Favorite food spotlight - Sodium-Free Chicken Bouillon

I am one of those individuals whose family health history dictates limiting my sodium intake, so I am always on the lookout for salt substitutes.  Table salt (sodium chloride) has a fairly simple chemical composition - one molecule of sodium (Na) and one molecule of chlorine (Cl), and its effect on the body is also fairly simple.  

Sodium promotes fluid retention, so people who work outside in the summer might take salt tablets to prevent dehydration if they perspire heavily.  Sodium also raises your blood pressure, so it's probably something everyone should minimize.

There are salt substitutes that work well, and almost all of them are made with potassium chloride (KCl).  That seems to work well since the potassium molecule is chemically similar to the sodium molecule. Some people claim that they can taste the difference, and maybe they can, but for me the taste is similar enough that I like potassium-based salt substitutes.

That said, I'm highlighting Herb Ox brand chicken bouillon because of the way it's packaged. It comes in a little box and has little individual packets with enough bouillon for a cup of broth.  It's seasoned with potassium-based salt substitute so it truly is sodium free.

What's really handy is that the bouillon is powdered (so it's not a hard cube), so you can sprinkle it onto your food or into a pot while you're cooking. I like to sprinkle it onto omelettes and it gives it a really flavorful boost. The little packets are about as big as Equal or Splenda packets and they're that easy to rip open and sprinkle. It's available at Harris-Teeter with the canned and dried soups.

Another brand that is similarly packaged and also sodium-free is Wyler's (also sold as MBT brand), which Publix supermarkets carried when we shopped there in Tampa.  Both brands also come in a beef version - also sodium-free!