Too much sodium!!

monicaP413

Every single day I go way over on my sodium. I don't salt my food (except when I add salt when I cook, but it's minimum) and I find it's almost impossible to go a day without totally blowing it in that area. Mostly, I think, it's from pre-made food or restaurants. I am so blessed that my work pays for lunch out every day and we go out to good restaurants where it's hard to avoid the salt. Any suggestions without making all my meals so bland no one will eat them??!!

mrmarius

i'm in same boat...watching hoping to get some help

AlyssaC2010

Sodium is a lot higher in processed foods (shelves of the grocery store) and in restaurants. If I know I'm going to a restaurant I try to look up calories/fat/salt of the foods and pick the best ones that I would like. If you know you're going to a restaurant, try to get as little sodium as possible in breakfast and snacks. Do you have your food diary available? I could probably help you a little more if you do. Definitely have fruits/veggies for snacks with some sort of protein...hummus or pb to fill you. You could have dressing, but I recommend making it yourself to cut out sodium (olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper...I make it all the time, it's really good).

alazarus

I hear bananas are good for that-- something about the potassium in bananas that helps...? Plus, lots and lots of water, of course!

jenbusick

If the restaurants have nutrition information posted, you can look for lower sodium options.

Sodium is a killer. I've been trying to watch mine, and wow it's tough.

Soups are usually high.

Fruit is usually low.

Beyond that it's tough.

maggieschuck

Im on a low sodium diet. My goal id 1500 mg. Its hard but you get used to making all of your own foods. Al long as you are eating out , you'll never be able to stay under the goal. A 550 cal meal at Applebee's will have over 1500 mg of sodium. Sodium is in every thing with a label.
The main goal to cut back on sodium is earth to mouth. Nothing pre-packaged. My dietitian is helping my swap my foods out for better ones. I still have my days where Im way over but for the most part its good. Always read the label. If the sodium is double the calories per serving then you are pretty safe. 100 cal = 200 mg sodium per serving. Just make sure you get the most bang for your buck. Find items that have a high serving amount with low calories.

Salt substitutes are: basil, savory, ground cumin seed, celery seed, sage, marjoram, lemon thyme.

Good ideas for snacks:
Whole grain oatmeal
Bagel thins
Sandwich thins
Greek yogurt
String cheese
Fruits and veggies
Whole grains and complex carbs
Home made beans and salsa
Quaker Mini Rice Snack (17 rice crisps per serving)
La Tortilla Factory- High Fiber tortilla
Raw nuts or homemade trail mix
Hummus
Homemade soups (no stock or canned broth added)

As you enter foods in your diary make a mental note of thing to not buy again because if the high sodium. Keep trying. This whole food journey takes time. Good luck.

Bridgetc140

Processed foods are FULL of sodium! That's how they preserve everything. Stay away from canned veggies....frozen isn't fresh, but it's still great! Salad dressings are FULL of sodium....watch that also. Even when you think you're innocent....most chicken is injected with sodium...read labels. Go to your local Farmer's Markets....organic tends to have less sodium. Cook from scratch.....it's not that hard and honestly...low fat/low cal/low sodium foods tend to have very few ingredients. Check out Sparkrecipes.com You can choose specific dietary requirements that fit your needs. Flavoring meats with garlic and lime/lemon and even oranges...is heavenly! Think outside the BOX!!! lolol

Bridgetc140

Im on a low sodium diet. My goal id 1500 mg. Its hard but you get used to making all of your own foods. Al long as you are eating out , you'll never be able to stay under the goal. A 550 cal meal at Applebee's will have over 1500 mg of sodium. Sodium is in every thing with a label.
The main goal to cut back on sodium is earth to mouth. Nothing pre-packaged. My dietitian is helping my swap my foods out for better ones. I still have my days where Im way over but for the most part its good. Always read the label. If the sodium is double the calories per serving then you are pretty safe. 100 cal = 200 mg sodium per serving. Just make sure you get the most bang for your buck. Find items that have a high serving amount with low calories.

Salt substitutes are: basil, savory, ground cumin seed, celery seed, sage, marjoram, lemon thyme.

Good ideas for snacks:
Whole grain oatmeal
Bagel thins
Sandwich thins
Greek yogurt
String cheese
Fruits and veggies
Whole grains and complex carbs
Home made beans and salsa
Quaker Mini Rice Snack (17 rice crisps per serving)
La Tortilla Factory- High Fiber tortilla
Raw nuts or homemade trail mix
Hummus
Homemade soups (no stock or canned broth added)

As you enter foods in your diary make a mental note of thing to not buy again because if the high sodium. Keep trying. This whole food journey takes time. Good luck.

Yeah my goal is 1500 also................that's the number that is given to people with heart conditions...why not be preventative??? 2500 to me is extremely HIGH!

Seesaa

yep it is hard
you gotta watch prepackaged stuff.
packaged meats
pay attention to the types of breads you use
look at the cheeses.
anything canned you are pretty much done for.

I have found lower sodium ham by farmland or sara lee
Progresso has lower sodium soups
wonder smart bread tends to be lower in sodium.
steamer veggies are a better options then canned and I get mind from wal mart great value brand
sargento has natural low sodium cheese
Jenni o original turkey burgers are lower in sodium as well.

Other then that fruits and veggies are the way to go. making your own food over frozen dinners are better , but you can plan your day around sodium which is what I've been doing...some days work some days don't. most days are because I've gone out and had to eat out which forget about that. even the "healthy options" are ridiculously high in sodium. 550 cals for a meal can be 1200+ with out appie or dessert or drink.

So just be informed about what you are putting into your body and do your best.

PrairieRoseNE

I'm someone that watches my sodium intake. It's alot of work to read labels, but it is worth the effort. Shopping takes alot longer because I'm constantly reading the labels on everything I put in my cart. When I cook, I find ways to reduce the sodium if possible.

Using fresh ingredients is best. 2nd best is frozen items. Canned food products normally have high levels of sodium. If it's a canned item that can be drained & rinsed - do so! I use my colander/strainer all the time. Be careful of foods that are labeled lo-fat! Many times the lo-fat versions are higher in sodium than their full fat counterparts. Not that a person shouldn't be careful of eating too much fat, but just be sure the trade off is worth the sodium.

Also, even tho' I said frozen products were mostly ok - be sure to watch frozen meat items such as chicken breasts, they are oftentimes injected with a sodium solution. A better idea is to buy fresh chicken breasts from the meat counter.

It's really difficult to watch sodium numbers when one eats out - it's a guessing game, unless the restaurant posts their nutritional information.

I wish you luck!

monicaP413

Thank you all!! That's really helpful. Hopefully my sodium will go down from here!!!

shaunshaikh

If you're going to keep up with your sodium goals on a consistent basis, you have to make a full commitment to it. If you're eating out for lunch every day, to be honest you don't have much wiggle room with the rest of your day in terms of sodium. The breakfasts I typically try to eat are practically sodium free, which really helps. Oats with yogurt mixed in or something like that.