Month: April 2014

5 foods surprisingly high in salt

by Ashlee Lamar
Excess salt intake can contribute to many health problems, including high blood pressure.
The American Heart Association’s 2010 guidelines recommend 1500 mg of salt /day. For reference, 1 teaspoon of salt is equivalent to about 2300 mg of sodium.
Many Americans to fulfill sodium needs from food alone, and this does not include additional salt added by the salt shaker. Here are some surprisingly high sodium foods:
1.    Vegetable juice
Vegetable juice is a great way to get up to two servings of vegetables/8 ounces. However, that also comes with the high sodium content of 650 mg/serving. Look for “low sodium” vegetable juices-these juices have 1/6th the salt content.

2.    Veggie burgers
Some brands of vegetable burgers contain up to 400 mg of sodium/serving. Opt for the “Boca Meatless Burger” brand, which limits sodium to 280 mg per serving.

3.    Spaghetti  sauce
Spaghetti sauces have up to 550 mg of salt/serving. Look for the no salt added version and season with Italian spices, garlic powder and onion powder to add flavor.

4.    Canned jalapeño peppers
Despite the low calorie content (5 calories /serving), these peppers pack in a whopping 580 mg of sodium /serving.  Any pickled food, including pickles or olives will be high in salt.

5.    Cereal
Some cereals have up to 250 mg sodium /serving.  Always double check the nutrition facts for the exact salt content.

Salmon with Tomato Basil Salsa

Ingredients
Salmon:
4 salmon filets (about 4 oz. each)
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
½ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder

Salsa:
6 oz. grape tomatoes
1 – 1 ¼ cup sweet onion
¼ cup fresh basil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Instructions
–    Preheat oven to 375.
–    Spray pan with cooking spray. Place fish in pan.
–    In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, paprika and garlic powder
–    Spread mixture evenly over salmon.
–    Bake about 15-20 minutes. Fish should be  flak easily and reach internal temperature of 145F
–    While fish cooks, chop tomatoes onion and basil. Combine in small bowl.
–    Add vinegar and mix.
–    Spoon over cooked fish

Yield: 4 servings, 175 mg sodium each
Recipe adapted from The American Heart Association

Ashlee Lamar is a registered dietitian with Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan.

Pavers ordered to repay Leavenworth County consumer, banned from doing business in Kansas

A paving company has been ordered to repay a Leavenworth County consumer and has been banned from doing business in Kansas, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

In an order entered last week in Leavenworth County District Court, Judge David King ordered Carl Bailey and Mike Gaede, doing business as Bailey’s Construction and CTC Construction, to repay a Leavenworth County consumer $17,500 he had paid the company for paving his driveway.

The court found that the defendants committed five violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act in the transaction. The judge also ordered the defendants to pay a $100,000 civil penalty and refrain from engaging in business activity in the State of Kansas.

In March 2012, the defendants solicited the consumer at his residence to perform asphalt paving services. The defendants told the consumer he was getting a good deal because the asphalt materials were left over from a previous job. Before the paving was complete, the defendants demanded payment of $1,750, which the consumer agreed to. Because the consumer could not write very well, he requested the defendants write the check out for him. The defendants then wrote the check for $17,500.

The court found that the defendants presented the consumer with an invoice that contained no business address or notice of the consumer’s right to cancel. The defendants also failed to inform the consumer verbally of his three-day right to cancel. The defendants then cashed the check before waiting the required five business days. The court found these actions violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.

“Consumers should be especially cautious when dealing with door-to-door solicitors,” Schmidt said. “Scam artists promise a deal that sounds too good to be true, and it usually is. Consumers who are in need of home repairs or driveway paving should seek out local, reputable companies and get multiple written estimates before having any work done.”

More tips on staying safe from rip-offs are available on the attorney general’s consumer protection website at www.InYourCornerKansas.org.

Storm located south and east of KCK

Skies were partly cloudy Thursday afternoon with a temperature of 71 degrees in Kansas City, Kan.
Wyandotte County was not under any watches or warnings as of Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. There was a 60 percent chance of rain or storms on Thursday afternoon. Winds will pick up Thursday evening and night, according to the National Weather Service.
Areas of central Missouri, including Cass County, Mo., and Johnson County, Mo., were under a tornado watch on Thursday afternoon.

A severe thunderstorm was about 6 miles north of Clinton, Mo.
Additionally, a flood warning was in effect for portions of central Kansas and central Missouri. Among areas that might experience flooding are Warrensburg, Mo., and Sedalia, Mo.