How are you weighing salt?

callsitlikeiseeit

i dont. LOL

but then, i dont add much salt to anything and dont need to watch sodium levels.

DeguelloTex

I avoid the problem by never using less salt than my scale can measure. And then ignoring the measurement anyway.

I just tested my scale and it will (apparently) measure a gram of kosher salt, but it would be a huge PITA to do it via the tare method.

Annie_01

OP...I understand that it can be tough. I have just recently made the transition from being someone that loves salty food...to reiterate...I love salt. I think you...as I found out with myself...are over thinking all of this. Here are some things that have helped to keep my sodium below the 1500mg.

I first started by just cutting the amount of salt that I put in a recipe by half. Got used to that.

Of course the most logical cut back is in highly processed foods...fast foods...actually any restaurant food. I try to limit going out to eat to once or twice a month and not worry about it...just cut back the next day. I usually save those meals for foods that I really like...such as pizza...I can't imagine a life without pizza.

The other thing that I have found is while I have learned to eat most vegetables without a lot of sodium...I find that starches are not edible without sodium. I have always been a pasta eater...I think it is nasty without salt. So...I now just add the sodium to the water that I boil it in and the drain it off. Yes the pasta will absorb some of the salt from the water but much less than if I added it afterwards.

I also use a salt substitute...

http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Life-Blend-Less-Sodium/dp/B00E8NC1X4
(also can find it at your local grocery...at least I can)


While I can tell a difference it does help. I think it taste fairly much like regular salt. Some substitutes that I have tried have been less that palatable.

Also...don't be fooled by the terminology of "reduced sodium"...it only has to be less than 25% lower than the original version. Look for "low sodium". It is 140mg or less per serving. There are products out there but you have to look for them. We low sodium people don't get our own section in the grocery store. It is just mixed in with everything else and becomes a hunt to find what few there are.

One thing that I learned...if you eat chicken...check the sodium info...much of it has been shot full of a sodium solution. I ended up having to pay more per pound just to get some that is "no sodium added".

Hope some of this helps.

Protranser

Annie_01 wrote: »

OP...I understand that it can be tough. I have just recently made the transition from being someone that loves salty food...to reiterate...I love salt. I think you...as I found out with myself...are over thinking all of this. Here are some things that have helped to keep my sodium below the 1500mg.

I first started by just cutting the amount of salt that I put in a recipe by half. Got used to that.

Of course the most logical cut back is in highly processed foods...fast foods...actually any restaurant food. I try to limit going out to eat to once or twice a month and not worry about it...just cut back the next day. I usually save those meals for foods that I really like...such as pizza...I can't imagine a life without pizza.

The other thing that I have found is while I have learned to eat most vegetables without a lot of sodium...I find that starches are not edible without sodium. I have always been a pasta eater...I think it is nasty without salt. So...I now just add the sodium to the water that I boil it in and the drain it off. Yes the pasta will absorb some of the salt from the water but much less than if I added it afterwards.

I also use a salt substitute...

http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Life-Blend-Less-Sodium/dp/B00E8NC1X4
(also can find it at your local grocery...at least I can)


While I can tell a difference it does help. I think it taste fairly much like regular salt. Some substitutes that I have tried have been less that palatable.

Also...don't be fooled by the terminology of "reduced sodium"...it only has to be less than 25% lower than the original version. Look for "low sodium". It is 140mg or less per serving. There are products out there but you have to look for them. We low sodium people don't get our own section in the grocery store. It is just mixed in with everything else and becomes a hunt to find what few there are.

One thing that I learned...if you eat chicken...check the sodium info...much of it has been shot full of a sodium solution. I ended up having to pay more per pound just to get some that is "no sodium added".

Hope some of this helps.

Thank you You provided a lot of great information.

tomteboda

Yes, the rda for salt is just under a teaspoon, assuming you don't need to maintain a low-salt diet (in which case its 1500 mg).

I've found using the recipe tool here at myfitnesspal I've been able to track my home-cooked meals' salt much more accurately. I measure into the dish, divide into equal portions, and log my recipe instead of each individual ingredient. It wasn't very important for me, but my mom has kidney failure and knowing our salt intake was critical.

Without adding salt to anything, and cooking all my foods from scratch, I wind up with between 800 - 1400 mg sodium / day just present in the foods. Keep in mind I'm only eating about 1400 calories / day on average! Either the nutrition information is *way* off on sodium content, or the government's assertion that we get most of our salt through processed foods is off, I'm not sure which.

I'd probably err on the safe side, and try starting with just 1/2 teaspoon to spread throughout the day. That smallest amount of salt, the smidgen, would be 1/16 of that amount, and provides sufficient flavoring for most home-cooked meals if you're seasoning each dish post-cooking. Cooking low-salt you become more attenuated, over time, to the natural flavors in foods, but a tiny amount really does add a nice dimension to things.