"Low Sodium Poutine - Healthy Junk Food at Home"

As a Mother, when you hear that your child has been diagnosed with an incurable disease. Everything seems to go inward.

You want to hide. Forget everything they just said and go back to the weeks before symptoms and the days before knowing these Doctors and their unwelcome opinions.

Then it sets in. None of this is a lie.

Tests prove it. Biopsies prove it.

It's real.

Medications are prescribed, appointments are booked and medical action plans are now in play. With the disease my Son now faces, these protocols are not temporary. They are life long.

He is literally only 15% through his life as we know it (God willing). So this is a jolting revelation. To say the least.

When I learned that diet would play a significant role in his health and well being, I dove right into understanding how to keep his kidney's safe through what he was consuming on a regular basis.

When we learned that the recommended intake of sodium for adults was 2300mg-2500mg per day I really began focusing on labels and reality sunk in.

I had always considered myself as someone who was careful of the foods my children were consuming. I cooked most meals at home, and I thought I made healthy choices overall.

WRONG! (from a sodium conscious perspective here)

After reviewing the labels of "go-to" snacks and just regular meals over all, my son was consuming in some cases TRIPLE the recommended amount of sodium. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

With this revelation, I knew that things had to change. As I became more and more aware of the actual amounts of sodium in prepared foods I realized that if my son was going to keep his sodium intake to the levels they needed to be I had to stop feeding him pretty much anything that wasn't made from fresh ingredients and my two hands.

This is a very disappointing fact for a teen who loves Domino's pizza, massive bowls of spaghetti and meatballs. And let's not forget Poutine!

I will lead with, I am a Canadian Girl. So poutine is most certainly a go-to treat or comfort food. Not to say that this delectable treat isn't enjoyed around the world however it is something uniquely Canadian.

For those who do not know what Poutine is ( pronounced 'poo-teen' ) it is a lovely concoction of French fries, cheese curds smothered in gravy.

Squeaky, warm, delish. Also, very high in sodium.

The average plate of poutine has... wait for it... between 1500mg - 3000mg of sodium. Per serving! Average serving. So don't even think about the heaping piles they offer out of food trucks.

Remember my little note about the amount of sodium adults should be consuming in a day.* (a whole day)

So as you can easily see. When my son received his diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy and the recommendations were a low sodium diet, Poutine became a thing of the past. Absolute history.

Or so I thought...

After some in-depth Pinterest recipe searching and a lot of trial and error I have created a home made, low sodium Poutine that knocks the socks off of my whole family every time I make it.

The kicker is... it's super easy too! A few things can be prepped ahead if you need to but for the most part this can be made from start to finish for your family in about 45 mins!

It also reheats well and you can pre-make the fries and freeze them for later use on busier nights.

Let's get to it!

Low Sodium Home Made & Healthy Poutine

Say Goodbye to The Food Truck!

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

What You'll Need:

I will try my best with this, but I measure with my heart. And you should too.

For The French Fries:

• A handful or so of washed russet potatoes skin on cut into french fry shapes. Do not over think this part. Cut them as thin and as shapely as you can. But messy is better. Gives it the good old fry-truck feel. You can use any potato but I have found russet roasts the best and gives you that deep fried taste
• Olive oil (EVOO is best. This one is my go-to. 1 ingredient, cold pressed ZERO sodium, trans fats or additives)
• Dried oregano
• Cracked black pepper
• Minced garlic - Fresh is best but minced will do the trick. Just check the labels or grab yourself a garlic press. Fresh minced garlic FAST.
• Paprika
• Onion powder

Dollops and heavy sprinkles are good for all of the above.

For the Gravy:

• 1 package/box of Low sodium chicken or beef broth (my go-to is Campbell's No Salt Added with only 60mg vs the other low sodium brands upwards of 100mg) Any broth will also do here if you aren't aiming solely for low sodium.

( I also try to make my own fresh broth when I can. Recipe for that coming soon)

• Zero sodium flour. Check the labels but most all purpose flours are zero sodium, almond and rice flours are as well. You only need a pinch so don't worry to much about it.
• Another heavy sprinkle of cracked black pepper, onion powder and dried oregano

The Extras:

• Fresh Mozzarella
• Parchment paper
• Baking tray
• Tbsp of unsalted butter

Instructions:

• Chop your potatoes (skin on) into fry truck shapes. There is not need to be a perfectionist here. That being said, if you are feel free to use a special tool or chopper . (this is an affordable one that I like)
• Once they are chopped at the fries to a bowl and fill with water. Let them soak from 10-30 mins. There is no magic number here. Do what works for you, but the longer you soak the crispier they are.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Celsius.

After you have soaked the potatoes, give them a good rinse to was off residual starch.

• Toss potatoes with oil and spices. Use enough oil so there is a layer surrounding them. Not sopping but enough that there is a think layer on the paper. As these need to bake unbothered. You don't want them to stick.
• Spread flat on a parchment lined baking tray. Be sure when laying out that each fry has their own space. Not piled on top of each other. This will ensure the best fry truck crispiness.

Bake the fries in the oven for 30 minutes.

Try with everything you have not to toss or bother them. This will allow for a deep fried texture and taste.

While the potatoes are baking it's time to make the gravy.

• In a medium sauce pan melt the butter stir in minced garlic and keep stirring to be sure it doesn't burn.
• Once fragrant add in the flour and stir to make a roux (again, don't burn)
• Pinch in all of the same spices that were added to the fries with an extra bit of black pepper. ( We like ours peppery. But measure with your eyes, heart and your own palette.)
• Slowly stir in the broth about a half a cup at a time. You'll likely only need half the carton of broth depending upon the thickness of gravy you desire.
• Once the broth is added and the spices and flour are mixed well allow to simmer for about 5 minutes on low stirring frequently so it doesn't burn.

THE CHEESE!

Fresh mozzarella is best as it has the lowest sodium content and is the closest alternative to poutine cheese curds that I have found.

I purchase Saputo Mozzarella Fresca with only 50 mg sodium per 3cm cube. Compared to others in the hundreds.

If you buy a brand that comes in brine, rinse it off first.

• pinch off 1-2 cm pieces and gently roll into cheese curd shapes
• Set aside for later assembly of the dish

When the fries are finished they should be nicely browned and crispy.

• remove the fries from the oven and divide onto plates
• top with a handful of the rolled mozzarella curds
• pour the gravy over top

SERVE!

This recipe has been the easiest hack I have found to offer my teenaged son some of his favourite junk-food meals and allow him some normalcy on a restricted diet.

I hope you like it as much as we do.

*I am by no means a doctor. Consult your physician for your recommended intake. This is what I have learned through research and advice of our own doctors and nephrologists.

Nutritional Info: Based on ingredients provided approximate sodium per serving is 560mg.