SODIUM UGH!

PoeRaven8991

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

the_dude00

Personally, I don't give a s*** how much sodium I take in. There are so much more important things to consider

MoreBean13

Try increasing your dietary potassium.

ElizaB84

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

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

i just drink enough water and dont mind my sodium intake lol

PoeRaven8991

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.

Strongandhealthy1234

I agree that's why I eat home made food to decrease sodium intake, I eat out once a week.

acogg

1205 is half the recommended level. Why are you trying to cut sodium?

PoeRaven8991

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

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

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

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

Wow the dressing sodium is higher than the sandwich

bloggymomx

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.