WRONG! We’ve tracked the sodium in our meals and were absolutely shocked at how everyday foods, even frozen vegetables, contain extra sodium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naturally-occuring sodium in plants cannot be avoided, but to find sodium hidden in many everyday food like bread, milk, and simple pantry items came as a shock. We’re currently tracking our menu makeovers and I plan to share them here so that you can see how we’ve changed our common, home-cooked meals, like spaghetti and meatballs (a weekly menu favorite) to low salt, heart-healthy menus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s how this recipe for Italian pasta salad came about…it was part of my weekly experimentation to find low salt, low cholesterol meals and dishes the whole family can enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Italian](\"https:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/pasta-salad.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEasy Healthy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The secret to this easy, healthy Italian pasta salad recipe becoming a low-salt and low-cholesterol favorite is in the dressing itself and limiting the amount of olive used in the recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original Italian pasta salad recipe called for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Rotini pasta<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cherry tomatoes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Black olives<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fresh basil<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Onion<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Feta cheese<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dressing made from mayonnaise and vinegar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Salt and pepper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
My swaps lowered the cholesterol to just 5 milligrams per large 2 cup serving and the salt to 150 milligrams per serving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eliminate the Worst Offenders First<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When you’re trying to change your diet and lower sodium and cholesterol intake, the easiest thing to do is to eliminate the worst food offenders first. In this recipe, the feta had to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, don’t get me wrong. Feta packs flavor into every bite. Unfortunately, it’s also a highly salted cheese, and it added too much sodium to the basic recipe. We didn’t miss it in the revised recipe although I added it to my plate. My husband had chicken with his dinner and I ate a vegeterian meal that included feta in the salad but omitted the chicken drumsticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mayonnaise can be good or bad, depending on what you choose. Southerners love their Duke’s mayo and northerners their Hellman’s mayonnaise. These are delicious but cholesterol-packed dressings thanks to the eggs used in traditional mayo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good substitute is olive-oil mayonnaise from Hellmans. I used just one tablespoon, mixed with another tablespoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to give the dressing lots of taste with less cholesterol and salt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eliminating Salt from Recipes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Recipes such as this one make it easy to eliminate or substitute the salt. Since it is not essential to the ingredients but used to season and add flavor, I substituted Mrs. Dash, a seasoning blend, for salt. It added excellent flavor to the salad while avoiding the salt! <\/p>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n \n <\/div>\nItalian pasta salad recipe<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n \n<\/div>\nAn easy, healthy Italian pasta salad recipe that can be served as a main course for a vegetarian meal or as a picnic, potluck, or suppertime side dish.<\/div>\n