Three Low-Salt Sauces to Make and Freeze During National Sauce Month

March brings the arrival of spring. It’s also National Sauce Month, which makes it a good time to think about the low-sodium sauces to keep on hand for your parents’ meals. Take time on a weekend to prepare many of these sauces and tuck them into the freezer until they’re needed.

A low-sodium diet is important as you age. Too much salt is detrimental to the kidneys and can raise blood pressure. Too much salt is hard on the arteries. Salt-free or low-sodium sauces can be full of flavor without the salt. Here are three of the best sauces to make and freeze.

Blueberry Chutney

Purchase a two-pound bag of Wild Maine blueberries. Put all of the berries into a pan and add the juice and zest from two oranges. Stir in a half cup of apple cider vinegar and a half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Simmer that until thick.

Freeze the chutney in small freezer bags. It’s a good sauce to serve with grilled chicken or pork loin.

Simple Tomato Sauce

One of the fastest tomato sauces to make for pasta is also full of antioxidants. Chop a medium onion and move to a large non-stick pot. Grate a large carrot and chop two stalks of celery. Add that to the onion and add a tablespoon of avocado oil. Saute until the onions are tender.

Stir four cloves of chopped garlic into the onion mixture. Add two cans of low-salt or salt-free crushed tomatoes. Simmer that for an hour. Stir in two cups of basil that you’ve cut into thin julienne strips and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Simmer that for 10 minutes and cool. Transfer to quart freezer bags and keep in the freezer until needed.

Walnut Pesto

Walnuts are filled with heart-healthy oils. They’re a good substitute for pine nuts in pesto. Place ½ cup of toasted walnuts, 4 cups of fresh basil leaves, and ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil into a blender. Blend that until smooth.

Add in the juice and zest from a large lemon, 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of paprika, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and ½ cup of grated parmesan. If you can find goat’s milk parmesan, that’s going to be lower in fat. If the mixture seems too thick, add vegetable broth until it’s a paste.

Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Cubes can be moved into a freezer bag and stored until needed. Use it to flavor tomato soups, stews, and pasta.

Is It Time to Have Help With Meals?

Senior care services are one of the best ways to make sure your parents are eating properly. If you’re worried about their reliance on takeout and frozen dinners, arrange to have caregivers help them with meal preparation and grocery shopping.

Caregivers work with your parents to come up with weekly menus. They can take your parents to the store to shop for ingredients. Back at their home, your parents can have help putting away groceries and preparing meals and snacks. Call a senior care agency to get started.