Need advice on reducing sodium

marybsalmon

I'm amazed at how much sodium is in food! It seems I'm constantly going over my limit every day. I've started buying low or no sodium when I can find it, but it's every where! Any advice on how to keep it down?

Pebble321

Avoid processed foods/cereals/snacks/sauces/dressings - cook your own meals so you can control how much sodium is going in there.
Limit cheese, or look for lower sodium versions. Avoid processed meats (ham, bacon, turkey), cook your own meat.
If you track all your food you will be able to go to a few days worth of your diary and it will soon be obvious where the sodium is coming from. As an example, if you always have bacon for breakfast you could drop that and your sodium will go down immediately.

Edited to add: I just looked at your diary and you could bring your sodium down for Thursday by buying a different kind of bread and using frozen or fresh veggies instead of canned for dinner.

lstnlondry

it's as if you just read my food diary and then my thoughts! Anyway, I will be watching your responses to your post!

dawnrenee567

Avoid processed foods, and a lot of low fat foods. To add up for the fat they take out, they add sodium and other chemicals for extra 'flavor'.

veggies; frozen or fresh.. the canned have so much extra salt (plus the others just taste better).

leomom72

start eating almonds or carrots in between meals..home make your own food, that way you can control sodium, read labels..best of luck

4KidFather

Like Rubybelle said.
Avoid processed food - salt is used as a preservative in meat, canned, boxed products.
Then you'll be back to normal.

cheddarboy

I'm in the same boat, just started tracking sodium. For me it's definately the deli meats and most of the canned soup thats very high.

delilah514

I agree with RubyBelle. It is the process food that gets you. Stay away from canned anything as that is full of sodium. Prepare everything your self from scratch when ever possible to control the sodium. I for one don't add it when ever I am cooking and a recipe calls for it. Fresh veggies, fruit and meats contain only trace amounts of sodium and are always good when you are watching what you eat anyway so that is the first place to start. If you eat nuts, buy unsalted ones. Its pretty simple to lower your sodium once you start paying attention to the labels when you are out grocery shopping.

LorinaLynn

You'd save a TON of sodium with fresh or frozen veggies.

As a rule of thumb, when shopping, I avoid any products where the sodium is more than double the calorie count. Ideally, I'd like the sodium to be about the same as the calories, since I eat about 1500-1800 cals a day.

ltlhmom

Eat fresh produce when ever possible, consider growing a garden might be to late this year but you could hit the farmers market or farm stands. Google farmers market in your state and you should find a listing of where they are in your area. You could consider canning veggies to control salt too. I also tend to buy frozen veggies instead of canned if I don't get fresh. Push your water on days you have a high intake sodium.

HotMamaByVday

Avoid processed foods/cereals/snacks/sauces/dressings - cook your own meals so you can control how much sodium is going in there.
Limit cheese, or look for lower sodium versions. Avoid processed meats (ham, bacon, turkey), cook your own meat.
If you track all your food you will be able to go to a few days worth of your diary and it will soon be obvious where the sodium is coming from. As an example, if you always have bacon for breakfast you could drop that and your sodium will go down immediately.

Edited to add: I just looked at your diary and you could bring your sodium down for Thursday by buying a different kind of bread and using frozen or fresh veggies instead of canned for dinner.

Ditto

maggieschuck

Ive been doing 1500 mg of sodium for about 6 months. The idea is that you make every thing homemade or buy fresh. Make your own soup, beans, hummus and salsa. For me the biggest culprit was lunch meat, crackers, soups, precessed salsa, dressings and frozen dinner (Smart Ones). I make one big batch of salsa and beans every week. If I cook meat then I cook dbl so I have some left over. Use Mrs. Dash - Salt Free for seasonings.

Things that i found to have low sodium per serving:
Fiber One Bars
Slow cook oats
Fresh Peanut butter from Whole Foods
Sugar Free Smuckers- Preserves
Salt Free Rice Cakes
Raw nuts
All fresh veggies and fruits
Special K - bars and crackers chips
Quaker Rice - minis
Trail Mix
Granola
La Tortilla Factory - High fiber tortilla
Bagel thins or sandwich thins
Greek Yogurt - Plain non fat

Try to limit your self to one bread item a day, one cracker serving, and one fresh/ homemade complex carb. Best of luck.

CRody44

I was just placed on a low sodium (less than 2000 mg/day) diet last week. I have been under five of the 9 days that I have been on it. Yesterday, I had 283 mg and today 760mg. Saturday at the county fair, I had a smoked turkey leg and ended up with 5497 mg. I have noticed that the days I went over were when we went out to dinner. The days I cooked, I was under. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies to fill me up, so I don’t eat food with a lot of sodium in them. Also, I shop at Farmers Markets for fruits and veggies, and Costco for bulk meats. I no longer buy packaged foods at the grocery store. I add no sodium when I cook. If my wife and son want salt, they can add their own. I think my food diary is public if you would like to see how I do it.