My thanks to Sunkist for their support of this blog and their endeavor to promote a healthy salt alternative.
My oldest child is totally addicted to salt. Sweet foods hold no real interest for her, which causes me to wonder if we are truly related. So, in order to curb her sodium intake, I needed a healthy salt alternative.
Being opposed to fake food and chemicals, I needed something real. Since we are on a limited budget, I also needed it to be affordable.
What could be easier than Sunkist Lemons?!
The Sunkist S’alternative
Apparently, my daughter is not the only one with a salt addiction. Studies indicate “virtually all Americans consume more sodium than needed, at an estimated average intake of 3,400 mg per day.” How much salt is a healthy amount? Only about 1,500 mg – 2,300 mg per day! That is a huge difference!
A study conducted by Johnson & Wales discovered that Sunkist lemon juice and lemon zest could be used as a salt substitute for chicken, fish, beef, pork, vegetables, soups, salads, and grains. Instead of using the original amount of salt required by a recipe, you can reduce the salt and add the juice and zest of Sunkist lemons.
It’s a simple and affordable substitute for salt with tremendous health benefits. You can read all of the details, print out a brochure to share with a friend, get recipes, and much more on the Sunkist S’alternative page.
Honey Lemon Pork Loin Chops
So I wanted to put this information to the test and I created a meal without using any salt. None. Why did I #TabletheSalt all together? I wanted to know if this could really work.
I started with a marinade. All real ingredients. A simply combination of lemon juice, lemon zest, red onions, garlic, olive oil, honey, dried oregano, and black pepper.
After mixing the marinade together, I placed the pork loin chops in a ziploc bag, poured the marinade over the meat, zipped the top, and let them rest in the refrigerator all day.
While I was letting my cast iron grill pan heat, I set the bag on the counter to bring the chops to room temperature.
Then, as the pork loin chops cooked, I stretched myself further by steaming potato halves in the microwave for about 6 minutes with lemon juice, garlic, and pepper. When the Honey Lemon Pork Loin Chops were cooked through, I gently placed the potato halves on the griddle to sear.
But… how did it taste?
AMAZING! I could not tell the salt was missing… even from the potatoes! I even found myself feeling very thirsty later, as if I had eaten too much salt.
Try the Sunkist S’alternative and let me know what you think.
Lemon Honey Pork Chops with Healthy Salt Alternative
- 6 to 8 thick-cut boneless pork loin chops
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup honey
Zest and juice the lemon. Mix the lemon juice and zest together with everything but the pork in a zip top freezer bag. Add the pork and toss to coat. Place in refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
Bring grill pan to a medium-high heat. Allow pork loin chops to come to room temperature as the pan heats. Place the pork loin chops on the grill for about 6 to 8 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Wow! You know… I had already noticed that I didn’t need as much salt in lemon dishes, but I didn’t realize why. I also never thought to use that fact to help reduce salt in other recipes. My family already loves lemon in meat and veggie dishes. I think this is going to be an easy, and delicious, healthy switch to make. Thank you so much!
This look so good. I love the taste of lemon and chicken. I’ll bet it’s really good on pork, too. We are trying to watch our salt intake, too, so this will be a great recipe. Thanks!
I made a Sunkist recipe too! This pork chops looks delicious, and the recipe seems to great too! Here’s my lemon spaghetti: http://thefoodiepatootie.com/recipes/flavoring-lemon-instead-salt-lemon-spaghetti/
Thanks for sharing this! I am always in search of lower sodium recipes! Can’t wait to try it!
My son has kidney failure and on dialysis. He is not suppose to have salt. This will really come in handy for his meals. Thank you so much!
I have thin cut bone-in pork chops and no grill. Would I be able to cook them on the stove top? Or should I throw them in the oven?
Can I bake this in the oven? What temp would I use?
This sounds so good! I bet you could freeze the meal until you are ready to use, right? Also, we have those same dishes!
I think this would be a great meal to dump in a bag and freeze. 🙂
Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
this marinade is amazing! The first time, I made it with pork chops and am trying it as a chicken marinade tonight. Thanks for the amazing recipe. We’ve had to cook a low sodium diet for our daughter and all of my young kiddos loved the flavor of the meat with this marinade.
Wonderful! So glad you love it. 🙂
I pinned this recipe and am definitely trying! I normally don’t care for boneless pork chops but will definitely use them for this recipe.
Can I not put honey in it . I have no honey in the home
Used lemon juice instead of real lemons and did this with chicken. Fantastic!
Can this be prepared in the oven or on the stove top?