Help with sodium

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Losing2Live1989
Losing2Live1989 Posts: 423 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I really need to know ways to cut my sodium intake down! Does anyone have any advice?
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  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    Most of your dietary sodium comes from processed foods, so I would start there.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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    A lot of "low fat" listed items increase sugar or salt to make up for the taste.
  • Losing2Live1989
    Losing2Live1989 Posts: 423 Member
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    Okay...so less process foods...more fresh foods!
  • Losing2Live1989
    Losing2Live1989 Posts: 423 Member
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    A lot of "low fat" listed items increase sugar or salt to make up for the taste.

    Thanks never knew that!
  • calmthundr2
    calmthundr2 Posts: 17 Member
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    Cook more items yourself, as well. Much of the foods you would pick up already prepared has added sodium in order to preserve the food. It is basically extra salt that you you'll never taste.

    Go down gradually as well to give your body time to adjust.
  • sarrylove
    sarrylove Posts: 88
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    I agree with what was said above....cut back on processed foods!! Those are loaded with sodium. If you use canned vegetables, I always drain and rinse them before cooking. That takes away some of the sodium.
  • Barbell_Jules
    Barbell_Jules Posts: 358 Member
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    Okay...so less process foods...more fresh foods!

    I take in a lot of sodium and that bothers me. Most of mine comes from prepackaged food and soups. (my M-F lunches) I want to get better at making more food at dinner time so that I can start bringing in leftovers for lunch...
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,135 Member
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    Cooking from scratch helps a lot since you can control what you put in. Reading labels will scare the hell out of you (it does me at least). Look for low/no salt foods; going with full fat usually helps since companies don't add so much sodium to full fat products. Pasta and rice typically have no sodium listed. If you eat cheese, check up on what you can get at the grocery deli counter (fresh cheese tends to have less sodium).

    Here's a website that might help you find name brands: http://www.lowsaltfoods.com/default.htm
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Most of your dietary sodium comes from processed foods, so I would start there.

    My goal is to keep sodium under 1500 mg/day. I do this by eating fresh fruit and veggies, eating minimal bread, using non-dairy milk, and limiting processed foods. I also use straight up grand reserve balsamic vinegar with lower acidity and pepper on my salads. Also, read labels for cereals. Also, make your own soups with low-sodium broth. Your palate will protest at first, but give it a week or two, and your tastes change.
  • newGeorge
    newGeorge Posts: 22
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    Aside from limiting canned and processed foods and cooking more fresh food, there are also many "Lower Sodium" alternatives of a lot of prepackaged foods. You should also invest in some good spices to enhance the flavor of your food without packing on the salt!

    If you have a day where you take in a lot of sodium...just drink an extra glass or two of water :)
  • andreamkelly
    andreamkelly Posts: 169
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    frozen meals, lunch meats, some cheese (swiss is lowest naturally), most soups, the majority of meals at restaurants are all full of sodium... Oriental food with sauces is also packed with sodium. Get the low sodium or hint of sodium crackers and snacks. Himalayan Pink Salt has the lowest sodium count for table salt, but it's best to never pick up a salt shaker even when cooking.
    I use all the varieties of Mrs. Dash when I'm cooking.
  • Rachratty
    Rachratty Posts: 8 Member
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    Due to severe kidney problems my sodium intake has to be low low low, This mean no tinned soup or anything with added salt. Even margarine and butter and most condiments have a lot of salt. I found the hardest thing for me was not being allowed cheese as this is very high in sodium. I saw a dietician and basically I have to cook everything from scratch. No bacon no cheese and basically just white fish not smoked and chicken. It is hard work but I have found my whole family now love the meals I cook completely fresh.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    I really need to know ways to cut my sodium intake down! Does anyone have any advice?

    Start by not adding table salt to anything.
  • mdhummel
    mdhummel Posts: 201 Member
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    As everyone else mentioned stay away from processed foods and cook your own meals. Some of the biggest heaviest salted foods:

    Frozen Meals (Even the "healthy" frozen meals have over 30%-50% of your daily sodium needs!)

    Canned Soup and Canned Vegetables (Always eat fresh veggies or frozen steam fresh instead.)

    FAST FOOD (It is disgusting how much sodium is in a Big Mac and Medium Fries.)

    Condiments (Soy Sauce, salad dressing, ketch up, bbq sauce, pickles.)
  • SexyLovinmeCook
    SexyLovinmeCook Posts: 1,393 Member
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    Think No cans, no boxed items, no friend foods...and processed items....The sodium will always be high in these items..
  • hiker359
    hiker359 Posts: 577 Member
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    Cut the processed foods. Only shop the perimeter of the store. Make your own seasonings. Skip the fast food and cook at home. Works like a charm.
  • Losing2Live1989
    Losing2Live1989 Posts: 423 Member
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    Thank you all for all the advice!!!!! Much needed!
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    I really need to know ways to cut my sodium intake down! Does anyone have any advice?

    Start by not adding table salt to anything.

    A little table salt here and there hardly adds anything to your daily intake.
  • bsix3
    bsix3 Posts: 291
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    that darn sodium is "da debul". i battle it constantly.
  • coolraul07
    coolraul07 Posts: 1,606 Member
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    Ditto on just about all of the above, especially condiments, processed foods, and fast foods. I was looking at the Chili's nutritional info menu today focusing on the sodium column and it made me ill. The VAST majority of items are greater than 50% daily RDA of sodium, and I'm talking normal-sized single items. When you start adding dressings, sides, sauces, and combos, it goes through the roof. I lost count at 2 dozen entrees (again no sides) that are more than 100% daily RDA. Funny enough, the bottomless chips (no salsa) have some of the lowest sodium on the menu. I had those and the Caribbean Chicken salad.
    I eat a lot of fresh produce and frozen bag veggies, especially stir-fry mixes.
    I buy mostly fresh, non-processed meats. I got so tired of obscene sodium numbers on cold cuts (25% DV/serving), that I started making my own substitutes for turkey (breast), ham (pork loin), and roast beef (london broil).
    For packaged cheeses, I switched from wrapped singles to more expensive "deli" packs; bigger slices yet half as much sodium.
    For bread, I shop for lower sodium brands. I tried corn tortillas for a while because they notorious low in sodium, but I got tired of that taste/texture. I prefer flour torillas but the only low sodiums one I could find locally (Tumaro's?) I can't find any more.
    Watch out for baked goods. Even "healthier" items tend to have high sodium. It's not even a taste thing, it's unfortunate part of the science of baking.

    If I exceed calories or fat, I can always exercise more to earn some wiggle room. I wish I could do the same for sodium! I tend to keep my potassium intake high to help counter the sodium. V-8 juice is an excellent choice but ONLY the low-sodium version! :happy:

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