how to avoid/limit sodium

wsheri44

i have been using the nutrition tracker this week and can already see that my sodium intake is - WOW - way too high,
i then started looking at the sodium content of the foods i have been eating because of the low calorie and hi protein
content. i am shocked at how much sodium is in a chicken finger !
oooh i have some work to do on what i eat to lower sodium.
any suggestions ?

CraftyGirl4

One of the biggest things for sodium is processed foods like those chicken fingers you were talking about. Try cooking for yourself more and eating less processed food, and you'll end up with lower sodium.

Other tips:
- Always buy "no salt added" canned foods when possible. When not possible, buy "low sodium" or "reduced sodium" and rinse the crap out of them under running water to reduce sodium content.

- If you're going to have something you clearly know is high in sodium, try to make sure the rest of your day is low in sodium so things balance out. For instance, if you're craving salty fries or salty chips, eat them and enjoy a treat, but eat naturally low sodium foods throughout the rest of the day like fresh fruits and vegetables.

TTHdred

My blood pressure forces me to have lower than normal sodium intake. What works best for me is to avoid anything that comes in a can or frozen. Those will always be high. Also, I try to limit eating out. If you do eat out, try foods that seem fresh and put any sauce on the side. Typically saucey things are culprits. You can enjoy some of the same foods as long as you make it yourself. For example, making your own chicken tenders…say on a Sunday then freezing them for the week. Keep reading those labels and try to get things that say low sodium or reduced sodium

Dornroschen

CONGRATULATIONS! Your journey on MFP has already inspired you to start checking the labels of foods! This is an amazing thing as if you're anything like me, I used to ignore everything except calories because I just didn't want to know the truth!

Some things I've changed to assist with sodium intake since I retain water like a freaking camel:

1) I make my own spaghetti and pizza sauce now because my life would not be complete without a pasta and/or pizza meal at least once per week.

2) As another poster mentioned, I buy "no salt added" or "low sodium" canned foods when making turkey chili (cut the sodium from 2800mg per serving to a much more manageable 500mg per serving), pasta sauces, etc.

Good luck!

leftymac

Lunch meats and cheeses are notoriously high in sodium, which stinks!

I recently found low-sodium canned tuna and that made me very excited. Only 35mg of sodium for a serving!

kr3851

I'm also trying to reduce my sodium - prepackaged food is rife with it!! My new best friend is my George Foreman grill - makes everything fast and easy. It sucks that the lower calorie frozen stuff is so packed with it (I'm guessing they use the salt for flavour because they've taken out fat...) but I suppose we are learning to prepare healthy food for ourselves if we refuse to buy the stuff.

bobbybdoe

Don't eat most canned or pre-packaged foods and lay off the microwave dinners.

Skeith5

It's already been said, but the trick is reducing the number of processed foods that you eat. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and food you cook yourself without adding salt.

Scott

dsak

As others have said.... processed foods are definitely loaded with sodium. Try to avoid them as much as possible. I know it's sometimes hard, but... eating less processed food is the way to go on your "healthy journey". Lunch meats, cheeses, frozen dinners, canned foods, etc.... all loaded with sodium. More fresh fruits and veggies will help!

Good luck!

MayMaydoesntrun

All the above AND DRINK YOUR WATER! It will help flush it out. Keep in mind, we do need sodium to survive..it is an electrolyte that is necessary for our heart to work properly but too much is easily ingested. Good luck with your journey!!

magpie87

Like CraftyGirl4, I try to buy no salt added or low/reduced sodium foods as well. Also, I use Ms. Dash seasons and marinade on some of what I cook. Both items have no salt but are still delicious, and there are several different flavors of seasons and a couple of marinades. I have high blood pressure so I have to eat a low sodium diet. If I am craving something salty, I try to hold out as long as I can, but I will indulge in a small serving of popcorn...it does the trick! Good Luck!

woja9640

I agree with everything everyone is saying. Buy "no" to "low" sodium and cook for yourself.

When cooking homemade mexican - season the meat yourself with chili powder, cilantro, cayenne pepper and cumin, then add in chopped red onion and chili peppers if you like more heat. I find that helps reduce the sodium instead of using the premade seaonsing packets which are PACKED with 1500 mg of sodium per package or about 550 mg per serving.

Haven't tried making homemade pizza or pasta sauce before may have to try that sometime.

fitby2012

Cooking your own food limits sodium like nobody's business. If you planning to eat out, ask for fries/potatoes with no salt, or request that your meat is prepared with herbs and lemon.

MinnieInMaine

Quick clarification re: frozen foods. Yes, a lot of the ones that are meals or meats can be high in sodium but your frozen veggies are actually going to be a better choice than canned. Also, a lot of times frozen veggies (and fruits) are cheaper than fresh depending on the brand. Just didn't want you to totally discount everything frozen...

As for everything else, take some time in the grocery store. If you're like me, a couple of prepared side dishes are necessary for my sanity but if you're going to get something like say rice pilaf, check all the brands and get the one with the lowest sodium.

Be careful of anything marked reduced or low sodium - they might be lower than the original version but they could still be higher than another brand. Use those nutritional labels to your advantage!

Good luck...

SirBen81

Sodium isnt necessarily salty stuff, it comes in many forms/flavors. It is often used as a flavor enhancer, and meals made for dieters (such as Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, flavored whey protein, etc) are often culprits for sneaking sodium in their meals in order to better the taste of flavorless food.

Using your nutrition tracker make a list of the top several things you eat that contain the most sodium, and the next time your in the grocery store see if there is a low sodium alternative, or something else entirely you could swap it for.

Also, find a low sodium sauce that taste good on just about anything (For me this is McCormick's Fat Free Lemon Butter Dill Seafood Sauce). Use this sauce to add flavor to your meals instead of salty seasoning. For instance, I eat tilapia twice a day, and I always used to have it blackened with lots of seasoning, but after looking at my sodium intake I found that it was way too high mainly do to the blackening seasoning. So instead I serve the tilapia without seasoning and I use the sauce instead. Cut my intake in half.

Dornroschen

Haven't tried making homemade pizza or pasta sauce before may have to try that sometime.

It's kind of time consuming (it takes about 2.5 hours to boil tomatoes and get everything cut up and reduced enough).

Here's how I do it, but I'm still experimenting to see if I can get it how I like it:

16 roma tomatoes or combination of types - boiled, skins removed, deseeded and pureed
4 roma tomatoes or combination of types - boiled, skins removed, deseeded and diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp minced garlic (more or less, depending on your love of garlic)
1 carrot, diced
1 large pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Burgundy wine, optional
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste, no sodium added (hunt's brand)

1. In a large pot, melt the butter and oil in a pan and add garlic, onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in pureed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, italian seasoning, basil, wine, and stir.
3. Place celery and bay leaf in pot, bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for two hours or until desired consistency.
4. Add tomato paste and simmer for a bit longer, depending on desired consistency.

This has about 225 calories per fairly large serving (maybe more than a cup), depending on if you use wine or not. You will need to play around with the spices and so forth - I don't really measure anything. It has 107mg of sodium, compared to 440mg for half the serving size of Ragu Old World Style pasta sauce.

EDIT: I forgot to mention in the recipe that you should take the bay leaf and celery stalks out of the sauce before adding the tomato paste!

Cam_

Haven't tried making homemade pizza or pasta sauce before may have to try that sometime.

It's kind of time consuming (it takes about 2.5 hours to boil tomatoes and get everything cut up and reduced enough).

Here's how I do it...

Nice. Will have to give it a try. Also, you can substitute grape juice for the wine and you get close to the same flavour. (That's what I do since I gave up the hooch.)

Dornroschen

Haven't tried making homemade pizza or pasta sauce before may have to try that sometime.

It's kind of time consuming (it takes about 2.5 hours to boil tomatoes and get everything cut up and reduced enough).

Here's how I do it...

Nice. Will have to give it a try. Also, you can substitute grape juice for the wine and you get close to the same flavour. (That's what I do since I gave up the hooch.)

OOOOO! Thanks for the suggestion!