Get help for controlling sodium when dining out

I know for certain I don't have hypertension (high blood pressure). Having donated blood regularly since 1991 means my blood pressure gets checked regularly and today it remains perfectly normal.

Even so, I pay attention to dietary salt and try to help salt-aware readers by including "SaltSense," tips for reducing sodium, in many of my recipes.

Step into my kitchen and you'll find Diamond Crystal kosher salt. I like its flavor (no iodine makes it less bitter) and it dissolves easier than table salt. But Diamond Crystal's big plus is that, measure-for-measure, it's lower in sodium.

One teaspoon table salt equals 2,325 milligrams sodium (the daily maximum for adults) while the same amount of Diamond Crystal logs in at 1,120 mg. By weight, they're close to the same sodium content, but Diamond Crystal's larger flakes take up more room in the spoon.

I frequently cook by the pinch-stir-and-taste method; that's where kosher salt's natural lightness reduces the amount of salt I add each time, making sodium control easier.

Using measuring spoons and food fact labels, home cooks can monitor food's sodium content. But when eating out that ability vanishes when dining out, since restaurants don't share food's nutrient counts. Until restaurants do, we'll have to rely on outside sources such as Lauren Murrow from Men's Health magazine.

Recently she wrote about the 20 saltiest foods in America and none of them came from a home kitchen. Researchers found that 77 percent of the sodium adult Americans ingest comes from processed foods and restaurant fare.

To help us all, Murrow listed some of American restaurants high-salt bad boys. Her award for saltiest Chinese entree went to P.F. Chang's Beef with Broccoli serving up 3,752 sodium milligrams. America's saltiest "healthy" food: Chili's Guiltless Grill Chicken Platter; it may be low in calories (590) but its sodium soars at 2,780 mg. You could probably guess that Hardee's 2/3-pound monster burger was a caloric (1,420) and fat (108 grams) bad dream, but with more than a day's allotment of sodium (2,770) between the buns, it's really a heart-stopping nightmare.

The prizewinner for America's saltiest comfort food: Denny's meatloaf dinner (with mashed potatoes and corn) at an unbelievable 5,080 milligrams! Murrow suggests heading for Denny's steakhouse strip dinner with just 460 mg sodium and a third of the calories (390).

Worried about your child's restaurant meals? Steer clear of Cosi Kid's Pepperoni Pizza and its 1,901 calories (44 percent from fat), 93 fat grams and an amazing 6,405 mg sodium.

If you believe desserts are all about sugar, think again. Atlantic Bread Company's Raspberry Scone delivers 1,750 mg sodium. Murrow notes that one scone's sodium level equals seven servings of bacon and suggests a slice of pumpkin bread (160 mg) instead.

For the rest of Murrow's top 20, head to www.menshealth.com/eatthis/20-Saltiest-Foods-in-America/index.php.

Bottom line: Restaurants can't continue keeping sodium content a secret.

Try this recipe: A column fan recently shared her favorite Japanese-style chicken wing recipe. To reduce the hassle-factor, I switched to skinless, boneless chicken thighs; they're easy to prepare, low in fat and taste sensational.

Don Mauer welcomes questions, shared recipes and makeover requests for your favorite dishes. Address them to Don Mauer, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or don@theleanwizard.com.

Terri's Japanese Chicken Thighs

¾ cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup sodium-reduced or light soy sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger

6 dashes hot sauce

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of all visible fat

In a large saucepan, whisk chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ginger and hot sauce until sugar dissolves.

Place saucepan over medium-high heat and add chicken thighs. While stirring, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high, remove lid and cook, stirring and flipping thighs until liquid reduces and becomes slightly syrupy, about 10 minutes.

Divide thighs between plates and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves six to eight.

Cook's note: After thighs have cooked 5 minutes on medium-high, finish them on the grill, brushing them with some of the simmer sauce.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 305 calories (26.6 percent from fat), 9 g fat (2.3 g saturated fat), 7.3 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 48.5 g protein, 190 mg cholesterol, 705 mg sodium.