Breadings – These can be tricky on a low sodium diet because sodium in breadings can be sneaky. Plain flour is most commonly used to bread meats or vegetables for cooking, especially frying. Flour tends to need salt otherwise it tastes bland like paste. Try adding seasonings (like Gusto) to the flour before breading; this makes a big difference in the flavor. It is not bland, and you still achieve a crispy coating. Try other breadings like ground nut flour or nut meal. Almond meal or almond flour is good and fairly easy to find. Store this in the freezer so it stays fresh. There are many other types of breadings that give you flavorful results. Light batters like a tempura batter, egg whites, beer batter, corn meal, ground or chopped nuts, seeds like sesame seeds, rice flour, corn flour, potato flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, a little mustard, freshly ground peppercorns, or try a variety of mixed peppercorns. Even a pinch of cayenne or chili added to a breading adds a little kick to take away the bland. It doesn’t have to be hot, just flavorful. Lot’s of combinations to try to get that crispy coating you miss and without the salt.
There is a newer breading you might like to try called Panko. These are Japanese breadcrumbs. Very light and the plain are low sodium at only 40 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving.
Note: Bread, especially white bread per slice, is higher in sodium because, as said before, plain flour needs salt. Consequently, white bread crumbs are usually salty. If using something like a saltine cracker make sure you get the unsalted tops to save on the sodium even if it’s a little bit. Like cracker crumbs, you can make your own and save some of the sodium that you would find in premade bread or cracker crumbs. Also, be careful using flavored crumbs. The sodium is up there, Read the labels, as different brands can be higher in sodium than other brands.
Any of our salt-free seasonings mixed in with your coating of choice will be more flavorful and have good aroma. Mixing in Table Tasty is a nice surprise with its salty taste, and it has arrowroot to help it stick to whatever you are breading. This also helps thicken a sauce or gravy.