Trader Joe's Multigrain Slims

Trader Joe's Multigrain Slims

I know these aren’t a new product, but I noticed them for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Up until then, the only lower sodium TJ bread products I was aware of were its salt free multigrain bread and its lavash. However, I rarely, if ever purchased either of those products. I don’t really care for the texture of the bread, and California Lavash makes a product that is lower in sodium and readily available at all my local grocery stores. But for some reason I decided to check the sandwich thins, and I’m glad I did.

Only 100 mg Sodium per Sandwich Thin

If you’re not into making your own breads, these are perfect for sandwiches and burgers. I know how difficult it is to find low sodium sandwich/hamburger buns in grocery stores. The sodium level can range from the low 200s to over 400 mg sodium per bun. However, the TJ thins are only 100 mg per roll. Yes, that’s right! 100 mg sodium per roll/bun/thin (whatever you want to call them). Two slices with just 100 mg sodium. Pretty amazing!

Summertime Tomato Sandwich

As a bonus, they’re tasty too. And they hold up to pretty messy sandwiches. I’ve used them now with burgers and our summertime favorite, garden fresh tomato sandwiches. Unfortunately, I only bought one package to “test drive.” Now that I’ve discovered how great they are, I plan to keep 2-3 packages on hand in my freezer for those times when I’m not up to making my own homemade bread.

Safeway Multi-Grain Very Low Sodium Bread

2017 Update: Unfortunately, Safeway has discontinued this wonderful product.

Safeway's Low Sodium Bread

I enjoy making my own homemade bread, but I know others may not. Safeway’s low sodium bread is perfect for those looking for a good alternative to home baking. It’s sold exclusively by Safeway under their Signature Kitchens label. And, yes, it is truly low sodium: 5 mg sodium for a 2 slice serving. Although its first ingredient is white flour, the list also includes wheat bran, whole wheat flour, rye flour, cracked wheat, and flax seed. The bread comes in a 1 pound loaf (16 ounces) with 18 slices. The texture is soft, and the taste is pretty good. An added bonus is that it’s reasonably priced – between $3.00 $3.30 per loaf.

Only 5 mg Sodium for 2 Slices

I know there are other more well known low sodium breads available at many grocery stores. Both Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Low Sodium Sprouted Grain Bread (0 mg sodium/single slice) and Alvarado St. Bakery No Salt Sprouted Multi-Grain Bread (10 mg sodium/single slice) are made with organic sprouted grains. They both weigh 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) and contain 20 slices. The Food for Life costs between $4.00 to $4.50 per loaf, while the Alvarado St. loaf is around $6.00 to $6.60 each.

Two Safeway Slices

It never hurts to have more than one option available. So, if you’ve got a Safeway store nearby, consider its low sodium bread as another possibility in the ongoing search for products suited to a low sodium diet.

Low Sodium Crackers

A Few Favorite Low Sodium Crackers

Crackers are another one of those pantry items that come in handy when you’re following a low sodium regimen. Especially when you’re having one of those “I don’t feel like cooking up a storm” days. Or maybe it’s an “I’m out of bread and I don’t want to run to the store or haul the bread machine out” day. Whatever the reason, a supply of low sodium crackers can help.

Hard cook some eggs, pull out a couple of cans of low sodium tuna, chop up some leftover roast chicken, and you can have egg salad, tuna salad, or chicken salad ready in no time.  Spread on some low sodium crackers and you’ve got a quick, relatively easy lunch or dinner. Want something even easier? How about unsalted peanut butter and jam spread on crackers? Or perhaps unsalted cottage cheese mixed with a favorite salt-free spice blend on crackers? There’s always dips and crackers too.

Crackers are also a great accompaniment to soups, stews, and chilis. Some people love to crush crackers onto chili or soup. They like the extra crunch and heft that’s added. Or maybe it’s just the fun of being able to smash something by hand.

More Favorites

Luckily there are several options for buying low sodium crackers available at most grocery stores. Nabisco, one of the giant food manufacturers, offers Unsalted Tops Premium Saltine Crackers with 75mg sodium/5 crackers/16g while Ritz Hint of Salt is 30mg sodium/5 crackers/16g. Nabisco Wheat Thins Hint of Salt have 55mg sodium/16 crackers/31g, and Triscuit HInt of Salt is 50mg/6 crackers/28g.  

One of my husband's favorite crackers is Red Oval Farms Low Sodium Stoned Wheat Thins (25mg sodium/2 crackers/14g) In shopping for snacks for my gluten-sensitive granddaughter, I discovered something interesting: Many gluten-free rice crackers are also very low in sodium — and very tasty! For example, Nabisco Original Rice Thins have 85mg sodium/18 crackers/31g.  Blue Diamond Almonds offers Almond Hint of Sea Salt Nut-Thins with 80mg sodium/17 crackers/30g. I’ve found other brands and varieties of rice crackers with even lower sodium levels.

Lundberg and Quaker sell unsalted and/or lightly salted rice cakes. Another crunchy low sodium alternative. Finally, several unsalted or low sodium matzo crackers are available in the Kosher section of most grocery stores, usually either Streit’s or Manischewitz brands. Our favorites are the unsalted whole wheat matzos and the egg & onion matzos with 45mg/1 matzo/28g. (Bear in mind that most matzos are 6” x 7” rectangles.) If your grocery store does not carry an assortment of matzos regularly, they might during Passover. That’d be the time to stock up. (While you’re at it, look for unsalted matzo meal, a perfect substitute for dried bread crumbs.)

Now, that's what I call a cracker!

See what you can find at your local grocery stores. You might be pleasantly surprised. As always, be sure to check the nutrition labels. It’s amazing how sodium levels vary from brand to brand and even between similar products within the same brand.

Lavash Flatbread

Lavash Wrap

If you’re on a low sodium diet, you know the difficulty bread products present. Grocery store breadstuffs are loaded with sodium. From the humongous bagels to Kalamata olive & Parmesan studded artisan loaves. Even sliced sandwich-style loaves can be too high for daily consumption. And the few low or no sodium breads commercially available can be downright tasteless. That’s why it’s such a big deal to discover a decent low sodium product that’s OK for everyday use.

Presenting lavash. Lavash is a soft, thin flatbread of Middle Eastern origin. It’s perfect for wraps, appetizers, or snacks. I’ve found two sources for this wonderful flatbread: California Lavash and Trader Joe’s. The Trader Joe’s versions come in whole wheat or white, while the California Lavash also has a spinach variety.

California Lavash has 140 mg sodium for its traditional and spinach, while the whole grain version is only 90 mg sodium per sheet. Trader Joe’s version is heftier: a single sheet is 320 mg sodium. However, each TJ lavash sheet contains 2 servings. So if you cut the sheets in half, each serving is 160 mg sodium.

California Whole Grain Lavash & Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Lavash

I use lavash regularly for lunchtime “sandwich” wraps. You can spread them with mayonnaise, cream cheese, hummus, mashed avocado – anything you can think of that would keep them pliable for rolling up. Add some chutney, hot pepper jelly, pesto for some zing. Filling possibilities are endless: tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, sliced meat, sliced cheese, sloppy joe filling, taco filling – you name it. Just make sure everything is well drained. You don’t want the wrap to turn soggy. Then pile on the vegetables: roasted red peppers, roasted green chilies, roasted/grilled eggplant slices, thinly sliced cucumbers, red onions, green or red peppers, coleslaw, pickles, spinach leaves, lettuce – whatever your heart desires. I can get two good sized wraps from one TJ lavash sheet. Same with the California Lavash too, although they are a bit smaller.

Ready to Roll

For a sweet treat, spread them with peanut, almond, or cashew butter and your favorite jam. How about some Nutella or another chocolate spread? Or maybe Biscoff cookie spread. Add some fresh banana slices or some banana chips for crunch. Maybe a sprinkling of dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped nuts.

Lavash are especially handy for appetizers or snacks. Spread a base like cream cheese that will keep the flatbread supple but not let it get soggy. Layer on some sliced meat & cheese and a strip of pickle or roasted red pepper and roll it up. Cut into 1/2 – 3/4 inch pinwheels and you’re set.

Lavash are very low in fat, so that means they can dry out quickly. One hint I have is to lightly spray water from a mister onto the sheets before filling. The sheets get moistened just a touch but are more flexible when rolling.

I’ve found California Lavash at all my local grocery stores. I encourage you to give lavash a try. Look for them or ask about them at your local grocery store. It’s a great product for weekday lunches and for impromptu appetizers. And much lower in sodium than the flour tortillas that are often used for wraps. The California Lavash website has a lot of interesting recipes that should be easy to adapt to low sodium.

Tis the Season... For Matzos!

Spring has sprung. That means Passover and Easter are just around the corner. And our local grocery stores have geared up for these two important religious holidays. There are aisles dedicated to Easter candy -- Peeps, chocolate bunnies, and creme filled eggs. There are hams in the meat section and hot cross buns in the bakery. You can find Easter baskets, plush stuffed bunny & chick toys, and egg dying kits.

You'll also find an expanded selection of Kosher foods. All my local supermarkets have special end-of-the-aisle displays for Passover. Several different kinds of matzos, matzo meal, potato pancake mix, jars of borscht and gefilte fish, macaroons, and my personal favorite -- toasted coconut marshmallows.

Passover commemorates "The Exodus" from Ancient Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. The Old Testament teaches that when Pharaoh finally freed the Israelites, they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise. Flat bread, matzo, is a reminder of the rapid departure of the Exodus. For the duration of Passover, also called The Feast of the Unleavened Bread, no leavened bread is eaten.


For people watching their sodium intake, the larger supermarket selection of matzos at Passover is really good news. Matzos are a thin crispy cracker-like product (similar to Carr's water crackers). They come in 7 x 7 inch squares and are usually fairly low in salt. During Passover, I like to stock up on them. Last week I picked up a box of Manischewitz Whole Wheat Matzos. No sodium whatsoever! I also got a box of Osem Egg & Onion Matzah, just 5.5 mg. sodium for one entire cracker.

Matzoh crackers are usually simple in flavor but with a lot of crunch. So they're a great foil for tasty dips and spreads. Homemade hummus or white bean pate are wonderful served with matzos. The same goes for homemade onion dip, guacamole, salsa, cottage cheese spread, etc. To tell the truth, I love matzos spread with butter. You can even use them to make quick pizza snacks. A smear of tomato sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and broil until bubbly.

Another great product is matzo meal. It's made up of crushed, ground matzo crackers and is a perfect substitute for breadcrumbs because it's usually sodium free. You can use it in meatloaf, for crumb toppings, for dredging chicken or fish. Last week I also picked up a couple of canisters of Manischewitz Matzo Meal for those summer months when I'm too hot to think about baking low sodium bread just for crumbs. Matzo meal is a great alternative to store bought bread crumbs. You can also make your own matzo meal by grinding up whole crackers.

As with everything, be sure to check the labels. Some of the flavored matzos are almost as high in sodium as Nabisco brand products. But the simpler plain, egg, and whole wheat matzos are usually perfect for low sodium diets.