Low-Sodium Pesto - The Dairy-Free Menu (2024)

FAQs

Is pesto high in sodium? ›

Store-bought pesto can contain a large amount of sodium. Those following a low-sodium diet or taking any heart medications should check with their doctor before adding these products to their diet. To control the amount of sodium in your pesto, consider making a homemade pesto recipe that uses less salt.

The bottom line

As long as you don't have allergies, the ingredients used to make pesto are generally good for you. In fact, they may help reduce your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and cancer risk. Homemade pesto is easy to make.

If you do end up with too much salt in your dish, adding fat is a good way to reduce an overly salty flavor. Cream, yogurt, and butter work well to cut salt—but be sure to add slowly.

Given all of the above, pesto can undoubtedly be considered a healthy food, and as long as you keep track of portions, it can also be part of a diet that supports a healthy weight. Pesto is nutrient-dense, and because of its fat content, it's also calorically dense.

Homemade pesto is a great option when it comes to making heart-healthy food choices. Try this pasta recipe for a delicious and healthy meal.

If, for whatever reason, you're interested in making a dairy-free pesto, you can go ahead and leave the cheese out, but be sure to increase the quantity of nuts and seeds you're using to compensate. TRY WITH: Pecorino Romano, aged manchego, aged gouda, aged cheddar, cotija, Grana Padano, aged Asiago.

“While it can be made without cheese, traditional pesto uses Parmesan,” says Stefanski. That makes it a no-no for vegans and those with milk allergies, but if you are lactose intolerant, you may be in luck. “Hard cheeses are virtually free of lactose so this may not cause digestive problems,” she says.

Try replacing half the basil with arugula, kale, radish greens, parsley, or spinach. You could also skip the basil entirely and use a mix of parsley and cilantro or a 50/50 blend of fresh mint and spinach.

Pesto contains, on average, 1% salt. That's not enough for it to be labelled a "high salt" food, but it is enough for the government to recommend that it should only be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Is pesto healthier than tomato? ›

As you would expect, pesto's wider variety of ingredients means it does slightly better in the vitamin and mineral stakes. Pesto outsmarts tomato sauce in many of these, but the pasta sauce still provides a sizeable chunk of your recommended daily targets.

It has strong anti-inflammatory properties, and one component of its natural volatile oils (called eugenol) actually inhibits the very same enzyme in the body as many non-steriodal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

Well, potatoes don't pull salt out of anything. They do absorb water, though—and if that water happens to be salty, they'll absorb salty water. But they're not absorbing salt in particular. Potatoes are amazing, but they're not capable of reverse osmosis.

It's very salty because it's a concentrate, so it's recommended to dilute the pesto with an equal amount of olive oil. That means, technically, you'll get about 8 ounces of pesto out of one jar. Complementing the basil flavor was a good balance of cheese, nuts, acidity, and olive oil.

Add an Acidic Ingredient

It won't reduce the sodium level of your dish, but adding an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or even a tomato product, can neutralize the saltiness of a dish. Start with a dash or a squeeze, stir well to combine, and give it a taste before adding any more.

Despite there being some pestos with shockingly high levels of salt (5.1% in the case of the worst offender), most pestos you find for sale in the UK contain in the region of 1% salt. That places them slap bang in the middle amber bracket, meaning they should be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

It's very salty because it's a concentrate, so it's recommended to dilute the pesto with an equal amount of olive oil. That means, technically, you'll get about 8 ounces of pesto out of one jar. Complementing the basil flavor was a good balance of cheese, nuts, acidity, and olive oil.

If your main goal is to cut calories and fat, go for the marinara. If, however, you'd like to add some extra nutrients via greens such as basil or kale, and nuts, such as pine nuts or walnuts, opt for the pesto every once in a while. It's a tasty alternative to marinara, and a little goes a long way.