Any tips for reducing sodium intake?

nixism

I'm often over my sodium and I'd like some tips to help reduce it... anyone have any words of wisdom for me?

YoungDoc2B

Do you eat alot of packaged foods (TV dinners, canned soups,etc)?

ETA: I just checked your diary. It seems like you're eating alot of bacon. Some days you're getting upwards of 900mg from those couple of strips alone. I'd say to either replace that bacon with a lower sodium option, or choose a different protein option.

tessa175

do you cook your own foods?
If you do cook, look for lower sodium ingredients,(canned tomatoes were a huge one for me) try cutting the actual salt out of recipes, or at least minimize it. Plan ahead with your meals, if you know that a certain recipe is going to have an extreme amount of sodium, try eating something very low in your other meals for the day.
If you eat out more often, try and find the nutritional information for your restaraunt and see what options you can choose that will enable you to still eat the foods you enjoy.

nixism

I do most foods from scratch and don't add salt when I am cooking usually.
I eat a little ham or bacon - which is high in sodium some days per week, but not all the time.
I use packaged dressings, but only sometimes...
I try to keep low in my packaged foods as best as possible.

nadinab

I think your problem is the protein that you eat - you need to reduce the bacon and ham and look at seafood, lean pork / beeg and chicken. Meat that comes in a package (i.e. bacon or smoke chicken) is loaded with sodium. Hope that helps!

YoungDoc2B

I do most foods from scratch and don't add salt when I am cooking usually.
I eat a little ham or bacon - which is high in sodium some days per week, but not all the time.
I use packaged dressings, but only sometimes...
I try to keep low in my packaged foods as best as possible.

In the past week, you've consumed ham/bacon 5 out of 7 days...that's more than "some days" a week. Try having more lean chicken breast or fish, those are generally low in sodium and can easily satisfy your protein needs.

SPHmypal

Several, as a matter of fact. I am a heart patient & have learned to always buy lw or no sodium. If it is canned I always go for the low sodium. I use mrs dash in all my cooking. They have several favors. If you must use sea salt & reduce your normal down to 1/4. Be careful to read fat grams. Sometimes lower sodium raises other things . I've learned to drink smart balance heart right fat free milk and omega-3's & natural plant sterols. It's a little high but I have to really watch my salt. I don't want another heart attack. I drink 3 servings a day. Send me an email & I'll make you one of my diet buddies. Believe it or not I weighed almost 150 back in April when I had my attack. I completely gave up almost all my sodium, including cokes pepsies, all of them. Iam now 110 & still losing. I now will have 1 or 2, no more, per week. I rely on my water, tea & coffee.:flowerforyou:

pt85

Reduce sodium intake...

JESSJESJ

Also try oscar mayer low sodium bacon. I can't tell a difference between that and regular bacon and it would help with your salt intake if you are as someone mentioned eating bacon 5-7 times a week. also, deli meats are loaded with it. try roasting your own chicken, roast beef or turkey at home instead.