Sodium, Sodium, Sodium!!!

mikeandfox

How in the world do you manage to control your sodium intake? I'm driving myself crazy trying to find food and recipes that are below "horse-killing" levels of sodium.

What do you eat?
What do you cook?

woman1961

look at the sodium intake before u prepare something that way ull know how much ur getting

Captain_Tightpants

Yeah it's a helluva time getting it down. The key is homemade homemade homemade. Every time you eat something from a box, packet, tin or restaurant you're pretty much guaranteed to go over.

Look at my diary for today - about 1500mg over my goal of 2000. But then look what did it - the subway. If I'd have made that same sandwich at home, including making the bread myself... I'd have probably been able to get much closer.

The way I see it I'm eating about half the sodium I was and just gradually working towards wiping processed foods out of my diet altogether. I just couldn't do it all at once, I think I'd burn myself out.

Kanzaki3

Always drain canned food to remove some of that excess, unwanted sodium.

chrisdavey

eat more potassium
drink more water

1996gtstang

i'm waay over every day

JamesThiel

Jeeeeezus, me too! I've never added salt to any of my food yet daily just by using canned products I'm over...freakin maddening

url=http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker][/url]
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

hklaquadra

I almost never reach my sodium limit for the day, usually way under. I think the biggest thing is that I very rarely will use boxed mixes or bottled dressings, don't eat much in the way of canned goods, cook mostly everything fresh from raw ingredients. Cold cuts, especially ham, are terrible with sodium. Sneaky places for sodium...soda, beer...so READ READ READ LABELS!!

brandiuntz

I stay below 2500, and usually below 2000 a day. Home cooking is important. I use fresh or frozen veggies, not canned. If I buy canned soup or beans, I look for light sodium versions.

I don't buy processed meat (lunch or deli meat). Instead, I cook up chicken/turkey/pork, using Mrs. Dash or other non-salt seasonings. I never add salt unless I'm baking something that actually needs it.

Reading labels makes a huge difference. Even something like mustard...some brands have plenty of unneeded sodium per serving.

Awkward30

I'm under in sodium, but probably only because I switched out my sodium for tons of sugar today!

The biggest change that helped my sodium was to buy deli cut meat and freeze it in sandwich portions for my lunches.

kendf60

The American heart association's web site has some good ideas, check it out.

Kalynx

My heart dr told me for a few years "nothing out of a can, nothing frozen, no fast food" ...wish I had listened to him sooner!!

It is do-able though, I started on MFP Feb 4th and have been under 2000 minus three days when I was barely over!! If I can do it anyone can!!!

I pack a food bag for work every day with breakfast, lunch and snacks and try to make most of my own meals. Fresh protien and fruit and veggies, and I'm very choosy on what processed food I use. Have also switched to sea salt as it helps aid digestion and not full of fake stuff like table salt. Unsalted real butter. Lightly salted nuts. Anything canned gets rinsed and I only buy low sodium canned products.

chrisdavey

Sodium is a required nutrient so having too little is just as bad as not having enough. Here is a list of potassium rich foods to counteract you're sodium intake:

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php

fj211

I have the same problem. We took our son our for lunch today to celebrate his piano performance and I had an under 550 cal entree from Applebys that eclipsed by daily total by 1000 in and of itself. It's hard but most days I can keep it near or under my limit now that I've started watching it.

theprettyone1010

i looked at your diary:

stop eating subway.
eat more fruit, it doesn't have sodium.
frozen vegetables have lower sodium than canned.
check the label on chicken breast before you buy. Farm Fresh and Jewel and Whole Foods chicken breast are much lower in sodium than the brand you're currently using.
eat a different type of cereal. cheerios, frosted shredded wheat, or something else you like. the "toasted rice cereal" is unbelievably higher in sodium than any cereal I've ever seen.

JMVice

BirdsEye Streamfresh has a couple of really good brown and wild rice veggie mixes. There is no sauce and VERY little sodium. I usually take one for dinner at work and add a pouch of low sodium tuna. For a little added flavor try a Mrs. Dash with it.

StrawberrySt

I believe it's unrealistic to not buy packaged foods so I just make sure I buy 'low-sodium' everything!

I never add salt to food either. Homemade and fresh food is of course best as you can control your food. When I'm making things at home, I still used packaged ingredients but I sometimes halve sauces and add more water to lower sodium intake.

Mardill

Another good site is mayoclinic.com

1 tsp of table salt is 2,325 mg sodium. 1 Tbsp soy sauce = 1,000 mg.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans - limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day, or 1,500 mg if you are 51 or older, or if you are black, or have high B/P, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Keep in mind that these are upper limits & less is usually best.

The American Heart Association - adults who are healthy should have no more than 2,300 mg sodium.

Your body needs some sodium to function properly because ti helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body; helps transmit nerve impulses & influences the contraction & relaxation of muscles (including heart).

1. Cut down on salt gradually so you adjust to flavor.
2. Don't add salt to water that you steam or cook with.
3. Remove salt shaker from table.
4. Use seasonings & spices for flavor, checking label that they have no sodium.
5. Read all labels for sodium levels on nutrition info list - even if it says lower sodium, light sodium, etc., because they still might be over your goal.
6. You will find that some foods are ridiculously high in sodium - cheese, soup, pizza, deli meats, condiments.
7. Be aware that packaged foods that are low fat or fat-free might be very high in sodium to make up for flavor loss.
8. MSG, baking soda, etc are types of sodium.
9. Before eating out at a restaurant, check their menu online. Some have nutrient info available. If not available, find out what similar foods are, by searching on-line. Try to pre plan selections so you are in control when eating out.
10. Experiment with recipes.

lisa28115

uguguguguguughghghg!!!!

i can't do it!!!

i am addicted to salt
i used to lick the salt shaker when i was a child:embarassed:

the adults in my family kept telling me it would dry up my blood...lol:bigsmile:

Kalynx

the adults in my family kept telling me it would dry up my blood...lol:bigsmile:

lol

this made sense to me...

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/How-Salt-Contributes-to-High-Blood-Pressure-Video

chrisdavey

Does anyone here exercise?

http://www.healthcastle.com/sports_nutrition_sodium.shtml

The RDI's are a bit too black and white. The sodium needs of a couch potato are going to vary a lot compared to someone who is exercising regularly.

millikenhomeschool

While making my son's lunch, I ate one slice of deli turkey. All I can taste 10 minutes later is salt!! Definitely staying away from coldcuts is a good idea to lower sodium.

mrsdizzyd84

Here is what works for me:

1. PLAN YOUR ENTIRE DAY BEFORE YOU EAT ANYTHING. This way you can tweak your food decisions to stay at or near your goal.

2. ALWAYS CHECK THE NUTRITION FACTS! Salt hides in some of the oddest places, so you have to check everything, even those items that don't taste salty or that you wouldn't think would contain much salt. Meat is the perfect example. Many packaged meats in the stores are injected with salt brine. I saw a whole chicken that had 700mg of sodium per 3 oz. and that's before you even get to season the damn thing!

3.Cook with whole foods and from scratch as often as possible. The minute a boxed, canned, or highly processed food enter's the picture you are screwed. They use SO MUCH SALT!

4. If you must buy processed foods look for low or no salt added versions. TIP: the package doesn't always say "low sodium" on it, so shop around. The "reduced sodium" black beans still have 3-4 times the sodium of some of the organic canned beans. "Low sodium" chicken broth can be even worse. Some of those that are labeled "low sodium" still have 500mg of sodium per cup!!

5. When cooking from a recipe reduce or remove the "salt to taste". Unless you are baking a dessert, you can often times live without the salt.

6. When you want to salt something season with a spice blend rather than straight salt. You can significantly cut your sodium levels this way. For instance, Garlic Salt has under 300mg per 1/4 tsp versus the almost 500 mg per 1/4 tsp of Kosher salt or almost 600 mg per 1/4 tsp of table salt.

mrsdizzyd84

Does anyone here exercise?

http://www.healthcastle.com/sports_nutrition_sodium.shtml

The RDI's are a bit too black and white. The sodium needs of a couch potato are going to vary a lot compared to someone who is exercising regularly.

I think it's pretty safe to say that most of us are not exercising for 3+ hours a day. I exercise anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour a day, and I keep my Salt to 2,000mg a day. That's plenty enough salt. The sad truth is that many of us eat 5,000, 6,000, 10,000 mg of sodium a day without even realizing it. Unless you are doing a triathlon, that amount of salt can do some serious damage to your body over time.

angela828

check labels, always. fruits and veggies are your best friend. overly processed foods will contain lots of sodium so try to stay away from them as much as you can. some brands offer low-sodium or unsalted options (cambells soup for instance). fast food, even Subway, can contain LOTS of sodium. even a diet coke, while 0 calories, can contain sodium. reading labels is one of my greatest tools in weight loss!

Matt_Wild

Salt is nowhere as bad as made out UNLESS you have a blood pressure condition. I wouldn't worry too much.

Wilson336

The biggest thing that gets me (and many people) is canned foods from stores, especially soups. For me, I often grab a Progresso soup and put it in my lunch bag. It's great in terms of calories and filling you up, but all the "stuff" that gives canned soups shelf life and flavor are also high in sodium.

rml_16

How in the world do you manage to control your sodium intake? I'm driving myself crazy trying to find food and recipes that are below "horse-killing" levels of sodium.

What do you eat?
What do you cook?

I don't add salt to almost anything. I cook at home using fresh, whole ingredients. Even on days I allow a more high-sodium treat, I rarely go above 1,500 mg. It isn't that difficult if you don't eat a lot of prepackaged or processed foods and you don't eat in restaurants a lot.

rml_16

Salt is nowhere as bad as made out UNLESS you have a blood pressure condition. I wouldn't worry too much.

And also this. :-)

But if you're worried about it, see my previous post.

Emancipated_Tai

Eat foods with less preservatives.

LauraRose03

eat more potassium
drink more water

This is my advice as well!!!