Sodium
ezriealan
Posts: 3 Member
It seems like every low calorie item I eat is packed with sodium. Yesterday I had 1,504 calories on a 2k calorie diet, but the sodium is off the charts at 3,420 mg (1,120 mg over). I'm not really trying to lose weight, I just want to lower my cholesterol and improve liver function. I'm ok with eating just about anything, have no food allergies other than being a little lactose intolerant (that really only happens when I drink milk, not triggered from cheese or other dairy products). Any suggestions for getting all the calories I need without all the sodium?
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Replies
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Processed food tends be high in sodium even if it is low calorie. If you can create home made versions of some of these items you will have more control over the sodium. Otherwise you may just have to go for more unprocessed food.4
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I have to eat low sodium. I'm working on it. But read labels, and cook for yourself as much as possible.3
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If you're eating crackers, try ryvita crisps, ryvita crispbread or corn thins. Consider goat cheese over cow cheese. Natural nut butter vs ones with salt. Unsalted nuts.
Watch out for dressings and deli meats. Canned products can also be high in sodium.
Look through your diary.... What are the typical foods you eat that are heavy hitters in the sodium department? To be hitting that high there is likely a few you could tackle first to make a big dent in the daily intake.1 -
@ezriealan : If you make your food diary public, we will be able to give you more specific advice.
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Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.2
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TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
What foods are specifically putting you over, OP?4 -
Most frozen vegetables are low sodium. In the canned goods area in most stores you can find no salt added in some things. I buy no salt added tomato product, beans, stock, low sodium juice...etc...etc They are sometimes hard to find but if you keep looking they are there.
I am waiting for stores to put in a low sodium section such as they have for gluten free and all those other special groups. I think that I will be waiting for a while...low sodium is not exciting nor the latest fad. Sigh...
I use a lot of spices...plus I find that I don't miss the sodium as much if I cook spicy foods. You definitely will have a hard time when it comes to convenience foods however. It has taken me almost a year to research and replace some items that I was eating before. About 90% of the food I eat is prepared from fresh meats and produce. Be careful about some poultry items however...they shoot some of it up with a sodium solution.2 -
I just go with things like plain ground beef, chicken breast, fish, no salt added canned beans, frozen vegetables, etc. I'm currently eating anywhere from 3200-4300 kcals per day, and still manage to stay under 2500 mg sodium.
Also: coffeenut m&ms. 480 kcals in a "share size" (pffft, share my *kitten*) and 50 mg sodium.3 -
TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
This is really not useful advice. While some stores may be set up that way, many aren't. There is a bakery and the deli on the edge of one store I shop at, and another has the produce in the very center. Also, you will miss a lot of raw ingredients in the center- dried beans, some canned goods are still healthy. Flour to make low sodium bread, and spices to make up for the lack of salt. Even frozen vegetables.
Shop the whole store, but avoid impulse purchases.2 -
There r many ways to reduce sodium. U just need to pay attention to the nutrition panels. Instead of getting caned veggies get frozen. Also fresh produce from farmers markets helps. Look on the internet for recipes too. Say u want to make a home made soup and it calls for beef or chicken broth. U can find low sodium recipes. If u use salt a lot in any of ur foods use sea salt it is healthier for u.0
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Even with canned vegetables you can find many of them with no added salt. For meat, buy the raw cuts, rather than the seasoned packages.
Be careful that you don't go too low in sodium, as it really is an essential electrolyte necessary for the proper functioning of your nervous system.0 -
Sodium is a big one most ignore. I happened to learn about it long ago when i went on a diet where I couldn't add any sodium or use processed prepared foods and sauces.
I made my own condiments.. and used vinegars, limes, red wine, herbs, and spices to make all of my food from scratch.
Bottom line is i never lost weight so fast in my life. I honestly thought it was the drastic drop in sodium that allowed my body to lose weight. When you start paying attention to labels ..and even google the topic..you'll see it high sodium causes heart disease and puts stress on the body. I think the heart association is recommending lower and lower daily amounts of sodium for the American diet.1 -
Thank you guys for the suggestions, this is my 2nd day of trying to manage my diet (I've been doing a lot of cardio for the past 6 days) and to be honest this is the part I was dreading because I'm used to eating fast food exclusively and only drinking soda. For yesterday, my main problem was with a sour soup that was suggested to me called sinigang. I don't really know how to cook, so I just bought the soup base, added some beef round, garlic, onion, and an entire bag of spinach. The soup base has 810mg of sodium per 1 cup serving, so I had 4 cups just so I could get closer to my calorie total.
The meat and bean suggestion above sounds like it might work out pretty well. Thank you.0 -
Thank you guys for the suggestions, this is my 2nd day of trying to manage my diet (I've been doing a lot of cardio for the past 6 days) and to be honest this is the part I was dreading because I'm used to eating fast food exclusively and only drinking soda. For yesterday, my main problem was with a sour soup that was suggested to me called sinigang. I don't really know how to cook, so I just bought the soup base, added some beef round, garlic, onion, and an entire bag of spinach. The soup base has 810mg of sodium per 1 cup serving, so I had 4 cups just so I could get closer to my calorie total.
The meat and bean suggestion above sounds like it might work out pretty well. Thank you.
I like to brown some 93/7 ground beef, and add no salt added canned kidney beans to it. A five year old could pull it off, and it takes like 5 minutes. It's pretty calorie/macro dense, and has one of the most absurd sodium:potassium:calorie ratios I've ever seen. Plus, kidney beans are even more delicious when they absorb rendered beef fat. 1 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
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Thank you guys for the suggestions, this is my 2nd day of trying to manage my diet (I've been doing a lot of cardio for the past 6 days) and to be honest this is the part I was dreading because I'm used to eating fast food exclusively and only drinking soda. For yesterday, my main problem was with a sour soup that was suggested to me called sinigang. I don't really know how to cook, so I just bought the soup base, added some beef round, garlic, onion, and an entire bag of spinach. The soup base has 810mg of sodium per 1 cup serving, so I had 4 cups just so I could get closer to my calorie total.
The meat and bean suggestion above sounds like it might work out pretty well. Thank you.
Has your doctor advised for you to go low sodium? Or is this just something that you want to do. Depending on the answer might make a difference in the advice that you are given.
For health reasons I am low sodium. One of the areas that I researched was the sodium/potassium ratio(unless you have a reason to keep potassium low). It changed the way I ate and also the way I cooked. Sadly for the most part there is very little convenience and/or eating out in my life.
If you are doing this without a medical reason then just work on cutting back. Identify the high sodium foods that you eat and make different choices. There is no need to cut every mg of sodium out of your life. I don't and I have medical reasons to do so.
Unless a doctor has told you to eliminate most sodium gradually cut back. Do it over time so that your taste for salt changes.
There is no way around it...you will have to learn to cook.
Check out these sites...
http://thedailydish.us/
http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/
http://www.sodiumgirl.com/
http://healthyheartmarket.com/
https://www.davita.com/recipes/
The davita site is for someone with kidney disease but they have some great recipes.
Hope this helps...there are a few more sites out there if you do the research. It takes work to reduce your sodium levels. Food will taste much different. You will have to make adjustments in your social life. It can be done but if you want your food to still taste fabulous (which I do) you will have to experiment and put in the work to accomplish that.2 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
The first thing that I see when I walk in my grocery store is the doughnuts. I think that they are out to get me!
I do shop mainly the perimeter of the store...produce, meats and then dairy. However there are things within those aisles that I buy. To be honest...most of my staples I order online and have delivered. That saves me not only time but keeps me out of the jungle where not only the people are wild but also the jungle where chips and cookies grow from trees.0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
From people who think the rest of us are too stupid to look at labels and need very simple, nonsensical "rules" to follow.1 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
From people who think the rest of us are too stupid to look at labels and need very simple, nonsensical "rules" to follow.
Well, let's be fair: outside of MFP, how many people do you know who actually bother to do so? Capability and application aren't exactly a perfect circle Venn diagram.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
From people who think the rest of us are too stupid to look at labels and need very simple, nonsensical "rules" to follow.
Well, let's be fair: outside of MFP, how many people do you know who actually bother to do so? Capability and application aren't exactly a perfect circle Venn diagram.
The problem I have is that the advice should be "read the labels of the food you buy", not "shop the perimeter of the grocery store". I find the latter to be condescending and not helpful if people are looking to educate themselves about nutrition so that they can make lifestyle changes.1 -
I honestly ignore the sodium intake, unless you have a specific issue I wouldn't worry about it.0
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SuzySunshine99 wrote: »Gallowmere1984 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
From people who think the rest of us are too stupid to look at labels and need very simple, nonsensical "rules" to follow.
Well, let's be fair: outside of MFP, how many people do you know who actually bother to do so? Capability and application aren't exactly a perfect circle Venn diagram.
The problem I have is that the advice should be "read the labels of the food you buy", not "shop the perimeter of the grocery store". I find the latter to be condescending and not helpful if people are looking to educate themselves about nutrition so that they can make lifestyle changes.
Especially if you live in a place where you'll find cookies and alcohol as standard at the perimeter...
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snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
This is the most common place you find produce, meats, dairy. Obviously, they cant put a deli in the middle of the store, so it is assumed you would avoid the bakeries and deli's0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
This is the most common place you find produce, meats, dairy. Obviously, they cant put a deli in the middle of the store, so it is assumed you would avoid the bakeries and deli's
At my store the bakery and the deli are right in front of you when you walk in. Not quite the center of the store but close. When I shop I am greeted by the cookies, doughnuts and fresh breads. They also have the area where fresh tortillas are being cranked out by the thousands!0 -
Soups, frozen foods, prepackaged "snacks", deli meat, and fast foods are always high in sodium. And something people might not realize-CONDIMENTS (ketchup, sauces) are loaded with sodium.0
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Sprouts unconventionally puts produce smack dab in the middle of the store, and all the box stuff to the corner. I like to shop there, as they have a lot of organic choices. Except decently-priced organic potatoes. I am still on the hunt for those.0
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CasperNaegle wrote: »I honestly ignore the sodium intake, unless you have a specific issue I wouldn't worry about it.
I agree. Active people expel sodium like no tomorrow, and 2000-4000 mg sodium is just fine. If you are older, and have a significantly slower metabolism, for instance, then you need to watch it. Balance it out with potassium, they work hand in hand because potassium helps expel sodium from the body. Potatoes, meats, green veggies have high potassium content (my favorites are spinach and potatoes).
OP, you could also try hearty cereals with low sugar? Usually, those don't have a lot of sodium, and you could have almond milk or soy milk.0 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »Gallowmere1984 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.snickerscharlie wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Shop the outside of the grocery store (fresh fruit, fresh meat, etc.) and avoid the center (canned vegetables, processed foods, etc.). The outside tends to be lower sodium, higher potassium, and generally healthier. The inside tends to be well salted to make it taste more desirable.
The outside of my grocery has the frozen foods, including ice cream and dessert, the bakery, the continental deli and the ready meals...
Mine too. It also has the candy/cookie aisle.
Always wondered where this weird "shop the perimeter" thing came from.
From people who think the rest of us are too stupid to look at labels and need very simple, nonsensical "rules" to follow.
Well, let's be fair: outside of MFP, how many people do you know who actually bother to do so? Capability and application aren't exactly a perfect circle Venn diagram.
The problem I have is that the advice should be "read the labels of the food you buy", not "shop the perimeter of the grocery store". I find the latter to be condescending and not helpful if people are looking to educate themselves about nutrition so that they can make lifestyle changes.
I agree with you 100%, and really, it doesn't appear that either piece of advice is being taken, even though we've done everything short of strapping the population in, A Clockwork Orange style, and making them watch loops of nutrition labels and produce aisles.0 -
Another high sodium food not mentioned above is bread and cereal. I was kind of shocked at that. I've been learning to cook to help lower my (and my husband's) sodium intake. I make dinner more often and leave the salt out of most of my recipes.1
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WickedPineapple wrote: »Another high sodium food not mentioned above is bread and cereal. I was kind of shocked at that. I've been learning to cook to help lower my (and my husband's) sodium intake. I make dinner more often and leave the salt out of most of my recipes.
Yeah, I actually discovered my sodium issue after doing a carb refeed with bagels. Never again. I'll be sticking to potatoes and sweet potatoes from now on.0
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