Sodium-what should I aim for?

lmgroszek

Here I am thinking I'm eating so healthy today because I'm having low calorie soup for lunch only to look on these forums and see this whole discussion about sodium. I look at the can and it's got 690mg of sodium. So I'm wondering what's good and what's not so good?

PrairieRoseNE

2500 mg per day is the top number - you shouldn't go over that per day. I'm on a low sodium diet and I try to stay 1200mg or below. For one item - 690 mg is alot of sodium. Alot of canned products are high in sodium - as well as pre-pkg'd foods and those frozen entrees. Reading labels is very important if you want to decrease your sodium, because foods you wouldn't suspect as "salty" foods usually have more sodium than you'd expect. Boxes of cake mix, instant puddings, hamburger helper, etc.....

A diet high in sodium will affect your weight loss, because too much sodium can cause water retention. Drinking lots of water is very important - helps flush out the excess sodium. If you have any sort of heart or kidney problems, a low sodium diet will help.

I find by following a lower sodium diet - I eat better, healthier foods. More fruits & veggies & "clean" foods.

Good luck - and if you have any questions - feel free to send me a message

~~Prairie Rose

cydonian

MFP has a setting for sodium which is the recommended limit for average people. I tend to stay at least 500 under that (I believe MFP sets it to 2500). If you're drinking a lot of water and not eating a ton of junk and fast food, one soup at 690mg isn't going to kill you. But I would definitely swing for a more natural option, or one with lower sodium. Check the labels. It's key when dieting.