I must eat a very low sodium diet to manage my inner ear disorder (Meniere's). I will be in Ireland at the end of August / beginning of September '09. I'm trying to learn more about low sodium options in Ireland. Boxed shredded wheat breakfast cereals are usually sodium-free. Some types of peanut butter are, too. Does anyone know whether these are available in Irish grocery stores? Here in the States I can purchase specialty products like Ezekiel Low Sodium Bread and low sodium canned tuna. Anyone have ideas about places to get specialty health foods in Ireland?
Posted by
Palo Alto, CA, USA
3 posts
Michele, this is going to be a real challenge. The concept of low sodium seems to be foreign to the Irish. Here are a few hints:
If you take breakfast in a hotel or B&b, you'll be offered salty bacon, salty sausage, and salty margarine for your fried (in grease) bread. In defense, I take along fruit, museli, yogurt and juice that I've purchased. Don't expect to be offered these. (Wheatabix now is full of salt - watch out)
Stop in a grocery store and stock up. If you can find a Mark and Spencer, they have a fairly good health range. Tesco/Safeway have a few low salt items (check in the diet sections)
I had trouble finding peanut butter without salt, but finally purchased a one pound jar at Holland and Barrett (sp?) which was worth it.
I packed my own bread and granola bars from the states.
Read the labels carefully! The ingredients are not the same as brands in the states. They put salt and sugar in EVERYTHING, including vitamin pills.
Avoid soups, packaged cereals (except some museli), breads, salted butter, and all processed meats. And cheese of course. Cottage cheese is better.
Good luck!
Posted by
wichita, kansas
484 posts
I have never had breakfast in a B&B that did not offer yogurt,dry cereal and fresh fruit and juice and I am assuming restaurants would offer you the same choice.
As you well know any type of processed food is usually loaded with sodium.I was looking at Kroger's brand of Italian sausage yesterday and one link has 41% of your daily recommended intake of sodium,that is approx. 1/2 a teaspoon.
Posted by
San Carlos, CA, USA
85 posts
Michele, when you order anything, ask them to hold the salt. We just returned from the UK and the Irish love salt. However, we did find the breakfast served had healthy cereals, fresh fruit, yogurts, juices, and homemade whole grain breads. Ask for brown sugar (they still don't know what evaporated cane juice is - and they ruled India!?!), and ask for whole wheat whenever you can. For two weeks I never ate so much white sugar and bread. I'm still in a bit of a sugar tweek from it all.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Karen,,must not be just Ireland.. as I have never heard of evaporated cane juice either.. what is that.. and btw,,, sugar is sugar,, white or brown.
Posted by
San Carlos, CA, USA
85 posts
Hi Pat,
Dehydrated can sugar is also known as Rapadura, the commercial name for the sweetner. The people of India have used it for thousands of years. It is rich in minerals, particularly silica. The naturally sweet foods we get sugar from (sugar beet, sugar cane, and corn) are high in nutrients like B vitamins, magnesium, and chromium. They all play a part in blood sugar regulation. However, they are discarded for animal feed when the raw product is refined. Very SAD (Standard American Diet) white sugar is the result.
There is a great book at organic stores that's a grass-roots turnabout for the current standard diets. It's by Sally Fallon, RN, and Mary Enig, PhD., called "NOURISHING TRADITIONS." And, depending what kind of brown sugar is used, no, sugar is not sugar. Just look around at society and the diet dictocrats and you'll see it's true.
Take care, Karen.