How in the world to stay under Sodium goal?

FitFabStar

I am trying to focus more on staying under all of my macros including sodium (I've never had success with this before). I was wondering if anyone has a diary open that I could get some ideas from or maybe someone can list some low sodium meal or food ideas.

Things I have already done...

-switched from canned goods to frozen veggies (canned tastes soooo much better)
-cooking meat and not using salt but Mrs. Dash seasonings
-trying to eat more fruits/veggies for snacks that are fresh rather than pre packaged snacks (but it's costing a lot more money)

i'm still going about 1000 over each day even with these new changes. Any of your ideas would be awesome. How do you keep your sodium low?

Goldie2u2

I struggle with the same problem..I can see a lot of my sodium comes from prepackaged items or sliced meats or soups..really only low sodium stuff is not processed. I am eager as well for any tips...I did see a post a while back from a 100+ lb loser who said they never worried about it (providing there was no underlying health problem!) that they consistently were over and never had an issue losing. Of course-they stressed drinking lots of water as well.

As a side note..it's funny you prefer canned...I think they are mushy and all taste the same! I guess it's what you got used to growing up! LOL!

EllenKay63

I'm having the same problem and made the same changes. I was surprise how drinking a couple of glasses of skim milk with my meal raised my sugar intake.

No advise, but you're not the only one.

Vain_Witch

Are you eating out a lot? This always affects my sodium levels DRASTICALLY.

Goldie2u2

Opps...forgot to state..the 100+ lb loser focused on staying at or slightly under their calorie goal only...calories in vs calories out is where it is at!

jmcreynolds91

I eat mostly fresh veggies and fruits with only a couple things prepackaged and am mostly under sodium goal. I also don't add any salty seasoning when cooking either. Its hard but you will get it down. And also drink a ton of water will help counteract that salt.

amberlykay1014

I don't think it's a huge deal unless you have health conditions. Diabetes runs in my family, so I always try to watch my sodium, but even still.. if I go over by 500-1000mg / day I just make sure that I drink enough water.

cjhex

I don't think I've ever exceeded my sodium intake (though I often exceed the sugar). I didn't realise this was unusual as I have nobody elses diary to compare to.
I would suggest trying to identify specific foods that register a high sodium content (weightwatchers - chicken noodle soup hits 700 straight away) and seeing if there is an alternative.

All in all though, I don't worry to much about watching my breakdowns. Maybe as I get close to my target weight I'll worry more then but for now, I know I'm eating healthier than I have for years and that's good news ;-)

FitFabStar

I don't have a health problem with sodium or high blood pressure but it runs in my family. I did see a dietician/nutritionalist who swears a lot of my weight is probably water weight and i can get rid of it by limiting my sodium which she's probably right.

is it true if we drink more water then sodium does not really matter as much? anyone heard that?

I don't eat out a lot. I steer clear from fast foods b/c they are so good and addicting buttttt I do eat lots of lunch meat on my salads and salad dressings, etc. which kills my sodium. ugh

jayrudq

Most of the high sodium food we eat are packaged. And that is why you think canned veggies taste better than frozen! They added a bunch of salt! Believe me that you adapt. If you are adding your own salt, at least you can start adjusting downwards - and slowly if you need to. I also am a pretty avid label reader of the packaged foods I do buy and you would a) be shocked how much sodium is in items that you would not guess it was in - canned beans and canned tomato? Chicken broth? b) how much it varies from brand to brand. And, yes restaurant food is the worse. I almost always notice the difference when I eat out because I rarely add salt to anything at home.

Unless you have a health condition, a low sodium diet isn't necessary. I don't track mine personally, but am aware of it as it is part of my overall health goals. Hate that bloat...

Edit: Drinking water helps to not retain water. Supposedly.

MyJourney1960

well, i can't see what you ARE eating, but i can tell you that if you eat foods as close to their natural state as possible (e.g., fresh not canned, home made not take out, 'clean' spices not soup mixes etc), then you will be ok on the sodium levels. Also try to stay away from sodas, and stick to water as much as you can.

Just look at the food data base and compare the sodium amounts in fresh items (eg., chicken, spices, fresh vegetables) and in a finished dish (eg., some kind of mexican dish from TB or Chipotle)

elsyoommen

sodium is not a huge issue for me, but I do monitor it. I can't see your diary, but the items that usually have high sodium in mine are anything processed, including luncheon meats, smoked salmon and most cheeses. So I take that into account when choosing my food.

If you eat cottage cheese try switching to greek yogurt. If you eat luncheon meat, try roasting your own meat such as chicken and using that meat for your sandwich. This should be cheaper in the long run compared to buying processed meet. Buy unsalted nuts, low sodium or no sodium broth for cooking - even if you end up adding a little salt to your meal it will almost certainly be less than whatever would be in there if you used processed food. I'm not sure why you say eating fresh fruits and veg is more expensive than pre-packaged. I find that I save money when I avoid processed foods and cook instead. I can buy a week's worth of celery and carrots for under $5

also you might be getting sodium in your condiments or in your sodas. You can get sodium free sodas (at least in Canada the president's choice label has come out with a good selection which I use if I need something fizzy)

casmithis

I had to cut out salt because of severe high blood pressure. I went on the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). I started reading labels on everything I bought (or ended up not buying because of sodium level). It shocked me to see how much sodium was in some food. I basically went to clean eating, all raw food and if I cooked anything no sauces or spices added. Boring but my blood pressure has come down to a level that's manageable by medication. when I have to go to restaurants I get salad with chicken breast. No dressing. prepared dressings are a killer for salt. I make my own.

Good luck.

baiye1

My diary is open to friends, so you could add me. I actually have my sodium macro set to 2000. I don't have issues (yet) but like you, I have family history. I generally manage to stay within my sodium macro, or at least under 2500, but I don't eat a lot of processed foods, deli meat, prepackaged meals, canned anything unless it's low sodium on the label, pastas, breads. I eat a LOT of veggies (fresh and frozen), some fruit, and lean meats. When I go over sodium, it's because I've ate out usually. And, surprisingly, one of the best fast food restaurants to eat at, if you have to, is McDonald's! Subway, as well, can help you stay within most of your macros as long as you choose the lower sodium options.

Francl27

I go over most days, but it doesn't seem to affect me that much (except that time I had 5200mg of sodium and went over my calories, lol). It's tough. You pretty much have to cook everything from scratch to stay under, and for me sometimes the convenience is just hard to give up (like soups. Filling and low calorie but I'm clueless on how to make my own, and frankly don't really want to bother and we don't have a good blender anyway).

elisabeisme

I would identify the largest sodium drivers in your diet and try to find alternatives for those.

For salad dressing, try cutting it half and half with other stuff like olive oil, balsamic, juice, lemon, or milk (depending on the flavor). I also add green onion, celery, parsley or other herbs to my salad because those help "spice" up the taste of the greens so that I can use less dressing.

For the lunch meats, you probably need to swap some out for home cooked meats. I poach/sauté a family pack of chicken and then keep it in the fridge using it in sandwich wraps for a couple days instead of lunch meat.

To reduce the salt in your cooking without feeling like your food is bland, double the other spices in any recipe.

Good salt substitutes for cooking:
Lemon
Pepper
Onion
Garlic
cayenne
balsamic
mustard

bcattoes

The biggest thing you can do to reduce sodium is cook most of your food from scratch. Restaurants, fast food, prepackaged meals or foods, are often loaded with sodium.

Meals made from whole natural ingredients have all the sodium your body needs. There really is no need to add salt. Mrs. Dash and similar salt free seasonings are great. Fresh herbs can add lots of flavor and nutrients so that you don't miss the salt in food.

You are probably getting lots of replies saying you don't need to worry about sodium, and that may be true for some, especially the young or those that sweat a lot through heavy exercise. But for many people, sodium is very important.

Here is are a couple of good articles on sodium, if you are interested:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/take-action-on-salt/

GingerLolita

I don't track sodium because I have no medical reason to be concerned with it. I don't even like salty foods that much. When I look at my reports, my sodium intake fluctuates a lot. For packaged goods, always look for "no salt added" if available and look at the nutrition facts label to compare sodium amounts. I always try and buy what has less sodium. If you need your food to be salty, a fresh dash of sea salt goes a long way! Also avoid eating frozen meals because they're loaded with sodium, especially if they don't have preservatives. I also notice that my sodium intake gets out of control when I eat out. Focus on whole foods and cook your own food.

ThriceBlessed

I am usually over as well. I like to have cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast. Its great in that it starts me off with 30 grams of protein for 1 cup of cottage cheese... but its frustrating that it also 925 grams of sodium. Then, if the hubby and kids are eating something doesn't fit my plans, I eat a "Healthy Choice" frozen meal... again, super high in sodium.

Other than those things I eat mostly homemade food, I don't add salt while cooking or to my own dish before eating. I usually eat chicken breast and frozen veggies...

Yet I am still usually over.

Now I don't worry about it too much, as long as its not ridiculously over, and I watch more carefully the day before my weigh in. On that day I'll have eggs instead of cottage cheese, and really try to avoid the frozen dinner.

FitFabStar

I am usually over as well. I like to have cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast. Its great in that it starts me off with 30 grams of protein for 1 cup of cottage cheese... but its frustrating that it also 925 grams of sodium. Then, if the hubby and kids are eating something doesn't fit my plans, I eat a "Healthy Choice" frozen meal... again, super high in sodium.

Other than those things I eat mostly homemade food, I don't add salt while cooking or to my own dish before eating. I usually eat chicken breast and frozen veggies...

Yet I am still usually over.

Now I don't worry about it too much, as long as its not ridiculously over, and I watch more carefully the day before my weigh in. On that day I'll have eggs instead of cottage cheese, and really try to avoid the frozen dinner.

I eat cottage cheese daily b/c it fills me up and that is one of the reasons my sodium goes crazy LOL

FitFabStar

I would identify the largest sodium drivers in your diet and try to find alternatives for those.

For salad dressing, try cutting it half and half with other stuff like olive oil, balsamic, juice, lemon, or milk (depending on the flavor). I also add green onion, celery, parsley or other herbs to my salad because those help "spice" up the taste of the greens so that I can use less dressing.

For the lunch meats, you probably need to swap some out for home cooked meats. I poach/sauté a family pack of chicken and then keep it in the fridge using it in sandwich wraps for a couple days instead of lunch meat.

To reduce the salt in your cooking without feeling like your food is bland, double the other spices in any recipe.

Good salt substitutes for cooking:
Lemon
Pepper
Onion
Garlic
cayenne
balsamic
mustard

Thank you!!!!

darkangel45422

Easy way to stay under the sodium goal is to simply eat whole foods and prepare them all yourself (or at least most of them). I don't personally track my sodium but I know it's low because the large bulk of what I eat are things like vegetables and fruit (fresh or frozen because I absolutely hate the taste of canned and they're usually subpar), meats (not deli or heavily processed etc.; I'm talking packages of chicken breasts, pork roasts or pork chops, etc.), healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, unsalted butter, etc.) nuts (raw unsalted), some starches (rice or potatoes), eggs, etc. I prepare just about everything I eat myself, and can't really remember a time when I ever added salt to anything when cooking. I use herbs and spices most of the time to season food, and sometimes prepared sauces or marinades (which may have sodium but because of the low amount in my overall diet I don't really care).

If this is a priority for you, it's really easy to cut sodium drastically just by focusing on whole foods rather than prepared foods. Those are the foods that have a lot of sodium.

seltzermint555

Are you eating out a lot? This always affects my sodium levels DRASTICALLY.

This!! I have the same problem. Even when I cook "high sodium" stuff at home, like a stew made with canned beans & tomatoes and cheese in it, it's nowhere NEAR as high sodium as a simple meal in a restaurant.

I don't think restaurants are evil or anything. But it definitely makes a big difference, as do frozen prepackaged entrees. I eat those once or twice a week (love the Simply Nature ones from Aldi) but I always add a large amount of lettuce with the entrée and never have 2 frozen entrees or 2 restaurant meals in the same day, preferably limiting those to a couple of times per week. Not to brag or sound preachy or anything but I've almost NEVER gone over on sodium at all and I don't feel that I am making a huge effort to avoid it.

I have found out quite a bit about sodium from when my husband was concerned over his blood pressure. He cut out pickles, olives, and drastically reduced his intake of cheese and it seemed to help.

For me my main reason for wanting to keep my sodium lower is to avoid retaining water. I make a point to drink WAY more water on a day that I've eaten something like pizza from a restaurant or Mexican food.

Btw Hunt's brand "no salt added" tomato sauce is really good, and it's not too expensive. I add my own spices to that and a dash of wine and it's better than all of the prepared red sauces IMO. Good luck!

Cindyinpg

I don't track sodium (or sugar for that matter) and it hasn't affected my weightloss one bit. I get a bit of water retention if I go too crazy on the soya sauce/cottage cheese/canned soups, but it goes away.:ohwell:

KANGOOJUMPS

I do not have a prob, I just cut it out of everything I eat.

cjhex

Please don't forget that salt / sodium is an important part of the diet.
The body needs in the region of 2,400-3,000 mg/day to function properly. Salt is involved in the processes of muscle contraction, water retention and it creates hydrochloric acid which is essential to the digestive system. In addition you need to replace salt as exercise causes the body to lose salt through sweating.
Assuming mfp's calculations are accurate, you should be trying to meet your daily goals for all areas, not crawl in under the bar. (Though of course, reality means exceptions here and there are usual; over some days, under on others).

rml_16

If you're making your own food from fresh ingredients and not adding table salt, you should have no problem being under sodium.

MysteriousMerlin

1. Avoid most packaged products. Items like frozen meals, canned soups, spice rubs/mixes (especially chili powders and taco seasonings), cheeses, bottled or jarred sauces (BBQ, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, etc...), bottled salad dressings, lunch meats, pre-baked goods, store-bought breads...even check things you're drinking besides water. Sports drinks, soda, even milk have sodium that adds up at the end of the day. And do your research if eating out. Look up the nutritional info online beforehand. Some items may shock the hell out of you.

2. Drink water every day. It helps flush some of the sodium out of your system.

3. Check the amount of certain foods. A tablespoon of ketchup is not easy to 'eyeball'. Use an actual measuring spoon/cup.

And remember, blood pressure rises naturally as you age.

rml_16

The body needs in the region of 2,400-3,000 mg/day to function properly.

Where in the world did you find this figure???

The body "needs" a minimum of 500 mg a day to function properly. but more importantly is to balance sodium and potassium.

cjhex

The body needs in the region of 2,400-3,000 mg/day to function properly.

Where in the world did you find this figure???

The body "needs" a minimum of 500 mg a day to function properly. but more importantly is to balance sodium and potassium.

The statistics are present as RDA through the nhs website. (Also on a variety of nutrition sites and actually listed in mfp (for my profile) as being 2500mg for the average male). Yes, the minimum is 500mg but the recommended is higher.

My point is, unless you are diagnosed with salt based dietary issues, trying to cut out as much salt as possible is not a wise action.

rml_16

The body needs in the region of 2,400-3,000 mg/day to function properly.

Where in the world did you find this figure???

The body "needs" a minimum of 500 mg a day to function properly. but more importantly is to balance sodium and potassium.

The statistics are present as RDA through the nhs website. (Also on a variety of nutrition sites and actually listed in mfp (for my profile) as being 2500mg for the average male). Yes, the minimum is 500mg but the recommended is higher.

My point is, unless you are diagnosed with salt based dietary issues, trying to cut out as much salt as possible is not a wise action.

It's nearly impossible to get below 500. The OP is a woman.

And to say you NEED that much is assinine. You don't. Without health problems, it probably isn't bad to get that much, but again, it's about balancing potassium with the sodium, so the more sodium you ingest, the more potassium you need and it's difficult to get a lot of potassium.

I don't TRY to cut sodium, but because of how I eat I end up between 800 and 1,500 mg on a typical day and I'm perfectly healthy and my body functions just fine.