Cutting back on Sodium--Need help!

Elainejk21

This is a tough one, but I've definitely found that making my meals from scratch/fresh foods cuts down on sodium immensely. I end up weighing 2-3 pounds less after days where I've had <1,500mg.

Canned tomatoes for sauces - buy no salt added or fresh tomatoes
Beans - buy dried and make your own (freeze 1.5-2C portions in ziploc)
Chicken/chicken broth - buy a whole chicken, cook in crockpot for the day, reserve stock. Save bones for making chicken broth another day.
Pasta - spaghetti squash or fresh pasta
Hot sauce - try chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or cayenne pepper to add heat
Cottage cheese - Friendship brand found at Whole Foods has no salt added
Soy sauce - low sodium teriyaki sauce

rosebarnalice

I'm fortunate in that I don't really LIKE heavily salted foods, and I've learned from experience that certain brands of certain products are simplly unacceptable to me because they just taste like salt (Lean Cuisine is a major offender--I will NEVER eat another one again!). But because I simply don't LIKE salty food, I have been a long-time label-reader scouting for the lowest-sodium version of whatever it is I'm hunting for.

I'd suggest
(a) read labels! There are low-sodium versions of many common prepackaged foods, and/or brands that have dramatically different sodium levels. Two spaghetti sauces or two brands of crackers side by side may have dramatically different sodium levels-- and there are many that are fairly good even if they're not labeled as "low sodium" or "no salt added" . So just start watching.

And:
(b) get yourself a basic cookbook like the Fannie Farmer Cookbook or the Betty Crocker Cookbook. These "a little bit of everything" cookbooks will give you basic recipes for a variety of common staple foods (meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, chicken casseroles, bread, desserts, you name it!) from which you can start adapting your own recipes. I read recently that the average family relies on 8 - 12 dishes on a regular basis. So if you learn one new recipe a week, you'll have a complete set of 8 - 12 in two to 3 months!

dparent01

This is a topic that hits very close to home for me. My husband was recently diagnosed with HBP not because he is unhealthy, but because it is hereditary. He is in great shape. I have been looking much closer at my own sodium intake as well. It is amazing how much sodium is in so many products. The actual target that is recommended these days is to stay under 1500 mg. of sodium. MFP gives 2500. 1 tsp. of salt = 2500 mg. of sodium. The good news is there is so much out there that now has lower sodium, but all in all the best defense is to cook at home. You say that you love spaghetti. I cook an awesome spaghetti sauce and freeze it for later use and I do not add additional sodium. You can buy no salt added tomatoes and tomato paste. Bump up all the spices and you have a terrific sauce. When you are shopping just look at the label and then see if you can find another brand, etc. that is lower. I'm not sure where you live but I am able to buy a no salt added brand of turkey breast for sandwiches and it tastes fantastic. Remember that packaged meats are usually extremely high in sodium. You can do, just look at what you are buying. Good luck.

Rachelmilloy

Bump

redraidergirl2009

Make your own spaghetti sauce. Far less sodium.

ecw3780

I don't really watch my sodium because I don't have any blood pressure issues (and I don't eat a lot of processed foods), however, I once heard you should never eat something with more sodium than calories. Also, from watching my friends diaries (who love to eat out and ramen noodles), I have noticed that it isn't so much the crackers that get them, it is eating out for multiple meals a day. Instead of focusing on what not to eat, try just not eating out if possible. Even if you use prepared sauce or crackers from a box, I am betting a homemade meal will still end up with less sodium than a restaurant or fast food meal will.

Terrytriesharder

I found the best things I ever did to cut out sodium are to make my own everything. I will take recipes, cut the salt out entirely and double the spices it would have had normally. Dried beans are a godsend and you can make giant batches of your own broth for soups. I ended up cooking and freezing all the separate ingredients for chicken soup, then when you get sick you can just boil the broth, throw the frozen chicken and veggies in to boil along with it and add the rice at the end. Simple things like that can make all the difference in the world. Most of all use spices, use as many spices as you can, I never used to use any myself and now I have a cupboard full of nothing but fresh ones.

NRSPAM

I agree OP! As an RN, even I had no idea just how much sodium really was in everything! I started monitoring my sodium intake with MFP, and it has constantly been through the roof! I've improved on it a lot, but I still go over a lot. It's high in cheese, frozen "healthy" meals, and horrible in canned foods! Best advice I can give you is just to check those food labels. Also salad dressing is pretty bad if you eat more than 1 serving. If you need to eat a low sodium diet, best advice is to eat fresh foods, nothing prepackaged, or atleast limit them to one meal/day, and use other herbs/spices for seasoning. Mrs. Dash, is convenient, or that nusalt, if you don't have to watch potassium for any medical reasons. Oh, and look out for those marinades! Those are also typically very high! Good luck and be creative!

themedalist

depends on your calories for sodium. For example, 3000 calorie diet it is recommended that you consume 3000 mg sodium, 2000 calorie diet, 2000 mg sodium and so on. Do you drink diet sodas? Cutting them out can make a big difference on sodium also.

Not sure where you got this info from?

The American Heart Association now recommends everyone (not just high risk groups) limit their consumption of sodium to 1500 mg per day or less (http://newsroom.heart.org/news/new-studies-reinforce-american-240224). The World Health Organization recommends no more than 2000 mg/day of sodium (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2013/salt_potassium_20130131/en/)

haymancm

I have never bothered to watch my salt intake from the foods eaten. When cooking, I don't normally add salt to my foods. Being new to MFP, I left my sodium level @ 2500, & then lowered it to 2300 after reading an article online. Earlier today, I read in Jillian Michael's recipe/food book that sodium should be lowered to 2000. But, after reading these recent postings, maybe I should lower it even more!?

My salt intake has never been an issue until just recently, only because I have an incredible thirst, drinking 20 8 oz glasses a day. I understand that my workouts can cause dehydration, but this is ridiculous! I feel so thirsty all.the.time! My weight seems to have come to a standstill from retained water. For the last 3 days, my sodium intake has been about 3600 grams! For example, I thought I was eating kinda healthy with some fish sticks...won't be buying those again @ Costco! I am definitely working on getting this under control!

baileysmom4

The thing I noticed the most and was very rewarding from cutting down on sodium was the scale didn't fluctuate. I have not gone up on the scale since I started doing lower sodium! It's nice to see a true number on the scale and not water weight!

ajhugz

except for things like bread, crackers and things like spaghetti sauce, etc.

Next time you go to the grocery store compare different brands for these foods and choose the option with lower sodium. I buy Tomato based products with no salt added. The only way to really lower you sodium is to eat less foods that are high in sodium.
On days that your sodium is higher than you would like, drink more water. I try to have twice as much potassium than sodium. I read that you need a balance of the two. Since I've started this I've noticed I retain less water and I eat more fruits and veggies which is awesome.