A Word About Tomato Sauce

Tomato Sauce was a big obstacle for me when I started the low-nickel diet.  Canned foods are a not allowed because nickel from the can may leach into the food being stored.  Acidic foods like tomatoes are even worse, because the acid causes the leaching to increase.  So that meant I could no longer have canned tomato sauce.  Short of buying tomatoes and making my own sauce (in a non-stainless steel pan of course), what’s a girl to do to if she wants to make spaghetti, or chili, or soup…!

It took months of searching, but eventually I stumbled upon tomato sauce that is packaged in a box, not a can!  Hallelujah!  I tried it; it tastes wonderful!  It has one single ingredient: tomatoes; and it doesn’t cause a nickel reaction!

The brand is called Pomi.  The packaging is also BPA free, and the tomatoes are non-GMO.  It costs a lot more than the little cans of tomato sauce I’m used to buying, so it’s a special item in my house - to be treasured, loved, and savored.  With it I can make a great many meals, in less time than it would take to stew a whole tomato.  I like that, so I consider it worth it!  I buy mine from a local health food store, but it’s also available online. 

www.pomi.us.com

Last week I discovered that my store now carries two other brands of pure tomato sauce and tomato paste in jars and a Heinz tomato sauce in a box!  I’m excited to try these as well! 

If you’re making spaghetti, you can always opt for the pre-made sauces in jars, as long as you read the ingredients first to be safe, but I prefer to make my own.

Below is a basic spaghetti recipe.  For pasta dishes, I avoid whole grain or colored pasta.  Be sure to read the ingredients on the box.  True whole grain is high in nickel, and colored pasta is made with spinach or other veggies that may be high in nickel.

Spaghetti

1 package of spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions

I box (26 oz) of Pomi strained tomatoes

1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried sage

2 cloves chopped garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

½ tsp sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

A cup or so of chopped low-nickel veggies – I like mushrooms, zucchini, or squash

1. Add olive oil and garlic to a medium-hot pan and sauté for about one minute.
2. Add dried herbs and sauté for one minute more. 
3. Add tomato sauce and remaining ingredients, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about ten minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Serve over pasta.