't any studies that can confidently say that it is even bad for folks with high blood pressure.

That aside, I still try to not use a lot of salt. The rice is made without salt and I don't add any salt to the bentos. Still, it is a far assessment that there is a lot of sodium in soy, and I can see where one would worry at that. I don't use it because it is Asian, I use it because Paige likes it and it can help her to eat things she wouldn't necessarily eat otherwise.

Today is a 2fer, since there is a box that I didn't post. It is not original, though each time I make fried rice it is a little different. That is why I took so long to post it. First I will post today's.

On the top there is a side of yellow squash and snow peas cut thin, then stir fried quickly in the basic soy/mirin concoction that Paige seems to like. I only use two dashes of soy. Then there are mini meatballs. I got these at Trader Joe's in the frozen aisle. These are made of turkey, and I cooked them in a little BBQ sauce (Paige's favorite!). Next to that is some peeled and sectioned oranges. All the fruit and vegetables come from Boston Organics which is a very reasonably priced organic fruit and vegetable delivery service. Everything is organic and sourced as close to home as possible while still maintaining some variety. On the bottom are flower shaped onigiri surrounded by dried cranberries (a Boston Organics add on) and roasted almonds.

Here is some fried rice on the top, no egg because there is ground turkey in it leftover from tacos the night before. It is garnished with green onion. We have a lot of citrus in this house because, and I love them dearly, they are not easy to eat, they require peeling and such. On the right is a half a cored peach with a cherry in the middle and green onion cut outs for the eyes.