Calories and sodium: the paradox

heartpdx

Since I am trying to get heart healthy, I am keeping a trained eye on my sodium intake and aiming for the American Heart Association recommendation of 1,500 mgs/day. However, this is putting me in a bit of a pickle...because I can't quite figure out what I can eat that is calorie rich but low in sodium.

This is especially true for days I work out. By trying to keep my sodium intake low (ie cutting back on carbs, prepared foods, non fruits and veg) I inadvertently end up at the end of the day in "starvation mode."

Any recommendations?

ShelleyBowman

I too would love some input on this!

GooBeGone

i wish i could help it's gotten 2 the point that i don't even have the sodium up there anymore. altho i normally stay under 2500/daily.

so any input would help me as well. :flowerforyou:

Black_Swan

Goat cheese?:D Works for me...

Mindful_Trent

There are plenty of calorie-rich, healthy foods that are low in sodium:

Beans - either prepared at home, or if you don't want to take the time to do that, buy no-salt-added canned beans (all the grocery stores in my area carry these).

Non (or minimally) processed carbs like quinoa, barley, wild rice, steel-cut or traditional oats, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.

Nuts & Nut Butters (I buy peanut butter with one ingredient: peanuts! It has no sodium. Make sure you read labels and only buy unsalted nuts & nut butters)

Avocado

Oils (olive, coconut, etc. - I cook with them)

Dark Chocolate (My "treat" of choice!)

Atlantique

Lean meats
Unsalted nuts
Natural nut butters
Oatmeal
Brown rice
Fish

I just went back through my diary for a few days and looked for lower sodium foods.

Mindful_Trent

Goat cheese?:D Works for me...

Unfortunately most dairy (especially cheese) is actually pretty high in sodium... but if the rest of your diet is lower in sodium, you should be able to afford some higher-sodium items like cheese. :happy:

heartpdx

awesome. i do the oats in the morning, but i totally didn't think about potatoes and dark chocolate.

any other suggetsions would rock. this one has been a stumper this week.

ShellyMacchi

feel free to have a look at my diary if you wish (it's public) i am usually under (sometimes well under *S*) 1500 (that is my max goal as well).

i have found best approach for me is i don't add salt when cooking, i rarely use processed or pre-seasoned foods (cooking from scratch) and i shop VERY carefully to find 'no salt added' canned produce like broths, tomatoes beans etc etc.

edited to add:
i have found that for me personally, i can use bragg's apple cider vinegar as a replacement for salt as a seasoning.... plus it's good for me! *S*

kelika71

I don't really worry about sodium anymore except for weekends when I go to restaurants. Those are the killers!!

At home, I can keep it as low as I want buying fresh, first...frozen, second...canned, last. Now, they are coming out with no sodium added canned items. Still, I rinse them, that's just me.

Here are some sites I use to get recipes that are low/no sodium:

http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/Archive.htm
http://www.myrecipes.com/low-sodium-recipes/
http://www.chfpatients.com/rec/rec0.htm
http://www.megaheart.com/kit_recipes_index.html

There are recipes for condiments to desserts in those links.
I also just purchased "The New American Heart Association Cookbook" over the weekend. If there's something specific you need, I'm more than happy to share. No need for everyone to shell out 35 bucks! haha

Raynamama

Great info thanks for posting
Bump!

tiffnday

:happy: One large egg cal 70 sodium 65mg
Munster cheese cal 70 sodium 130 mg

These two are my favorties

hellen72

I am always way under on sodium
Bananas are great, lots of goodness and lots of carbs
I have a meal of bananas ...
2 bananas, sometimes mango
1 scoop protein powder
400 ml water
Whizz up in blender
300 cal v filling yummy meal and easy to make
I thought I wouldn't feel I had eaten if I drank my meal but this is v filling and if made with frozen bananas v thick

neyes67

Thanks for asking this magical question as it has also been on my mind as of late ...very difficult to eat back my calories when I don't gain any extra sodium alottment for working out. I try to plan my meals ahead of time no more than 1100 mg of sodium and allow room for extra sodium after I workout... my goal has been 1200 - 1300 for sodium (no more than 1500) per day ...it makes a world of difference along with increasing my water consumption.

Wayne_LV

I retain water and sodium intake is a real problem for me as well. It is nearly impossible to stay out of starvation mode and keep sodium intake at 1500 mg daily. I keep running averages of calories and sodium intake in an Excel spreadsheet where I also track daily weight and weekly vital statistics. Since 01-01-11, I have averaged 1749 mg of sodium daily with an average of 1265 calories. Even at 1700+ mg sodium I do not seem to retain fluids. But, I am on a diuretic and using diuretics for the purpose of wieght loss is definitely not recommended. I take prescription diuretics to prevent swelling of my feet and ankles from poor circulation. As I lose weight my circulation seems to improve and I hope at my goal weight the diuretics will no longer be necessary.

For all the bad rap that beef gets, it is low in sodium and not that bad on calories. I slow cook a cheap chuck roast every couple weeks and am able to get some really good meals from it:

Amount Item Calories Sodium Remarks
4 oz roast beef 193 59
1/3 cup Heinz Brown Gravy 30 390
1/2 cup Uncle Ben's Rice 85 0
1/2 cup Del Monte's Corn 60 10 (no salt added)
TOTALS 368 459

You can substitute a couple pcs of Wonder light bread for the rice for open face sandwich. Also 3 oz of roast beef is usually plenty filling. The gravy can be left off for a drastic reduction in sodium but is a sacrafice in taste.

I also eat a lot of Lean Cuisine frozen meals. They are low in calories and usually reasonable in sodium. The portions are small by most standards but plenty filling after the old tummy shrinks. I find them to be the best tasting of all of the "low calorie" frozen meals and I have tried them all.

For snacks I usually eat a fruit cup consisting of 10 seedless grapes, 3 medium strawberries, and a spear of pineapple.
That comes to 79 calories and 1 mg of sodium. For more calories, eat more fruit.

If I am running over on sodium I will some days have a Slimfast shake at 180 calories and 200 mg of sodium instead of a meal.

If eating out, stay away from high sodium meals, such as Applebee's which has a 500 calorie menu and most of the entrees are over 3000 mg of sodium. Again beef is the standby. A small steak with no toppings, a half a baked potato, and a veggie with no bread or dessert usually fits in my menu.

I would also advise you to keep a running log with averages for calories and sodium. Losing weight and maintaining healthy intakes of sodium is a game of averages. You may go over on some days and under on others as long as you maintain the averages within your goals. For me, at least, 1500 mg of sodium is an unrealistic goal but I have found 1750 to be attainable over the long run.

I have been on MyFitnessPal for only a few weeks but have been dieting (actually not a diet but a compete change of eating habits) since Aug 1, 2010. So far I have lost an average of 2.3 lbs per week or 75 lbs. I hope to hit my goal of 170 lbs by the end of 2011. After that I expect to forever track calorie intake, exercise, and sodium intake and weigh daily to assure I never gain back the weight.

As is said, I am not on a diet, but will forever be a weight watcher.

Hope this is of some help.

Wayne

heartpdx

Thanks so much everyone, this has been a really helpful convo (and to know I am not alone).

Wayne, that is really terrific information and helpful to know that hitting somewhere around 1700 has worked for you. I never eat at Applebee's (I live in an urban area with lots of other, local options) but egads, that is a scary fact about their low cal meals! Yikes!

It would be helpful if MFP had a net on sodium, like calories, so it accounted for sodium lost during working out...but I think taking a proactive approach myself (like Wayne) is probably the best solution.

For those of you who manage to go consistently under 1500mg, hats off to you! Even with cutting frozen and prepared meals, I have found it difficult...but I am also just beginning my journey so I hope it will get easier. I have added bananas to the diet....and last night tried out a banana tofu vanilla soy smoothie that helped me stay above starvation.

If anyone else wants to join me on this sodium v calories journey/balance, please feel to friend me. I am friendly