Instructions: After a health scare and a hospital stay, my mother was advised to go on a low-sodium diet. While preparing meals for her, Ive discovered that cutting salt isnt as easy as it sounds - particularly if you dine out or buy prepared foods. This is just as true for Latin cuisine as it is for other types of cooking - even vegetarian.

About 10 years ago, low-sodium products were fairly common. Now, with the buzzwords fat free everywhere, manufacturers seem to have replaced fat with sodium. If you check out the sodium content of so-called healthful products in the frozen and canned foods sections, you may be surprised. A frozen Mexican entree, for example, may contain 30 percent to 40 percent of the recommended daily requirement.

Though some controversy remains over how sodium affects health, most people in the United States consume two to three times the daily sodium intake recommended by the American Heart Association (about 1 1/4 teaspoons). In addition to its likely effect on blood pressure, sodium may speed up the loss of calcium, which means anyone concerned about osteoporosis should be particularly careful.

Most foods, even fresh vegetables, contain some sodium, which is essential to the body. But you can vastly lower your salt intake by cooking foods from scratch. There are a handful of great, widely available products that can help, such as salt-free seasonings and no salt added canned vegetables, tuna, soups and other prepared foods. And, with the increasing popularity of Mexican cooking, its getting easier to find low-sodium refried beans and spicy or Mexican-style seasonings without salt.

Alternatives
Cutting back on salt doesnt necessarily mean sacrificing flavor. This is a chance to explore other flavor combinations.

One of my new favorites: Steam large prawns and top them with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of homemade, salt-free chili powder. (See recipe) I make a similar low-salt catfish by coating the fish with stone-ground cornmeal, sauteing it in olive oil and serving it with a squeeze of citrus and a sprinkle of no-salt seasoning. Chicken works equally well. Bread, such as low-sodium sourdough, which I found at Albertsons, or low-salt canned hominy sauteed with onion and bell pepper, will round out the meal. (Soaking regular canned hominy in water briefly before using can reduce the amount of salt.)

If you cant give up a favorite high-sodium prepared food, mix it with other ingredients. For example, creamy bottled salad dressings can be combined with low-fat sour cream and milk. This keeps the flavor but extends the dressing and reduces the percentage of sodium. It also helps to dip the salad into the dressing instead of pouring dressing over the salad.

Go with corn tortillas
To further reduce salt when dining out, opt for corn instead of flour tortillas. Corn tortillas usually contain just trace amounts of salt, while flour tortillas can have up to 10 percent of the recommended daily amount.

Choose dishes that are prepared to order, such as un-marinated grilled fish, meats and vegetables. If the dish is marinated, ask that no salt be added when the food is cooked.

At taquerias, or when buying takeout Mexican food, choose condiments wisely.

Salsas, for example, can be high in salt. Crema Mexicana, sour cream and most yogurts, however, are not. Many restaurants also offer minced cilantro, plain chopped tomatoes and onions, and lime wedges. All will add a zesty dose of flavor, as will fresh chili. If youre concerned about sodium intake, just be sure to avoid chilies en escabeche (pickled in salty vinegar brine).

To help you add flavor without salt, you will find, in this collection, my recipe for salt-free chili powder, a good seasoning for Pollo Veracruz.

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