By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD

Summer days in the Northwest are the best. The sun is out and the evenings are long –- it’s the perfect time to pack a picnic and enjoy your meals outside!

You don’t need a fancy picnic basket with matching silverware to take your meals for a spin. Just pack a paper bag with plastic forks, napkins, paper plates and a water bottle, along with a few treats. If your picnics are low in sodium, they will give you and the people you care about many more years of health to enjoy all those sunsets together.

Picnics can be simple: a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese and fresh peaches or plums. Somehow real food tastes better sitting in the warm grass by a lake or on a driftwood log. To make picnics even more fun, try adding just one or two dishes you fix ahead. Make one of the tasty low-sodium treats below and have a friend bring another one, so no one is stuck doing all the cooking ahead. Buy a bag of fresh peaches, berries, apricots or plums on the way, and serve them sliced with a sprinkling of brown sugar and a dollop of sour cream for a perfect end to a perfect day.

Deviled eggs

12 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Paprika

Boil eggs in a pot of water until hard-boiled, about 15 minutes. Drain eggs, let cool.

Peel off the shells and cut eggs in half, lengthwise. Remove yolks and mash in a mixing bowl until crumbly. Mix in the mayonnaise and mustard.

Spoon the mixture into each egg and sprinkle with paprika for added color. Place in the refrigerator to cool before serving.

Nutritional information (per serving, two deviled egg halves):
Calories: 110, Carbohydrates: 1 gram, Protein: 6 grams, Sodium: 92 milligrams

Broccoli brown rice salad

To make this a main course salad, add chilled cooked or canned salmon or tuna, sauteed tofu, paneer cheese, and/or hard-boiled eggs.

2/3 cup raw brown rice
2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise or yogurt, or ¼ cup each
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
Canned salmon, tuna, tofu, paneer, hard-boiled egg (optional)

Cook rice, rinse with cold water and drain. Meanwhile, boil about 4 cups of water. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces. When water is boiling, add broccoli and cook about 2-3 minutes, until broccoli turns bright green. Remove and plunge into ice water. Drain and chill. Add onion raw or saute onion in a small amount of oil for a milder flavor. Add all ingredients to rice. Toss lightly. Refrigerate until serving.

Nutritional information (per ½-cup serving):
Calories: 83, Carbohydrates: 9 grams, Protein: 3 grams, Sodium: 99 milligrams

Fruit and cream

Fresh raspberries, strawberries, peaches, apricots or plums
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar per person
1/4 cup sour cream per person

Slice the fruit at the picnic site. Put in individual paper cups. Dollop with sour cream and sprinkle with brown sugar. Watch the sun set.

The recipes in this column are meant for people who want to keep their kidneys healthy and blood pressure down by following a low-sodium diet. In most cases, except for dialysis patients, a diet high in potassium is thought to help lower high blood pressure. These recipes are not intended for people on dialysis without the supervision of a registered dietitian.

Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. She has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.

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