Sodium?!?!?

RockPrincess080

How do you combat the high sodium that is in these "healthy" meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice?

I didn't realize how awful they were until using this ap!

DM01234

Coming from someone who was beginning to have blood pressure issues and is much more aware of sodium as a result, I don't eat this type of thing any longer.

Shopping for food can sometimes be a challenge when trying to reduce sodium. Mostly leads to making my own stuff where I can control salt intake. Canned / box / jar foods are the same to me which has totally changed my shopping habits.

By doing this and exercising, I've all but eliminated the meds I've been on for HPB.

sixxpoint

Make the shift toward eating a rich variety of nutritious whole foods instead of resorting to processed TV dinners.

It's important to note that one thing about sodium is that it is not as evil as people claim... unless you are sedentary and your daily intake is also very low in potassium and water.

lemurcat12

I don't worry much about sodium, but if you do the best change to make is to cook from whole foods. (That I do that is one reason I don't tend to think about sodium.)

Need2Exerc1se

I don't eat them. I cook my own food so I can control how much sodium I eat. Food isn't always healthy just because its low calorie or someone writes "healthy" on the label.

Kalikel

Make your own food. It will taste much better and ends the sodium problems!

RockPrincess080

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

callsitlikeiseeit

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

youll make different choices or deal with it. you cant do anything about the sodium content. water does not flush it out. if it did, my husband would have great blood pressure.

which also leasds to, if you DONT have medical issues related to sodium, you really dont need to worry about it.

Kalikel

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

Your body will do it's best to handle the excess sodium. There really isn't a whole lot you can do to undo the salt. When your body needs more water, it will naturally increase your sense of thirst, so you don't really even need to drink extra on purpose - just follow your thirst.

Need2Exerc1se

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

If you don't have time to prepare a meal, which can take as little as 10-15 min, you surely don't have time to exercise more. So if it were me, I'd drink tomato juice or V8 daily to up my potassium intake and up my overall fluid intake.

pmm3437

Stop making processed food a mainstay in your diet, and start prepping your own meals from fresh or frozen ingredients. Its the only way you have any real control.

If you batch cook, you can still have the convenience of popping dinner in the microwave after a long day.

Alternatively, if you plan to keep using these items, stop buying the "healthy" versions ... healthy to the food industry currently is to low/no fat, which just means 3x the sodium to keep it palatable. Has nothing to do with actual nutritional value or a balanced plan/menu.

TinyTexn59

Instead of grocery store frozen lean meals try looking for a local "fresh meal" service. Here in NC we have a place called clean eatz that supplies a weeks worth of healthy pre-prepared meals in easy to heat containers made with fresh ingredients. Most cities have places like this. It is healthier if you don't have time to cook your own.

DM01234

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

Sorry... I've got nothing.....

lemurcat12

Get more potassium: http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/january2009/01262009hypertension.htm

So supplement with high K foods.

codename_steve

The best combat for high sodium is increasing exercise, potassium, and water.

http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/wellness/heart-and-cardiovascular-health/the-facts-on-sodium-and-high-blood-pressure

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974?pg=1

ldrosophila

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

As my physiology professor once said with the water goes the salt...drink a little more if you feel parched. Or live in happy salt land with us natremiaphiles

SueInAz

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

If you don't have time to prepare a meal, which can take as little as 10-15 min, you surely don't have time to exercise more. So if it were me, I'd drink tomato juice or V8 daily to up my potassium intake and up my overall fluid intake.

Of course tomato juice and V8 have a lot of sodium, too. In fact, V8 has 920 mg of sodium in an 11.5 ounce can, which is much more than in most of the Lean Cuisine type meals.

OP, unless you have a problem which indicates limiting sodium, like high blood pressure, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Many of those meals also have a good amount of potassium in them which helps to balance out the sodium level in your body. They are definitely not the absolute best choice for a meal but they are far from the worst.

Need2Exerc1se

SueInAz wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

If you don't have time to prepare a meal, which can take as little as 10-15 min, you surely don't have time to exercise more. So if it were me, I'd drink tomato juice or V8 daily to up my potassium intake and up my overall fluid intake.

Of course tomato juice and V8 have a lot of sodium, too. In fact, V8 has 920 mg of sodium in an 11.5 ounce can, which is much more than in most of the Lean Cuisine type meals.

Low sodium V8 does not have that much, same for low sodium tomato juice.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

RockPrincess080 wrote: »

I guess I should have been more specific. "Make your own food" and "don't eat those meals" was not an answer I was looking for. I have too busy of a schedule to make my own food and meals like lean cuisine and healthy choice are my best options.

My question was asking what you do to combat those high sodium levels. "Not eating" those meals is not an acceptable answer.

Do you exercise more? Drink more water? Supplement with fruit/veggies?

You could try eating the veggie bags that you just ping in the microwave, have that with a can of tuna for quick protein.
You can buy ready cooked chicken that you can ping with veggies. An omelette takes minutes to make. There are other quick choices you can find that will most likely keep you fuller for longer as well.

goldthistime

Whenever I have a frozen dinner, I add extra vegetables. It can be as simple as frozen peas, but throwing some broccoli or cauliflower in a pot to accompany doesn't take much time at all.