Is the MFP sodium setting good? Too high? Too low?

3foldchord
3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
MPF says my daily goal for Sodium is 2500mg. My protein powder has 380 mg per servings.
I am not hyper concerned about sodium, but don't want to go way overboard. I almost never add salt to anything, so my sodium is mostly what is already in foods.

I kinda freaked put a bit that I was OVER yesterday, never really even checked my sodium that much. (had a couple servings of protien powder yesterday-- seems I am always gonna be over in spmething.. The protein POwder is a lower carb energy and I need to watch my carbs, just a little)

How much mentally time and energy should I putting into this area of worrying about sodium.

Replies

  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    P.S.- my diary should be open, but I wasn't loggng much last month- as we were in the process of moving. we are settled into our house now, so loggiing will be dialy now
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    I'm on 1500 mg. but I had hypertension. The US and Canada set levels the same as myfitnesspal (2400 mg.)
    Many European countries have reduced that to 1500 mg.
    BTW, a teaspoon of table salt (6 g.) has 2400 mg. of sodium. Think about that when cooking.
    I shudder to think how much sodium I was consuming before being diagnosed and starting to track it.
  • Elainejk21
    Elainejk21 Posts: 121 Member
    I manually reduced mine to 2000mg instead of the generic setting of 2500mg. It's amazing how much sodium is in prepared foods! In general I just feel better with less sodium. Ideally I'd only like to have 1500mg/day but that's only been possible for me on days when I make all my food from scratch. 2300mg/day is the maximum the CDC recommends.

    http://www.cdc.gov/salt/
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I'm on 1500 mg. but I had hypertension. The US and Canada set levels the same as myfitnesspal (2400 mg.)
    Many European countries have reduced that to 1500 mg.
    BTW, a teaspoon of table salt (6 g.) has 2400 mg. of sodium. Think about that when cooking.
    I shudder to think how much sodium I was consuming before being diagnosed and starting to track it.
    So, 1 teaspoon of salt is the imit for the day? wow.

    I don't know if I will evver get all of my nutrients all even and the right amounts. Whenever I focus on one of themm another gets out of balance.
  • healthynotthin
    healthynotthin Posts: 223 Member
    I can't stand the stuff, personally. My dad has meniere's disease and can't have but 800 or so mg of sodium per day. Discussing it with a fellow health nut friend of mine, we've exchanged opinions and sources on why 2500 mgs is probably about twice what humans should eat, but we've become so accustomed to our massive sodium content that there's not much we can do about that now. (ugh pickles Y U HAVE SO MUCH SALT :( )
  • sandrahulleman
    sandrahulleman Posts: 31
    My son is a pharmacist - "normal" sodium intake is 2500 mg/day.
  • GadgetGuy2
    GadgetGuy2 Posts: 291 Member
    I couldn't get my sodium intake down, even with "low sodium" items from the store. To succeed, I had to start making some "selected" foods myself: bread, chili, chicken soup. These items are typically VERY high in sodium from the store. By cooking without any added salt, I can now eat selected store bought items (e.g. Sun Chips), and still stay pretty close to the recommended amounts.

    I don't have high blood pressure now, nor in the past. Just hoping to keep it that way.

    P.S.-It's amazing how much cheaper it is to make your own food from scratch (i.e. the convenience of processed has a high price tag besides less health nutrition).
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    My son is a pharmacist - "normal" sodium intake is 2500 mg/day.

    I have looked this up in a few places already. Yes, this is the average daily allowance that is typically recommended, provided there is no health problem that has been diagnosed.
  • hiker359
    hiker359 Posts: 577 Member
    The recommended for the average Joe/Jane is 2500 mg / day. More is recommended if you're involved in regular exercise so I bumped mine up to 3,000 mg and do pretty well about staying within that limit. The key is just to avoid processed foods as much as possible and don't add extra salt to your food.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I couldn't get my sodium intake down, even with "low sodium" items from the store. To succeed, I had to start making some "selected" foods myself: bread, chili, chicken soup. These items are typically VERY high in sodium from the store. By cooking without any added salt, I can now eat selected store bought items (e.g. Sun Chips), and still stay pretty close to the recommended amounts.

    I don't have high blood pressure now, nor in the past. Just hoping to keep it that way.

    P.S.-It's amazing how much cheaper it is to make your own food from scratch (i.e. the convenience of processed has a high price tag besides less health nutrition).

    So how do you make the broth for the chicken soup? I have tried before with chicken stock and it tastes like water. When I make it with Swanson's low sodium broth, it is delicious.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I manually reduced mine to 2000mg instead of the generic setting of 2500mg. It's amazing how much sodium is in prepared foods! In general I just feel better with less sodium. Ideally I'd only like to have 1500mg/day but that's only been possible for me on days when I make all my food from scratch. 2300mg/day is the maximum the CDC recommends.

    http://www.cdc.gov/salt/


    true--- we are still unpacking boxes and all- so I am not making as much from scratch as I used to-- maybe once we really get settled in and unpacked and I get back to making things myself.....
    My son is a pharmacist- "normal" sodium intake is 2500mg/day.

    I went over that and I don't add salt to anything- those people that salt everything must be Seriously way over their limit!

    SIGH: THANKS! I will be more vigilant with the sodium.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    I've read several places that "only 10% of the daily sodium intake comes from the shaker".
    It's easy to believe after tracking and seeing just how much is in prepared foods.
    I'm happy to say that I've been able to keep under 1500mg/day but it wasn't easy adjusting.
    I make my own 1/2 salt bread now (2 slice/day limit), all my own sauces and condiments etc.
    Low fat "healthy choices" labels in the store rarely mean reduced sodium, rather usually it's increased to mask the missing delicious fat.
    Nor does low or reduced sodium sodium mean much. You HAVE to scan the label.
  • GadgetGuy2
    GadgetGuy2 Posts: 291 Member
    I couldn't get my sodium intake down, even with "low sodium" items from the store. To succeed, I had to start making some "selected" foods myself: bread, chili, chicken soup. These items are typically VERY high in sodium from the store. By cooking without any added salt, I can now eat selected store bought items (e.g. Sun Chips), and still stay pretty close to the recommended amounts.

    I don't have high blood pressure now, nor in the past. Just hoping to keep it that way.

    P.S.-It's amazing how much cheaper it is to make your own food from scratch (i.e. the convenience of processed has a high price tag besides less health nutrition).

    So how do you make the broth for the chicken soup? I have tried before with chicken stock and it tastes like water. When I make it with Swanson's low sodium broth, it is delicious.

    I had the same problem with the broth (aka chicken stock).
    I found that by using all the "good" fats (i.e. those that don't get hard on cooling) when I bake the whole chicken (I also boil the bones to get the last of the good stuff), AND by adding "chicken bullion powder" that I bought off the Internet from ShelfReliance, I am able to get a thicker, aromatic broth (you can see the oil droplets suspended in the broth). It smells and tastes great!
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