Sodium Lowering Tips

ucaminax

Hi There everyone! I have been noticing that I eat a lot more sodium than I thought I did. For example, I may have a sandwich with mustard, lean sliced turkey and bread, and while low fat and calorie it has lots of soidium. Does anyone have any sodium lowering tips or substitutions? What can I put on bread for a sandwich besides mustard (sodium) and mayonnaise (high calorie and high fat) What other ways do people keep their intake low? Does anyone have any favorite low sodium products?

Kate

Mindful_Trent

I don't have any specific recommendations, but I would definitely suggest you spend a bit of time on your next grocery trip reading labels and looking for low-sodium alternatives after identifying what items are driving you high sodium levels. I had trouble with sodium at first, but was able to find lunchmeat that has almost half the sodium of what I had been using, I use swiss cheese now instead of cheddar, which has less sodium (at least the brand I use), and I had to buy different types of bread & english muffins. I also buy no-salt added foods whenever possible (spices, black beans... all kinds of food). It takes a little more time, but there are lower-sodium versions of many foods, and you'd be surprised at the difference between various brands. In the end, it all adds up, and now I don't usually go over the recommended sodium limit, though I do still have days every now and then.

Good Luck!!

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: stay away from deli meats
:flowerforyou: use spinach and tomato or other veggies on your sandwich instead of mustard and mayo
:flowerforyou: look for alternatives to sandwiches like a vegetable salad with a hard boiled egg

supermomnat

I like mustard instead of mayo, too. I've had to learn to watch the labels more carefully too. A tip that I saw on a popular TV show was to use avacado as a spread. I like the creamy texture and it's a good fat. Another option that my daughter likes is to use a flavored hummus (homemade is best to control the sodium).

ceecee1977

instead of using a taco or fajita seasoning packet (they are the worst with sodium) just add oregano, cumin, and some read pepper to your dish.

Rosebud1956

Its so hard lowering your sodium intake. Seems to me everything you buy is loaded with sodium. So what I do to off set sodium in my diet is use Mrs Dash. I like the soutwest chipolte, it kicks food up to where I do not miss the sodium as much as if I dont use it. Also, I noticed after a while if you have reduced your sodium intake that your taste buds get used to not having it. Good luck.

ucaminax

Thank you everyone for the great, specific tips! I was also thinking today that I could make my own spreads with blended up homemade beans and other ingredients instead of mustard or mayo. WHen you start reading all of the labels, it really makes you aware of how much salt is in everything. And if I am going over my sodium and I'm trying to be health-conscious, I can just imagine how much sodium the average American is getting without even knowing. And I'll bet if you ever salt your food at all, that must automatically throw you over the limit with all of the sodium already in foods.

If anyone else has any tips feel free to post!

Thanks,
Kate

Dianeb412

something I use is tomatoes on my sandwich instead of cheese. Sometimes if you pack on juciy tomatoes- you wont even miss the mustard and mayo. Just try it- it is pretty tasty.
Good Luck

sdirks

Making your own spreads and hummus is a great idea, but watch out--canned beans are packed in sodium-laden water and often contain preservatives (I would know! I'm alergic to several common preservatives). Try to use dry, bagged beans or lentils, which have plenty of flavor and less salt than canned beans. Also, you might try making veggie pate; it sounds like a luxurious treat, contains no animal products, and you can control all of the ingredients. I use veggie pate as a binder in stuffing instead of eggs, or as a breakfast spread on english muffins.

Here's a good one that keeps in the fridge up to a week:
http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/starters_mushroompate.shtml
- I use olive oil in place of butter
- I also use fresh herbs and extra lemon zest, rather than salt
- instead of fatty cream, I use low-sodium chicken or veggie stock thickened with a bit of flour; you could also use skim or soy milk

good luck!

msarro

I am going to echo everyone else - the best way to avoid sodium is to not eat processed foods. Canned goods, frozen meals, etc.