Lower Sodium.... HOW??

XanManMom

I have been logging my foods for 3 weeks now and it seems that I am always over my sodium intake for the day. I was born and raised in New Orleans where we love to over season everything. I grew up knowing that wearing rings the day after a crawfish boil was a challenge because your hands would still be swollen from the salt. I'm trying to be conscious of the amount of salt (blackening seasoning, Tony's Chachere's) I cook with but once it's all logged in I am way over the amount I should be at. Any advice or tips on how to lower my sodium but not completely change the flavors that I'm use to?

Panda_brat

Less packaged food. and in cooking their are plenty of other spices you can use. I love carious types of peppers, plus onion and garlic pepper.

harrybananas

Sodium lover checking in. Unfortunately, I don't know know what to tell you about lowering sodium. I myself like my foods with flavor.

cwolfman13

most issues with sodium aren't due to people seasoning home cooked meals...sodium issues are generally attributable primarily to eating a lot of processed food goods and eating out a lot.

More whole foods and less pre-packaged processed foods...less eating out.

maxit

That's a challenge - your palate is accustomed to salt and my guess is that if you reduce salt in seasonings all at once, things will taste pretty lifeless. I see that Tony's Chachere's makes a "lite" seasoning which might be worth a try - maybe blended with the normal gradually reducing the usual in favor of the "lite." Or make your own seasoning blend (which is what I do). Processed meat, canned beans & tomatoes will also add to sodium and this might be a place you can cut down. Even doing all these things I am "over" the recommended sodium intake on a day I cook Creole and so I do it less frequently ~ Good luck!

Rabidrunner

I am the opposite and need to increase my sodium. I am usually between 800 and 1200mg/day. Since I am a runner I have to be conscious to keep my salt intake up as I lose so much through sweat.

I basically live on brown rice, quinoa, fresh veggies, meat, whole fat dairy, and beans/legumes. Prepare everything from scratch, no packaged foods, and just add a little salt if needed.

Mind you, when I indulge I do it well, and probably consume several days' worth of sodium, I just don't do that very often any more.

CassidyScaglione

Get normal spices like cumin, oregano, or whatever is in the mixes you use and make your own mix with no salt or less salt.

cheer4beer

I grew up near New Orleans. I've accepted the fact that sodium will always be high for me because I'm not giving up my preferred flavors (I'm more partial to Slap Ya Mama seasoning). I'm not a Dr but my understanding is that if you don't have any conditions that make sodium a problem like high bp, sodium isn't really that evil. Just know that you'll always be carrying an extra lb or 2 due to having it in your system.

Ninkyou

Yes, less pre-packaged foods. Fresh vegetables or bagged/steamable vegetables. You can buy seasoning like Mrs. Dash that doesn't have salt. Some canned foods have no salt added, which will say on the front of the packaging. Same for broths.

LKArgh

Cook from scratch. Do not add salt.

Afura

Try cutting back on the seasoning a little with each serving, and try making your own versions that have less sodium, or add additional spices (IE add more chili powder, pepper, basil, etc) to existing ones you do use so you're not using as much of the pre-made.
My parents always had high blood pressure so I'm usually already on the low salt side, on the plus side, it packs more of a punch in making food flavors stand out.

MamaFunky

I like using cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper to help make my food spicier without adding any additional sodium than my recipe already calls for. If we are grilling I will grill some jalapeno peppers to eat with my meal. I still like to use Texas Pete and other hot sauces, but this works really well since I like to add heat to almost all my dinners.

CajunTess

I am also from Cajun Country, and you are right, we love our seasoning! When I first started logging, I had the same problem with my sodium levels. Then I noticed that when I lowered the sodium intake, the scale went down (water loss I'm sure). I love Tony's seasoning, but it is insanely high in sodium. You could try the lower salt version, but from experience, I'll tell you it's not the same. I still use it, but I am more careful of the amount now.

erickirb

If you have trouble lowering sodium, you may want to try and increase potassium as it is the balance between the two that leads to water retention.

ladixson1

I have two suggestions for you. 1 - Try no salt seasonings. There are plenty to choose from and not just from Mrs Dash anymore. 2 - Google search low sodium spice blend recipes. There are a ton out there. Are you going to get the exact same flavor as what you have now? No, of course not because the blend will be different, but it will still (probably) be good. Also, I agree with everyone else, ditch the pre-packaged and processed foods (if your eating them). If you do that, you might be able to splurge a little more on the seasonings you do love.

XanManMom

Thanks for the suggestions. This will be one of the hardest things for me to change, but I'll sure give it a try!

wowser5

Cheese has a lot of sodium as well if you are eating cheese everyday!

dasher602014

If you don't have a blood pressure problem, sodium usually isn't a concern. Yes, you will retain water but only a pound or two. No big deal and losing weight is a comparative exercise. Weight (with sodium) then versus weight (with sodium) now. Just keep an eye on BP over time. If you lower sodium gradually, your taste for it does change. I also noticed that lower sodium levels perked up my taste buds and I was able to enjoy other favouring and complex wines more. Not a bad trade off.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

Panda_brat wrote: »

Less packaged food. and in cooking their are plenty of other spices you can use. I love carious types of peppers, plus onion and garlic pepper.

+1
packaged food is typically very high in sodium.

snowflake930

Spices, spices, spices. New Orleans is famous for spices.
Stay away from processed foods, they all have added sodium and sugars.

justrollme

As so many others have said, home-cooking means you have much better control over sodium content. This includes making your own broth and stocks. Canned fruit/veggies such as tomatoes and beans, etc. come in a "low-sodium" version. Also, I tend to not add any salt during cooking, since I end up not detecting it in flavor by the time the dish is done. I've found that adding a measured amount of salt right before I eat something makes it just as tasty. And "bigger" salt, or coarse-ground is also easier to detect in flavor, as is (in my opinion) onion salt.

lorrpb

I suggest that the most useful thing is look at your diary and see which foods are giving you the highest sodium content. Cut back on that and find tasty substitutes. Usually salt added during cooking is not the problem. It's pre-processed foods and commercial packaged products & seasonings. Add your own seasonings with more spice, more herbs, and less salt.

Montepulciano

Anything I buy, I always look at the sodium content. Easy enough to pick up low sodium broth instead and I don't miss the flavor as I am usually cooking lots of other spices. As others have said above it is coming from prepared foods. I found when I started cooking at home, paying just a bit of attention, it helped. Certain things are worth the sodium though to me, from time to time. Bratwurst and sausages grilled....yeah, don't ask about sodium on them.

zyxst

dasher602014 wrote: »

If you don't have a blood pressure problem, sodium usually isn't a concern. Yes, you will retain water but only a pound or two. No big deal and losing weight is a comparative exercise. Weight (with sodium) then versus weight (with sodium) now. Just keep an eye on BP over time. If you lower sodium gradually, your taste for it does change. I also noticed that lower sodium levels perked up my taste buds and I was able to enjoy other favouring and complex wines more. Not a bad trade off.

+1

I have to eat lower sodium and, trust me, if you don't have to why the hells would you? Get your BP checked at your doctor's. If your doctor is okay with your BP, I wouldn't worry about lowering sodium. Most people don't have health issues with it, aside from water retention.

Stop eating processed foods, or at least read the labels and get the lower sodium/salt free version (yes, they exist even for potato chips). Stop using salt. There are plenty of spices to use that don't have sodium. Try Mrs. Dash (0 sodium) if you want OTC mix or mix up your own.

jgnatca

When I switched to low salt I find I prefer vegetables that are strong flavoured in their own right, and if I'm not using salt, they must be very, very fresh. I use a variety of spices. Garlic and pepper help a lot. And there are so many different peppers. Slowly reduce the sodium in your cooking and adjust accordingly. Do this for a month and you might have trouble going back to highly salted foods.

trinateegardens

cwolfman13 wrote: »

most issues with sodium aren't due to people seasoning home cooked meals...sodium issues are generally attributable primarily to eating a lot of processed food goods and eating out a lot.

More whole foods and less pre-packaged processed foods...less eating out.

So right. I'm not going to be a slave to my kitchen so I just suffer and stop at 2500 g!!

jennifer_417

Unless you have health issues specifically related to sodium (like high blood pressure), it's not really an issue.

JeromeBarry1

XanManMom wrote: »

I have been logging my foods for 3 weeks now and it seems that I am always over my sodium intake for the day. I was born and raised in New Orleans where we love to over season everything. I grew up knowing that wearing rings the day after a crawfish boil was a challenge because your hands would still be swollen from the salt. I'm trying to be conscious of the amount of salt (blackening seasoning, Tony's Chachere's) I cook with but once it's all logged in I am way over the amount I should be at. Any advice or tips on how to lower my sodium but not completely change the flavors that I'm use to?

I also like seasoning, and my favorite snack is Harold's Gormay Texicun Pickuls Dern Hot variety, which I've calculated to deliver about 300 mg sodium for each little 3/4 inch slice of pickled cucumber. As you may guess, my preference in spice is in the heat. This can easily be accomplished without sodium. First things first, though. Be aware that most chicken you buy in stores or restaurants in America has been injected with as much as 15% saline solution. This is a great way to increase profits when the chicken is sold by the pound, and it is a nefarious trick to foil your low-sodium goal. Fear not, though, as Perdue's HarvestLand brand of chicken includes a selection of natural chicken that has not been injected with saline. If you start using natural chicken, you immediately improve your chances of meeting your low sodium goal. My diary is open and I'm under 1500 mg sodium today. You might not want to do it the way I'm doing it, but it is possible to achieve in many ways.

Colorscheme

I do low sodium for blood pressure reasons. I manage to avoid added salt by cooking stuff at home. It also helps that MFP automatically tracks sodium, so it's easy for me. I use other spices to make up for the salt and I really can't tell the difference anymore. Like instead of salt, I'll add garlic powder, black pepper, etc.