Need ideas to reduce sodium

lifewithme2

I do great on everything except for high sodium. I'm having 2 oz of ham tonight so my mother in law said to rinse it off before I cook it.

Gallowmere1984

Sodium can be a pain in the *kitten* to keep down, especially when dealing with foods that typically have a bunch of salt involved. My biggest problems were always beef jerky and nuts. The rinsing off is the best idea I could come up with. While it definitely got rid of the salty taste that I hated anyway, I couldn't really give you a real answer for what it dropped the sodium content to.

cajuntank

With processed and cured meats, I tend to par-boil (if applicable) first to reduce the salt in them. Think of it as a forced equilibrium for water that's inside and outside the meat. I only do it for a minute or two as my goal is not to "cook" the meat, but to get more salt out than a simple rinse could do. Of course, eating out is one of the toughest challenges when it comes to watching sodium.

Firefox7275

I do great on everything except for high sodium. I'm having 2 oz of ham tonight so my mother in law said to rinse it off before I cook it.

Stop eating processed meats and ready made foods, rinsing it will only remove the surface salt: consider fresh raw pork instead of ham. Lose or reduce bacon, ham, deli meats, salty cheeses, pizza, canned soups, breakfast cereals, breads, ready made sauces. No offense but if your sodium is high usually you are not doing that great elsewhere in your diet because the most salt tends to be found in highly processed products containing added sugar or refined carbs, low in fibre or other nutrients.

melsinct

I do great on everything except for high sodium. I'm having 2 oz of ham tonight so my mother in law said to rinse it off before I cook it.

Stop eating processed meats and ready made foods, rinsing it will only remove the surface salt: consider fresh raw pork instead of ham. Lose or reduce bacon, ham, deli meats, salty cheeses, pizza, canned soups, breakfast cereals, breads, ready made sauces. No offense but if your sodium is high usually you are not doing that great elsewhere in your diet because the most salt tends to be found in highly processed products containing added sugar or refined carbs, low in fibre or other nutrients.

I agree. If you incorporate more whole foods, like fresh meats (NOT cured stuff like deli meat, bacon, ham), frozen or fresh vegetables, rice that you cooked yourself (not boxed/flavored stuff), etc. it is easy to keep your sodium in check. While you don't have to give up all of the salty cured meats and boxed/packaged foods that you love, you need to eat them in moderation if you want to keep your sodium down.

Gwilson939

I cannot give advice on the ham but to cut your salt elsewhere without sacrificing flavor, I use Mrs. Dash. NO sodium, NO MSG. Only healthy herbs. There are quite a few different flavors of it too.. I THINK I have them all. The Extra Spicy and the Chipolte are my favorites to add to eggs. Table Blend is good for salads, but there are also regular herbs.. My current favorite is French Tarragon (it's not Mrs. Dash). Found in the spice section of your supermarket!!

Erin_goBrahScience

First of all ham itself is high in sodium. I would work on preparing more meals that you build the flavors (less processed foods). Thus you can control how much is added.

MightyDomo

I agree with cutting out as much processed food as possible so it will be lower overall and then you can acceptably have a ham steak and not be worried about the high sodium content. Experiment and see what works for you by running by the food diary and see where it lies that way you can make better choices when it comes to sodium levels.

I can tell you that I do this or if it is not accurately depicted here then I make a table and add up everything to see if I can eat it and still be within my goal for the day though 7 times out of 10 I end up nixing what I am trying to convince myself it's ok to eat and go for something healthier overall.

Byrdsong1920

I have luckily never been a 'salter' of my foods...I order fries w/no salt.Mainly because people tend to over salt. I'd rather do it myself!

To cut down the salts, try to avoid eating out and prepare your own foods. This way you can manage and control the salt intake. I love the MFP app, you can look up foods when dining out before ordering. When cooking I use Mrs. Dash and then combine w/a tad of Lawry's and plenty of herbs for flavors.

If I eat nuts I will buy the unsalted or lightly salted. Almonds I eat raw and throw in my morning smoothies or protein shakes. Also, read all food labels and check the amount of servings per package. Often there may be several servings within one bag of popped corn, etc.

Hope this helps...without knowing your eating habits, hard to suggest where you can cut back. But all in all, avoid processed and fast foods and use the app to prepare ahead if you have to dine out. Sodium can work against you and make you retain water We don't want that!! Thanks for sharing, happy journey! -shan

spangey13

It is hard to comment without seeing your diary. I don't think I have even come close to sodium apart from when I make popcorn - maybe once a month or something. Fresh fruit and veges rather than processed and packaged foods?

Drop_it_Like_Its_Hawt

Yeah, ham can be the "little death" of sodium levels. I'd say get as much info as possible about fresh herbs and their uses, to learn ways to cook flavorful food without the salt. Rosemary, garlic powder (NOT garlic salt), bay leaves, red peppers, Mrs. Dash, etc. If you must use salt, I think sea salts or the pink kind has less sodium to it.

lms333

I'm only at 1400mg for my day. It's basically getting down to eating whole foods and unprocessed meats if you can. It's tough, but definitely doable. Good luck

lifewithme2

Thank you for all your replies. I'm going to try not to eat many high sodium boxed meals.

I love my salsa so I'm going to try to make my own. That way I can control that. My husband also makes home made chimichurri which I put on my steak and also use as a dip for chips.

Hope everyone has a great day.:flowerforyou: