Advice about My diet

I find it easy to keep my calories on track but it seems that I eat food with too much sodium in it
Any tips to cut some sodium out of my diet or alternatives to known sodium filled food?

Replies

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Do you have a medical condition effected by sodium? If not I wouldn't worry about it.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Avoid anything prepackaged, fast food, eating out, eat more whole foods, etc. But unless you have a medical reason to watch your sodium intake, it isn't a big deal. I chose to track fiber instead.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Your diary is not public so it's hard to make specific suggestions, but I would recommend you go through and identify the main culprits. Restaraunt food is a biggie (tends to be loaded with sodium), bread, cheese, packaged meals all tend to be culprits. Then the obvious things like pickles, pretzels, potato chips and the like. But, really, unless you have a medical condition that requires you to carefully limit sodium, you probably don't need to worry about going over a bit now and then.
  • MakeItAllFit
    MakeItAllFit Posts: 4 Member
    Sodium actually does make a big difference due to water weight gain and bloating. There are alternatives such as Liquid Amino Acid instead of Soy Sauce, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt vs Regular Table Salt. You can also use salt free spices such as Mrs. Dash to improve flavors without the sodium. I also agree to try to steer as far from possible from prepackaged foods and fast food which is LOADED with sodium. Stick to lean proteins, veggies and cleaner options. Hope this helps some!!
  • JohnRybock
    JohnRybock Posts: 7 Member
    It's been said, but definitely look at any prepared food - either restaurants (I'm a chef, and it's hard not to use what's too much dietary salt without complaints of "bland"), but also grocery store, even the "healthy" meals, and soups, even brothy ones can seem like they wouldn't be to bad but load you up for the whole day.
    Cut what you can there, but it can also help in your health, if not on a spreadsheet, to add potassium-rich foods since potassium counteracts sodium. Kale, spinach, bananas, carrots, a lot of seafood, etc...
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Sodium actually does make a big difference due to water weight gain and bloating. There are alternatives such as Liquid Amino Acid instead of Soy Sauce, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt vs Regular Table Salt. You can also use salt free spices such as Mrs. Dash to improve flavors without the sodium. I also agree to try to steer as far from possible from prepackaged foods and fast food which is LOADED with sodium. Stick to lean proteins, veggies and cleaner options. Hope this helps some!!

    Does Himalayan sea salt have less sodium than table salt?
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Sodium actually does make a big difference due to water weight gain and bloating. There are alternatives such as Liquid Amino Acid instead of Soy Sauce, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt vs Regular Table Salt. You can also use salt free spices such as Mrs. Dash to improve flavors without the sodium. I also agree to try to steer as far from possible from prepackaged foods and fast food which is LOADED with sodium. Stick to lean proteins, veggies and cleaner options. Hope this helps some!!

    Does Himalayan sea salt have less sodium than table salt?

    Not really, no. They're both over 95% sodium chloride.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Sodium actually does make a big difference due to water weight gain and bloating. There are alternatives such as Liquid Amino Acid instead of Soy Sauce, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt vs Regular Table Salt. You can also use salt free spices such as Mrs. Dash to improve flavors without the sodium. I also agree to try to steer as far from possible from prepackaged foods and fast food which is LOADED with sodium. Stick to lean proteins, veggies and cleaner options. Hope this helps some!!

    Does Himalayan sea salt have less sodium than table salt?

    Very slightly lower but to be called salt it has to be 97% sodium chloride or higher. The pink colour is rust.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Eat more whole plant foods and fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds. These can easily be enjoyed without salt after you get used to it.

    Say you're used to having a bit of salty butter with your potatoes or in your mashed potatoes, cut that out and see how you like the basic flavor of potatoes. My current absolute favorite food to make at home is just plain old potatoes or sweet potatoes baked in the oven without any oil or salt. And I swear I do it JUST because I really enjoy the flavor and texture!
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Sodium actually does make a big difference due to water weight gain and bloating. There are alternatives such as Liquid Amino Acid instead of Soy Sauce, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt vs Regular Table Salt. You can also use salt free spices such as Mrs. Dash to improve flavors without the sodium. I also agree to try to steer as far from possible from prepackaged foods and fast food which is LOADED with sodium. Stick to lean proteins, veggies and cleaner options. Hope this helps some!!

    Does Himalayan sea salt have less sodium than table salt?

    Very slightly lower but to be called salt it has to be 97% sodium chloride or higher. The pink colour is rust.

    And the sodium of liquid aminos is almost the same as reduced salt soy sauce. They just charge you a fortune for it.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    SALT-FUMEDESEL-MEDIUM_.jpg

    No use this. Same salt content but your brain will explode from delicious. #foodporn
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    Sodium actually does make a big difference due to water weight gain and bloating. There are alternatives such as Liquid Amino Acid instead of Soy Sauce, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt vs Regular Table Salt. You can also use salt free spices such as Mrs. Dash to improve flavors without the sodium. I also agree to try to steer as far from possible from prepackaged foods and fast food which is LOADED with sodium. Stick to lean proteins, veggies and cleaner options. Hope this helps some!!

    Does Himalayan sea salt have less sodium than table salt?

    Not really, no. They're both over 95% sodium chloride.

    I didn't think so, that's why I was confused to see it listed as an "alternative." It's just a different type of salt.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Eat more whole plant foods and fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds. These can easily be enjoyed without salt after you get used to it.

    Say you're used to having a bit of salty butter with your potatoes or in your mashed potatoes, cut that out and see how you like the basic flavor of potatoes. My current absolute favorite food to make at home is just plain old potatoes or sweet potatoes baked in the oven without any oil or salt. And I swear I do it JUST because I really enjoy the flavor and texture!

    Or you could just buy unsalted butter. And, yeah, processed meats (bacon, sausage) tend to be loaded with salt as well. Sticking with less processed meats (and seasoning things yourself) will make a difference. Most of the sodium in our diets comes not from the salt shaker, but from packaged/processed foods.

  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    Most of the sodium in our diets comes not from the salt shaker, but from packaged/processed foods.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    WBB55 wrote: »
    SALT-FUMEDESEL-MEDIUM_.jpg

    No use this. Same salt content but your brain will explode from delicious. #foodporn

    My brain exploded just from looking at that. I have a huge bag of Celtic salt; I will be smoking some now this weekend. :)
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    edited June 2016
    WBB55 wrote: »
    SALT-FUMEDESEL-MEDIUM_.jpg

    No use this. Same salt content but your brain will explode from delicious. #foodporn

    My brain exploded just from looking at that. I have a huge bag of Celtic salt; I will be smoking some now this weekend. :)

    Just be sure you get good paper.