Reducing Your Salt Intake

Almost all foods contain some sodium. Most natural foods have far smaller quantities of sodium than processed foods. Processed foods contain sodium for several reasons: including a longer shelf life, improved taste, and enhanced food color. The extra sodium also helps bind foods together.

The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1500 mg of salt per day. This can present quite a challenge to anyone eating a lot of processed foods!

To decrease sodium in diet:

1. Read all labels and avoid products that have “soda”, “sodium”, or the symbol “Na” on the label.
   
   
2. Eat a diet consisting of natural foods. The fewer processed foods you eat, the better!
   
   
3. If using chicken/vegetable/beef broth, prepared gravies, or prepared soups, always select the low-sodium  version. Even better: make your own broth by boiling bones or a variety of vegetables in water.
   
   
4. Use different spices to enhance the flavor of food, rather than adding more salt. Onions, celery, and garlic are all great replacements for salt in cooking.
   
   
5. Minimize:

• baking soda
• canned vegetables
• soy sauce
• salami, bacon, and cured meats
• sun-dried tomatoes
• cheese
• pickled foods
• snack foods like pretzels, chips, cheese puff, and prepared or microwave popcorn
• check labels on medicines and tooth-care products
  
  

6. Avoid :

• MSG (monosodium glutamate, Accent)
• commercially prepared foods
• diet soft drinks
• foods with mold inhibitors
• foods with preservatives
• meat tenderizers
• saccharin (found in Sweet ‘N Low and other prepared foods)
• softened water

Sodium is required by the body in small amounts, but too much can lead to a number of health problems. Health problems associated with high salt intake include fluid retention, increased blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and congestive heart disease. If you are concerned about any of these, please talk to your doctor.