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You are here: Home / Dinner / Honey Lemon Pork Chops with Healthy Salt Alternative
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Honey Lemon Pork Chops with Healthy Salt Alternative

July 17, 2014 by Tabitha 20 Comments

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.

I had no idea that lemons could be used as 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!

Sunkist Salternative natural salt alternativeA 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.

sunkist salternative

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.

Amazing. This marinade has no salt but she says you will never miss it.

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.

This recipe uses no salt and she says you will not miss it! I had no idea you could use lemon as a healthy alternative to salt.

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.

Use lemon juice and zest as a substitute for salt without losing the flavor. Great idea for lowering my sodium intake.

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

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  • 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.


Related yumminess:

Baked Honey Lemon Chicken Thighs Default ThumbnailEasy Skillet Pork and Peppers Black Bean and Beef Tacos with Grilled Zucchini Pork Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Gluten Free Recipes, Grilling Recipes, Pork Chop Recipes

Comments

  1. Sandra Modersohn says

    July 18, 2014 at 12:56 am

    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!

    Reply
  2. Jackie Ryan Masek says

    July 24, 2014 at 10:57 am

    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!

    Reply
  3. Jennifer B says

    July 24, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    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/

    Reply
  4. Anita Black says

    January 21, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    Thanks for sharing this! I am always in search of lower sodium recipes! Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  5. barbara marlin says

    February 8, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    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!

    Reply
  6. Lorlie says

    February 13, 2015 at 10:33 am

    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?

    Reply
  7. Lorlie says

    February 14, 2015 at 8:41 am

    Can I bake this in the oven? What temp would I use?

    Reply
  8. Pat says

    March 19, 2015 at 11:07 pm

    This sounds so good! I bet you could freeze the meal until you are ready to use, right? Also, we have those same dishes!

    Reply
    • Tabitha says

      September 7, 2015 at 5:58 pm

      I think this would be a great meal to dump in a bag and freeze. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Ginger says

    April 13, 2015 at 11:59 am

    Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?

    Reply
  10. Monique says

    May 26, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Tabitha says

      September 7, 2015 at 5:57 pm

      Wonderful! So glad you love it. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Judy says

    July 1, 2015 at 10:17 am

    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.

    Reply
  12. Lisa Fraunfelter says

    September 11, 2016 at 9:50 am

    Can I not put honey in it . I have no honey in the home

    Reply
  13. Heidi Pruitt says

    October 27, 2016 at 12:14 pm

    Used lemon juice instead of real lemons and did this with chicken. Fantastic!

    Reply
  14. Claudia says

    March 19, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    Can this be prepared in the oven or on the stove top?

    Reply
  15. Jules says

    October 2, 2018 at 7:06 am

    I have to stay under 1500 mg of sodium per day, due to a medical issue and am looking for new ways to marinate and cook without salt. I am making this tonight but using fresh chopped rosemary (we love it better than oregano), so I can make rosemary lemon potatoes too! Thanks!

    Reply
  16. Beatrice Barajas says

    February 7, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    Thank you for tip, i am plan cook that tonight for dinner. What side dishes comes with? I am thinking about frying veggies and white rice.

    Reply
  17. DiAnn Leman says

    March 12, 2020 at 9:00 pm

    Total sodium content in recipe!

    Reply

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  1. Friday Favorites Linky Party - Madame Deals, Inc. says:
    July 25, 2014 at 11:00 am

    […] Honey Lemon Pork Chops with Healthy Salt Alternative from Frugal Family […]

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