SODIUM UGH!

PoeRaven8991
PoeRaven8991 Posts: 26
in Food and Nutrition
I've been diligent in cutting down on sodium but it seems every damn day I go over the goal I set for myself ...not a little, but A LOT! I was doing so well today until supper....We went to Arby's. Here is the sodium results of my 315 calorie meal:
1 Jr. Roast Beef Sandwich: Sodium content - 350 mg
1 side salad: Sodium content: 105 mg
1 packet Light Italian Dressing: Sodium content - 750 mg
GRAND TOTAL = 1205 mg
:noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:

Needless to say...
ARBY'S is OFF my list.

BOO

:angry:
«1

Replies

  • the_dude00
    the_dude00 Posts: 1,056 Member
    Personally, I don't give a s*** how much sodium I take in. There are so much more important things to consider
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Try increasing your dietary potassium.
  • ElizaB84
    ElizaB84 Posts: 105 Member
    I had to stop salting my food. There is already so much sodium that adding extra salt isnt needed.


    My worse guilty pleasure is soy sauce. I could OD on the stuff, its soo good. I've gotten the lite version, but it still has a ton of sodium.
  • jajnn
    jajnn Posts: 33
    why are you cutting sodium? You know that you do need it right? Not as much as most people get but as long as you're not overdoing it with the salt you should be fine. LOL of course processed foods are going to be through the roof with their sodium content, I'd be more worried about making sure I'm getting the recommended amount of potassium daily.
  • crevices
    crevices Posts: 226 Member
    i just drink enough water and dont mind my sodium intake lol
  • PoeRaven8991
    PoeRaven8991 Posts: 26
    I'm 54. As you age, sodium does become an issue with health. I'm just working at watching it. Thanks for the potassium tip though, I will definitely keep it in check. :heart:
  • Strongandhealthy1234
    Strongandhealthy1234 Posts: 52
    I agree that's why I eat home made food to decrease sodium intake, I eat out once a week.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    1205 is half the recommended level. Why are you trying to cut sodium?
  • PoeRaven8991
    PoeRaven8991 Posts: 26
    I'm watching the sodium for health reasons. High sodium intake is linked to many, many, many health issues. as I stated, I am 54 years old... I was simply stating how shocking the amount of sodium is hiding in a small packet of salad dressing. lol
  • just_jess7
    just_jess7 Posts: 271 Member
    Something I've noticed is that when something is labeled 'light' or 'fat free', it tends to be higher in sodium. I checked out the nutritional info for Arby's and noticed that the 'light' Italian dressing was by far the highest in sodium - others were about 400mg less. By cutting calories and making the product 'light' they lose a lot of flavor and have to add it back in somehow, and loading it full of sodium is an easy way to go about doing so.

    Or I could be way off, who knows?
  • marzajones
    marzajones Posts: 17 Member
    I have been advised to cut my salt down, as too much retains fluids. I have had to cut out crisp as they are loaded and of course like you said its hidden in so many "innocent," looking fooods." All the best!
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
    Wait - you're telling me that an Arby's RB sandwich is only 350mg of sodium? I can't even fathom that. Cold cuts are usually way higher than that.
  • Shynique37
    Shynique37 Posts: 66 Member
    Wow the dressing sodium is higher than the sandwich
  • bloggymomx
    bloggymomx Posts: 72
    I'm not too concerned with my sodium intake. If I see I'm going higher on sodium I will just up my water intake...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I'm watching the sodium for health reasons. High sodium intake is linked to many, many, many health issues. as I stated, I am 54 years old... I was simply stating how shocking the amount of sodium is hiding in a small packet of salad dressing. lol
    Sodium doesn't actually cause ANY health issues. It can cause problems for someone with specific health issues (namely hypertension,) but if you don't have those issues, then you don't need to worry about sodium.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    1205 is half the recommended level. Why are you trying to cut sodium?

    That's almost the AHA's recommendation for an entire day. and she posted from one meal.

    OP, if you want to start cutting your sodium intake, look at your daily food and see where you could eliminate or substitute foods to bring down sodium without sacrifcing too much in your macros.

    It usually won't be vegetables. Meat will be high, but losing that will cause you to have to change many things to compensate for the loss of protein which tends to put you over in calories and/or sodium anyway. The exception being you can substitute a meat without added salts for cured or salted meats.

    Most of the substitutions you can make will be dressings and sauces. In the above meal, I would replace the dressing, which was a sodium bomb. Look for one lower insodium or bring your own.
  • LifeChoiceGrammy
    LifeChoiceGrammy Posts: 121 Member
    Totally agree with you!! I can not believe how much sodium I was consuming until I started using this program. I am watching mine also and cutting out several things!!!!!
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    Something I've noticed is that when something is labeled 'light' or 'fat free', it tends to be higher in sodium. I checked out the nutritional info for Arby's and noticed that the 'light' Italian dressing was by far the highest in sodium - others were about 400mg less. By cutting calories and making the product 'light' they lose a lot of flavor and have to add it back in somehow, and loading it full of sodium is an easy way to go about doing so.

    Or I could be way off, who knows?

    You're not way off. "Light" and "low fat" usually mean lower calories and fat overall, however if you read the labels they very commonly have more carbs and/or more sodium. They leave out fat and replace it with other items for flavor.
  • dedgjonator
    dedgjonator Posts: 35
    I've got the opposite problem according to mfp. I only have one more meal left for today and my current level is only 290...is that bad?
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    I've got the opposite problem according to mfp. I only have one more meal left for today and my current level is only 290...is that bad?

    Not necessarily.

    But, also, consider that it's almost impossible for actual sodium intake to be that low, even with home cooked foods. Also, MFP only has sodium levels for items if they have been input. Check your labels or the USDA database.
  • GummyHuman
    GummyHuman Posts: 193 Member
    I only started paying attention to what went into my body after a doctor prescribed medication for high blood pressure and said things like "heart attack" and "kidney failure". Now that I am aware of what I *should* intake in terms of sodium, I can't believe the amount of sodium some foods have. You'd think a wrap would be a healthier option than bread, but not as far as sodium goes!

    I definitely avoid fast food, frozen food and things from cans now that I am aware of sodium levels and their importance to me.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Personally, I don't give a s*** how much sodium I take in. There are so much more important things to consider

    True there are more important things...such as child abuse...people starving or freezing to death...whole host of other things.

    For those of us that have high blood pressure...while it might not take precedence over the things that I mentioned...whether you care about your intake...then sodium becomes as much a part of our weight loss and fitness health. High blood pressure can lead to other health issues which can lead to death.

    What is an issue for one might not be for another...

    Oh...one thing to thing about...for the majority of my life I had no blood pressure issues...always where it should be...no need to give a s*** about how much I consumed. Then one day I woke up...and the blood pressure was out of sight...and now stays there. So you might not give a s*** now...doesn't mean that you won't in the future.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    1205 is half the recommended level. Why are you trying to cut sodium?

    That's almost the AHA's recommendation for an entire day. and she posted from one meal.

    OP, if you want to start cutting your sodium intake, look at your daily food and see where you could eliminate or substitute foods to bring down sodium without sacrifcing too much in your macros.

    It usually won't be vegetables. Meat will be high, but losing that will cause you to have to change many things to compensate for the loss of protein which tends to put you over in calories and/or sodium anyway. The exception being you can substitute a meat without added salts for cured or salted meats.

    Most of the substitutions you can make will be dressings and sauces. In the above meal, I would replace the dressing, which was a sodium bomb. Look for one lower insodium or bring your own.

    That is what I do. I look at each food to determine which one contributed to my sodium level. I have already eliminated a few things that I just can't have any more...started looking for lower sodium options.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    1205 is half the recommended level. Why are you trying to cut sodium?

    They recommend for people with certain health issues such as high blood pressure to hold it at or below 1500.
  • tlblood
    tlblood Posts: 473 Member
    Personally, I don't give a s*** how much sodium I take in. There are so much more important things to consider

    I disagree…

    While controlling calories, fat, etc. are paramount in weight loss, too much sodium is terrible for your blood pressure (and makes you retain water).

    I've found that the more foods I can eat that are fresh/unpackaged, the easier time I have controlling my sodium intake. Eating prepackaged foods and eating out the main culprits of high sodium.
  • tlblood
    tlblood Posts: 473 Member
    1205 is half the recommended level. Why are you trying to cut sodium?

    She only told us about the amount of sodium in this one meal. Using half of the daily recommendation in one meal can lead to overdoing it for the whole day.
  • tlblood
    tlblood Posts: 473 Member
    Something I've noticed is that when something is labeled 'light' or 'fat free', it tends to be higher in sodium. I checked out the nutritional info for Arby's and noticed that the 'light' Italian dressing was by far the highest in sodium - others were about 400mg less. By cutting calories and making the product 'light' they lose a lot of flavor and have to add it back in somehow, and loading it full of sodium is an easy way to go about doing so.

    Or I could be way off, who knows?

    So true!

    I stopped eating reduced fat peanut butter for a similar reason! The reduced the fat and added extra sugar, so the calories per serving in regular vs. reduced fat peanut butter are EXACTLY THE SAME.
  • tskvaughn
    tskvaughn Posts: 114 Member

    I definitely avoid fast food, frozen food and things from cans now that I am aware of sodium levels and their importance to me.

    After my husband spent 29 days in the hospital with complications from quadruple bypass surgery (also found out he had type 2 diabetes) we met with a nutritionist. One thing she told us really stuck in my mind, "If you can buy it from your car window, consider it poison."
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Now I want Arby's.. :sad:
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
    Personally, I don't give a s*** how much sodium I take in. There are so much more important things to consider

    I disagree…

    While controlling calories, fat, etc. are paramount in weight loss, too much sodium is terrible for your blood pressure (and makes you retain water).

    I've found that the more foods I can eat that are fresh/unpackaged, the easier time I have controlling my sodium intake. Eating prepackaged foods and eating out the main culprits of high sodium.

    Seems the older you get it the more it makes a diff.

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