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Boar’s Head Lower Sodium Challenge and Giveaway!

I love Boar’s Head brand deli meats and cheeses, in fact, it is the only brand of deli meat I buy for my family anymore.  I primarily buy the low sodium turkey breast (at 2 pounds a week!) but we also like to indulge in the low sodium ham and roast beef on occasion.  I use the low-sodium ham and turkey to make Sam’s gluten-free “Lunchables.” Do you know how much sodium is in the “healthier” Lunchables (green package)?  A whopping 850 mg.!! Lunchbox Kabobs are another favorite way of ours to use Boar’s Head low-sodium deli meats and cheeses, all of which are gluten-free!  The Boar’s Head website has an informative gluten-free brochure that I recommend reading.

I first became concerned about the sodium in my diet a couple of years ago when I began to battle elevated blood pressure, and I was only 34!  Having several serious medical conditions at my age has made me painfully aware of the food choices I make and how they can negatively impact my overall well-being.  I grew up a salt-a-holic.  Not only did my mom make a lot of processed foods (like canned vegetables, which have a TON of sodium); I also added more salt to the end product.  I was so used to an enormous amount of salt in my diet that when I tried low-sodium processed foods, I couldn’t eat them without adding a lot of…salt!

Enter Boar’s Head low-sodium turkey breast.  Oh my gosh, it is literally the BEST tasting deli meat out there (in my opinion anyway) and it doesn’t even taste low sodium! 😀  This was the beginning of my successful journey in severely curbing my overall sodium intake.  Like many things with me, I am a baby-stepper.  One small success led to another, then another, and before I knew it, I am now surprisingly sensitive to salt!

Have you heard about The National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI)?  In case you haven’t, it is a New York City-led partnership of 18 companies that have committed to voluntarily reduce sodium levels in their products.  Boar’s Head is the first deli company to be involved in this initiative and is the only deli company to be on target for National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) 2012 Standards.  You can read more about it by clicking on the following links: Time.com, USA Today, and Reuters.

When I was recently offered the opportunity to team up with Boar’s Head and help spread the word on this very important issue, I jumped at it!  Boar’s Head sent me a complimentary gift card to purchase their low-sodium meats and cheeses (thank you Boar’s Head!) so I could whip up a few low-sodium sandwiches for this post (be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post for a chance to win one too!).  Along with the gift card, they passed along some information:

Did you know that Americans eat almost twice the recommended limit of salt each day?  In fact, only 11 percent of the sodium in Americans’ diet comes from our own saltshakers and nearly eighty percent of our sodium intake comes from the sodium that is added to foods before they are sold!

We may know that diets high in salt increase blood pressure, which is a factor in heart attack and stroke, the nation’s leading causes of preventable death, but what are we doing about it?

Boar’s Head recently had an online competition among New York City’s five boroughs to raise further awareness for the NSRI and the need to reduce sodium in our diets:

The competition—Boar’s Head Five Borough Sandwich Battle—took five different sandwich recipes made with Boar’s Head lower sodium meats and cheeses and puts them head-to-head.  Each sandwich recipe was inspired by a different NYC borough—reflecting the different personalities of each borough—and the public got to vote on their favorite low-sodium sandwich recipe!  The winner?

THE BRONX BOMBER

  • 4 oz Boar’s Head Low Sodium Deluxe Oven Roasted Beef, Sliced Thinly
  • 1 oz Boar’s Head 42% Lower Sodium Provolone, Sliced
  • 1 oz Leaf Lettuce
  • 1 oz Red Onion, Sliced Thinly
  • 1 oz Boar’s Head Pub Style Horseradish Sauce
  • 1 Ciabatta Roll (Sliced in Half)

I had to try this sandwich out myself, so I made an easy swap of the Ciabatta Roll for my favorite gluten-free bread, Udi’s!  I have to say it was mighty tasty!  I only used a drop or two of the Boar’s Head Pub Style Horseradish Sauce, a little goes a long way, especially for non-horseradish fans like myself! 😉

Here are a few other low-sodium sandwich concoctions that I whipped up:

The sandwich above is a grilled turkey and provolone sandwich to which I added sliced Granny Smith apples and Amaranth strands.  A wonderful flavor combination!  The chips you see are another favorite of ours, Cassava Chips by Arico Foods.

The sandwich in the above photo is my spin on an old favorite of mine from a local sandwich shop (Cheese and Coffee) called the Chelsea.  The sandwich consists of Turkey, Provolone, Avocado (I used Wholly Guacamole, which is gluten-free) and Green Chile on grilled Udi’s gluten-free bread.

I’m not quite sure how I landed on this wrap, but I used a Gluten Free Sandwich Petal (Red Chile Chimayo flavor) and spread on a thin layer of Chavrie Goat Cheese then topped with the low-sodium turkey, and Shredded Beet Salad.  I can’t believe how good it was!

Using the low-sodium Roast Beef, I made a French Dip from a recipe I found in my Cooking Light cookbook.  For the Au Jus, I used Kitchen Basics Unsalted Beef Stock.

Using a Spinach Garlic Pesto Sandwich Petal and the low sodium ham and swiss cheese, I made a ham and cheese quesadilla.

 

Now, Boar’s Head wants YOU to get involved by taking part in the Boar’s Head Lower Sodium Challenge!

Yea!!  Come on, get excited with me!!! 😀

Boar’s Head is offering one of my lucky readers a FREE Shake It Up Kit to encourage excitement about lower sodium options and to get us to take an extra minute to think about our daily sodium intake. The kit includes a $25 Boar’s Head Gift Card, a Boar’s Head condiment kit, and a Launch Your Assault on Salt guide.

To enter this giveaway:

Check the sodium content in some of you and your children’s favorite snacks and foods  – then come back and report your findings by leaving a comment to this post.  Did you find any surprises?

Bonus Entry Opportunities (just be sure to leave a separate comment for each completed task you do):

  • Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and be sure to include @adventuresgfmom and @Boars_Head in your tweet.
  • Mention this giveaway on your blog and include a link back to this post.
  • Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and include a link to this post.  Be sure to tag Boar’s Head and Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom in your update.

Using a Random Number Generator, I will pick the winner on Friday, August 6, 2010.

Good Luck! 😀

Comments

  1. Wonderful post! And gave me some ideas too. Besides being gluten free, I have to follow a controlled carb diet. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, especially since I already do deli meat roll ups, but I can put the guacamole and apples rolled up inside the meat. I usually do baby pickles (and then dip it in honey mustard), but that's not exactly low sodium.

    I already follow you on Facebook. 🙂

    • Mindy, I am a big deli meat roll-up girl too! I should have shared my favorite: Tomatoes and Pepperoncini (Mt. Olive brand is free of synthetic dyes) rolled up in Boar's Head Low-Sodium Turkey. As much as I love Udi's, I rarely eat bread because like you, I try to watch my sugar intake.

      Baby pickles in honey mustard, hmmm… sounds interesting, LOL! 😉

  2. My mouth is watering!! I too hate all the sodium in regular lunch meat. I haven't tried Boars Head because even though the meat is gf I worry about cross contamination with the deli slicers. Do most deli's have a gf designated slicer? I am clueless I know. I think Raley's carries it. I should give their deli a call!

    I used to do turkey or ham rolled up with cheese but now cheese isn't a friend of mine anymore (I am a nice girl. Not sure why cheese won't be nice to me!). I need to think out of the box more!!

    • Tai,

      I hear ya on cross contamination! The Boar's Head gluten-free brochure I linked to in the post offers some tips, including asking your local deli to slice your meats and cheeses first thing in the morning before the slicer is exposed to any gluten-containing products.

      I have my own deli slicer so I have the deli cut off a chunk of the meats and cheeses with a clean knife and I slice my own at home.

  3. HI Heidi! I liked Boars head on facebook =0)

  4. I liked you on facebook too. (Adventures…) What great info too. I already really liked Boarshead, but love that it is better for you too!

  5. Your sandwiches look delicious. I've never seen Boar's head in Canada. Which I am really bummed about now.

    We've phased sliced lunch meats out of our diet.

  6. Suburban Prep says

    It is amazing the amount of sodium in food. I have been brought up by parents that encouraged us to look at labels on the can, carton or label.

    One of my sisters had cancer and she looks at everything in the label of food.

    My husband and I have tried Boars Head when the demonstrators have been a t the local grocery store.

  7. I so relate to this post. Since I have been tracking my food at MyFoodDiary.com, I have been amazed at the amount of sodium. I too have also eliminated the salt shaker from my diet. And when I do add salt to items I cook, I am much more conscious of how much I add. My downfall – pickled jalapenos, and pico de gallo. I add both to my grits on the weekend. And because of that I cook my grits without salt, and don't add any.

    This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart – literally and figuratively. From my heart and my pacemaker, thank you for a great post! Love your heart and know your numbers!

  8. I already Like you on Facebook.

  9. I liked Boar's Head on Facebook.

  10. I followed Boar's Head on Twitter.

  11. I shared this link on Facebook!

  12. Already Follow you on Facebook 🙂

  13. Already Follow you on Twitter 🙂

  14. I am now following Boar's Head on Facebook

    Their products are soooo good…it is all I will buy now! And I LOVE the fact that they come in low sodium. I'm not extremely careful all the time with it but it is rather important and I need to get much better about the sodium in products. Thanks for posting this.

  15. I am now following Boar's Head on Twitter.

  16. Posted a link back to yours with a little blurb on my Facebok Page (also made sure to mention you and Boar's Head)

  17. Posted a tweet about your post on @creatively_GF 🙂

  18. Hi Heidi,

    I linked back to your post from my blog. Have a great day!

  19. I also retweeted about the giveaway! 🙂

  20. Great post. I LOVE Boar's Head, and already follow both of you on Twitter and Facebook. Your sandwiches look and sound amazing, and are making me hungry at 7am. My favorite has always been the cracked pepper mill turkey, but I was always a sucker for roast beef with horseradish.

    I was thrilled to learn they were gluten-free a little while ago, and when I was at the deli counter, I asked if they could clean the slicer…and thankfully I had no issues and I am pretty sensitive. I might have to go out and get some turkey now 😉

  21. Hey Heidi! I really have to watch my salt intake too. I also have had early high blood pressure (I'm only 33!) So I totally understand how you can love this company! I need to look for them locally where i live!! 🙂

  22. Thanks for this giveaway…I became a new fan of adventures of a gluten free mom on FB…

    ramvinayak_81@rediffmail.com

  23. I can't believe the sodium in salad dressing!

  24. I liked Boar's Head on FB.

  25. I liked AOAGFM on FB, too. I thought I did already, glad I fixed that!

  26. My goodness, woman! You sure hit the ground running once you got home from Cali! Have you even had time to unpack with all that you've been whipping up? LOL

    We love Boar's Head meats! In fact, when the boys went on their fishing trip yesterday, I sent them with 3 pounds of it (there were 5 of them that went) and they ate all of it!

    By the way, we also love the sandwich petals! I switch them up with the Udi's for sandwiches!

    Great post, my dear! Each of those sandwiches looks amazing! Your energy blows me out of the water! hehe

    Hugs!

  27. I liked Boar's Head on Facebook!

  28. I am following Boar's Head on Twitter!

  29. Wow! Just checked the sodium content of a bag of chips. YIKES, but more surprising is the frozen and processed foods. they're terrible.

  30. I like you on facebook as LIsa SElmon Vance

  31. I like Boar's Head on Facebook as Lisa Selmon Vance

  32. I follow you on twitter as @LisaSVance

  33. I follow Boar's Head on Twitter as @LisaSVance

  34. Heidi my son needs to follow a low sodium diet. At the tender age of 7, he has High Blood Pressure. So I know off the top of my head that lunchables have about 900 mg of sodium in them. Its an eye popper the amount of sodium in things. Boards Head is my fave. Thanks for entering me in your contest.

  35. Heidi, I liked Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom on FB.

  36. Heidi, I am also following you on Twitter.

  37. I am following Boar’s Head on Twitter!

  38. I liked Boar's Head on FB.

  39. I posted about your giveaway on twitter.

  40. I am new to the GF world and am having a hard time finding foods to eat…what are these sandwich petals you refer to?

    • Karin,

      Welcome to the world of gluten-free living!!

      The Sandwich Petals are basically sandwich wraps. They are really good, my favorites are the pesto and chile flavors, the agave is too sweet for my palate. Click on the link in the post and it will take you to the website, where you can read all about them! 😀

  41. Liked your FB page long ago. Thanks so much for the opportunity!

  42. Krista Hutchinson says

    BH was my favorite too before going g-free, but I have already read you can’t buy it over the deli counter as a celiac b/c they don’t clean the deli slicers & other meats & cheeses that do have gluten in them will contaminate yours. How are you doing this?

Trackbacks

  1. […] If you’re watching your sodium intake, check out Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom for a great blog post and giveaway on Low Sodium Boar’s Head Deli products.  I got some low sodium Ham over the weekend, and it’s really good as well.  https://www.adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com/2010/08/boars-head-lower-sodium-challenge-and-giveaway/   […]

  2. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Anne Steib and Anne Steib, Heidi Kelly. Heidi Kelly said: New Blog Post Boar’s Head Lower Sodium Challenge and #Giveaway! http://goo.gl/fb/6xXue #dinner #gflunchboxideas […]