Edible food without salt??

We have not been eating salty foods for many years. But now with the dialysis, weight and edema seem to be critical issues. I find that I must adjust our diet daily to reflect whether his weight is up....or down. (Just as he changes the solutions he chooses for the overnight dialysis...).

I thought I was doing a good job of tracking sodium intake until I used canned beans and watched his legs swell. Some of the things I thought worked (like rinsing canned beans) weren't always enough.

The other night I had some really lean organic ground round left. No hormones, etc. We decided it would be nice to have Sloppy Joes. I also had a big bowl of black beans I had cooked in the crockpot the day before....with lots of water and NO SALT. I know Sloppy Joes don't usually have beans, but we decided we would have them anyway.

My results turned out to be really good (we think!). I offer this recipe in hopes it will help you see that you do not need a lot of salt. Amounts are approximate. The cloves, vinegar, and sugar are probably the most critical ingredients in terms of amount. If you use ground turkey, you might want to make sure it wasn't brined before it was ground....

Janet's Sloppy Joe Chili

~1 lb very lean ground beef (without hormones if possible) (or ground turkey if you prefer)

1 2" white onion, chopped

2-3 T olive oil

2 cups home-cooked black beans (without any salt) and some of their liquid

1 15-oz can no-salt tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoon dark brown sugar (can use Splenda brown sugar if you prefer) (not packed like you would normally measure it)

1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Tabasco (optional)

Brown the onion and ground beef until the meat is no longer pink. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat thoroughly. Serve in hamburger buns or in bowls. I like mine topped with yogurt. Not everyone does, however.

This will serve at least six. Maybe more, depending on your portion sizes.