I’ve been taking you on my journey to learn about sodium. We’ve discussed what it is, how it affects us and where it is found. So, now let’s take a look at how to cut it from our diet.
- Read the nutrition facts—when shopping read the labels on the package. Remember, no more than 2,300 mg of sodium
- Cooking more foods at home—however we should be cooking more from scratch and less from “instant” products {is that as hard for you as it is for me?}
- Buy fresh—this includes meats, vegetables and fruits
- Avoid large portions of baked goods
- When eating at restaurants ask that salt not be added to food and do not salt prepared foods
- Add flavor without salting—this includes herbs and spices or no-salt seasoning
- Rinse the sodium away—rinse canned foods. This at least gets rid of some of the sodium
- Healthier Choices—choose nuts, seeds and other no-salt-added snacks
- Reduce portion size—the less food we eat the less sodium
- Watch the condiments—choose light or reduced sodium options, don’t use the entire packet and choose oil and vinegar over bottled dressings.
Some foods that are heavy in sodium include:
| Ø Foods made in brine (pickles, olives, sauerkraut) | |
| Ø Salty and Smoked Meats (bologna, corned beef, bacon, ham, sausage, lunch meats) | |
| Ø Salty and Smoke Fish (anchovies, caviar, dried fish, smoked salmon, sardines, herring) | |
| Ø Snack/Junk Food (potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, salted nuts, crackers) | |
| Ø Condiments (season salts, Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, ketchup, mustard, teriyaki, mustard) | |
| Ø Cheese | |
| Ø Salad Dressing | |
| Ø Soups (canned or instant)
Ø Tomato Sauce Ø Microwave Dinners |
What foods do you enjoy that are high in sodium?