By Katy G. Wilkens

Some of my favorite weekend breakfasts entail coffee cake, a misnomer as this treat is usually full of fruits and nuts rather than coffee. I try to use whole grains in mine, and often serve them with yogurt or scrambled eggs, which gives me a stick-to-the-ribs breakfast that keeps me going well into the afternoon. If I have friends coming for dinner, I might serve the leftover cake with ice cream or whipped cream for a delicious dessert.

To cut down on the salt to preserve kidney and heart health, I always use low-sodium baking powder and low-sodium baking soda. Seattle-based Ener-G Foods makes both low-sodium baking powder and baking soda. Rumford Reduced Sodium Aluminum-Free Baking Powder is another brand to try.

Walnut Orange Coffee Cake
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
¾ cup white flour
2 teaspoons low-sodium baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of one orange
1 cup oat flakes or oatmeal
1 cup milk

Glaze:
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¼ cup orange juice from fresh orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Cream butter with mixer or food processor. Add sugar and continue beating until light. Add eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Put into pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Spread with glaze. Place under broiler until glaze bubbles, about 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 9 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 458, Carbohydrates: 61 grams, Protein: 7 grams, Sodium: 33 milligrams

Lemon Huckleberry/Blueberry Coffee Cake
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 teaspoons low-sodium baking powder
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1-1½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries or frozen huckleberries
1 tablespoon sugar

Glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
juice from lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease round cake pan or 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Cream butter with mixer or food processor. Add sugar and continue beating until light. Add vanilla and half of lemon peel. Add egg. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Mix berries with 1 tablespoon sugar and remaining lemon peel. Put into pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. While baking, mix lemon juice and sugar. Pour over hot cake and let rest 10 minutes. Makes 9 servings.

Nutritional information:
Calories: 226, Carbohydrates: 40 grams, Protein: 4 grams, Sodium: 19 milligrams

The information in this column is 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. A recipient of the Susan Knapp Excellence in Education Award from the National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition, she has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.]