GivingNSharing: sunkist lemons

I found out about a FUN new contest by Sunkist Lemons today, but I think what caught my attention the most was the facts about sodium and it's affect on the body and how YOU can make a difference just by cutting back on the amount of sodium you take in.

Did you know?

To much sodium in your diet can cause heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems?
According to a 2010 study by Bibbins-Domingo, if every American reduced his or her daily sodium intake by 400 milligrams, 32,000 heart attacks, 20,000 strokes and 28,000 deaths could be prevented each year. - That's amazing!
The top five food sources of sodium in the American diet are yeast breads, chicken and chicken mixed dishes, pizza, pasta and pasta dishes, and cold cuts.
The most effective ways to reduce sodium intake is to choose more fresh foods.

Sunkist S'alternative Tips:
Here are some delicious tips for using Sunkist® lemons to cut down on sodium and enhance the natural flavor of food.

Soups

Add lemon juice and float thin lemon slices in vegetable based soups or beef, chicken, or tomato bouillon.
Add grated lemon peel and chopped parsley, fresh basil, or chives to low fat plain yogurt or sour cream to garnish broths or soups.

Salads

Squeeze a lemon over a tossed salad instead of using an oil and vinegar dressing.
Add fresh squeezed lemon juice to chicken, turkey or tuna salad.

Meats

Blend lemon juice, dry mustard and freshly ground black pepper to serve as a spicy hot sauce for lean cuts of beef and pork.
Add fresh lemon juice to a barbecue sauce made of low sodium tomato paste, chili powder, honey, garlic and onion.

Poultry

For baking or broiling, brush poultry with a blend of a little vegetable oil, lemon juice and crushed oregano leaves; dust with paprika.
For baking, dip skinned poultry pieces in plain low fat yogurt; coat with instant potato flakes mixed with grated lemon peel and dried tarragon, or grated orange peel and ground ginger.

Fish

For baking whole fish, sprinkle inside and out with lemon juice; baste with lemon juice, chopped parsley and small amount of unsalted margarine.
Dust fish pieces with flour mixed with grated lemon peel and an herb mixture of oregano, basil and thyme.

Vegetables

Squeeze a wedge of lemon and add a sprinkle of chopped green onions or chives over corn, carrots, summer squash and potatoes.
Add fresh or dried basil to a little fresh lemon juice to serve over cooked green vegetables.

The Sunkist S’alternative website also features new S’alternative recipes from Sunkist as well as tips on how to prepare foods using Sunkist Lemons as a healthy salt alternative and important information on the dangers of sodium. Check it out!

Here are the details for the contest:

Between now and September 30, 2010, YOU can enter the S’alternative recipe contest by submitting your appetizer, salad, main course or sauce recipe featuring Sunkist lemons as an alternative to salt for a chance of winning up to a $1,000 grocery gift card!