Sodium Sorrows, Protein Plight

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CassidyScaglione
CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Alright Folks,

I'm having two difficulties after a month of monitoring what I eat...

I haven't changed much about the types of food I'm eating, because I live with my partner and he is a pretty choosy eater. For me it has been more about portion control, and it is working, I'm noticing weight come off

But I'm also noticing that my macros are always way out of whack for what they should be... I'm getting 15-25% protein a day and the rest is a toss up between fat and carbs on any given day... How do you all work more protein into your diet?

I should mention that we are not vegitarian, but do have very grain and veggie oriented diets, with chicken maybe once a week.

My second problem is SODIUM! My partner is a smoker, and has a heavy hand with the salt... Any dish he cooks usually puts me over my intake goal in a couple servings... And food without salt tastes bland to him. Is there a salt alternative we can be using that will give a similar boost to flavour? Some trick that will keep us both happy?
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Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited January 2016
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    15-25% protein is fine. What are you aiming to get? Macro balance comes down mostly to your preferences once you meet your protein and fat minimums.

    As for a salt alternative, I like Mrs. Dash. It comes in many flavors.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Why more protein? Recommended for women is 46 grams a day. Do you lift weights? Run? Protein can be anywhere from 10 to 30% average. Only if you have a medical condition do you have to sweat about salt.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    I'm trying to gain a little muscle, yes, aiming for 60 g or so a day, and less carbs because I get tons... I have very little muscle mass, and while my primary goal is weight loss, I'd like to build some strength as well.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    CassidyScaglione wrote: »
    I'm trying to gain a little muscle, yes, aiming for 60 g or so a day, and less carbs because I get tons... I have very little muscle mass, and while my primary goal is weight loss, I'd like to build some strength as well.

    You're having difficulty eating 60 g of protein per day? Some meat/egg for breakfast, meat for lunch, greek yogurt, cottage cheese. 60 is really not very much.

    If you don't like the taste of your boyfriend's salty meals ask him to salt separately.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Only if you have a medical condition do you have to sweat about salt.

    I am finding I'm going way over recommended values. Also, I find that reducing it helps my skin. Prior to moving in with my partner I made that connection and by reducing sodium reduced a lot of my skin problems... Now I am noticing worse break outs again.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    Protein - some fish or chicken breast will provide more than enough. If you're not wanting to increase your meat intake, egg whites will work wonders.

    Salt - If you're exercising and otherwise healthy I wouldn't stress it. Don't go crazy but if you're getting salt from adding it at home rather than eating pre-prepared foods you likely aren't overdoing it all that much anyway.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Only if you have a medical condition do you have to sweat about salt.

    I am finding I'm going way over recommended values. Also, I find that reducing it helps my skin. Prior to moving in with my partner I made that connection and by reducing sodium reduced a lot of my skin problems... Now I am noticing worse break outs again.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    .

    Salt - If you're exercising and otherwise healthy I wouldn't stress it. Don't go crazy but if you're getting salt from adding it at home rather than eating pre-prepared foods you likely aren't overdoing it all that much anyway.

    I find I'm overdoing it by quite a lot.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I agree. She does not seem to eat processed foods or fast food. Probably eating less salt than all of us combined.
    I think I once had a slice of pizza hut pizza medium that had 900 mg of sodium.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    I agree. She does not seem to eat processed foods or fast food. Probably eating less salt than all of us combined.
    I think I once had a slice of pizza hut pizza medium that had 900 mg of sodium.

    I have eaten more than twice the daily recommended maximum at least twice this week...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    CassidyScaglione wrote: »
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    I agree. She does not seem to eat processed foods or fast food. Probably eating less salt than all of us combined.
    I think I once had a slice of pizza hut pizza medium that had 900 mg of sodium.

    I have eaten more than twice the daily recommended maximum at least twice this week...

    I eat more than twice every day of my life
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/sodium/index-eng.php

    Canadians love us our salt.
  • faithsimmons526
    faithsimmons526 Posts: 162 Member
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    I just started noticing my sodium intake too. Holy crap! It sneaks in where you don't really notice it. For example: I make a delicious spring roll meal with rice paper, grated cabbage, spinach, green onion and an imitation crabmeat stick (can't afford prawns lol). The dip consists of lime juice, sweetener, jalapeno pickled WITHOUT added salt, and ONE packet (a tablespoon) of tamari sauce. It's not salty at all, but contains 1680 mg of sodium. Yikes!! It's the mostly the soy/tamari in this one. Another big one for me is cheese ... I love it, but it's really high in sodium.

    Not everyone would agree with me, but APPARENTLY there is a big difference between table salt and more natural salts such as Himalayan Pink, which do not have something like 82 minerals processed out of them. I personally find that I can use a lot more of the less processed than the iodized without bloating. You might want to check it out, and while asking your partner nicely to back off a bit on the salt, replace what he does use with real sea salt. Might help.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Don't know how much this will help, but what about using spices other than salt? I have to watch my sodium and don't salt any food (haven't for 35 years due to a parent having HBP and grew up w/o salt), but I do use plenty of black pepper (my spice of choice). For other dishes, I mix up a semi-Italian blend (oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seed, garlic powder) or use a Mrs. Dash blend.

    I would ask your partner to not salt the dish as he cooks it so you're satisfied and he can salt the hell out of his portion.
  • faithsimmons526
    faithsimmons526 Posts: 162 Member
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    Pickles too ... sodium demons, dang it.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    Don't know how much this will help, but what about using spices other than salt? I have to watch my sodium and don't salt any food (haven't for 35 years due to a parent having HBP and grew up w/o salt), but I do use plenty of black pepper (my spice of choice). For other dishes, I mix up a semi-Italian blend (oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seed, garlic powder) or use a Mrs. Dash blend.

    I would ask your partner to not salt the dish as he cooks it so you're satisfied and he can salt the hell out of his portion.

    We eat about 60% Indian style dishes (He is Nepalese) so there is already plenty of other spices... And to some degree, he does try to reduce the amount of salt he uses in cooking, but he doesn't like post-cooking salting, so it is always a compromise... I am more looking for a some kind of spice that will simulate saltiness in food without maxing out my sodium intake in 5 seconds flat. I may look at Mrs. Dash though...
  • angelamichelle_xo
    angelamichelle_xo Posts: 646 Member
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    YESS.
    MRS DASH
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    faithsimmons526 wrote: »
    Pickles too ... sodium demons, dang it.

    lol. Its a bugger to avoid... I try not to let it bother me too much if i go a bit over, but i'm going LOADS over, and i really do find that salts and refined sugars just wreak havoc on my skin (This is genetic, I have terrible skin, but reducing those two things takes it from freaky teenage level acne to something more manageable.)

    I may try either himalayan or sea salt rather than the table salt version he prefers, but still searching for something that will replace some of the flavoring of salt so i can cut back.
  • dynamohum
    dynamohum Posts: 17 Member
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    2 slices of lean turkey and half a cup of cottage cheese gives about 20 grams protein, I am always careful to make my protein as muscle is important to me, not alot just enough (55 yr old female) If I know I am going to have a low protein day, not very often, I will add about 8 grams of pea protein to my oatmeal and gain 30 grams of protein. I always make my 60 gram alotment no problem and are usually over. Salt gets flushed out with all the water your should be drinking anyway but seriously he shoulds do most of his salting after serving. Goodluck
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    You can try No-Salt (potassium salt) but it tastes different and I suspect your SO won't like it. You may also try half and half sodium and potassium as new studies are suggesting its the balance between these two that matters.

    You can slowly wean yourselves off salt, and you will find the natural flavours of the foods will shine through. Since I went low salt I prefer stronger flavoured vegetables and I am much freer with pepper and garlic. You may coax your SO by suggesting that a lower salt content will showcase the flavours of his meal.

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