low sodium lunch ideas?

sonjavon
sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I've been doing really well on calories and have been feeling great. But I've been paying more attention to my sodium... and it's really high (like anywhere from 800-1000 over).

Every day I eat a sandwich on an Arnolds sandwich thin or a lettuce wrap with deli ham, pickles and a teaspoon of mayo. Now... I KNOW that's what's killing me. But I'm not really creative with lunch ideas... anyone have any ideas for a fairly easy to prepare and satisfying lunch?

I'm not married to the lunch meat - but I will miss my pickles on a regular basis. I LOVE pickles!

I'd love some ideas for healthier lunches!

Replies

  • sonnacchio
    sonnacchio Posts: 57 Member
    Well, I don't know how "low-sodium" this lunch is but it is satisfying! I like to make a nice salad out of: a mix of iceberg and baby spinach, topped with one diced Cortland apple (did you know it won't go brown?), 2-3 tsp. of gorgonzola cheese, and a small handful of dried cranberries. I've also made this with pears and it is just as delicious! For a dressing, I just mix a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. YUM!
  • JayAlexander
    JayAlexander Posts: 268 Member
    I too just started watching my sodium but I thought the healthy range for a day was 1800-2300mg? Any input on this would help
    P.S. I LOVE PICKLES!
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
    That would be 800-1000 mg OVER the recommended 2500mg limit... see my problem??? LOL!
  • UltimaBurnie
    UltimaBurnie Posts: 3
    I don't really have any low sodium diets off the top of my head (Google is your best bet anyways). Though what I do have for you, is the suggestion to make sure you drink a lot of water and don't get too friendly with the salt shaker.
  • hjmygatt
    hjmygatt Posts: 79
    It's the pickles, hands down. A claussen pickle half is nearly 1000 mg of sodium! Can you lessen your pickle intake or maybe put in bean sprouts, if you want the crunch?
  • jowily
    jowily Posts: 189 Member
    Not just the pickle - but bread has a lot of sodium...and most ham has a whole lot as well.
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
    Oh - I KNOW where the sodium is coming from (thanks to my handy dandy food log) - I just don't know what other choices to make! LOL! Interestingly enough - I bought turkey lunch meat the other day thinking that was a "better choice"... wrong.... it was worse than the ham!

    I drink a lot of water so I know I'm flushing a lot of it out - but I really want to eat as healthy as I can! Thanks for taking the time to read this and to comment.
  • summer6102
    summer6102 Posts: 26
    Im watching my sodium like crazy but you are allowed between 2000-2500! So your way under! Add me as a friend and you can watch what Im eating and get some ideas!
  • Jenna1972
    Jenna1972 Posts: 26 Member
    I recently had a high BP reading (160/105) and my doc said to cut out all of the processed meats/soups, etc. I am now usually able to keep my sodium at 1500 mg. On the American Heart Association website, they suggest being between 1500 and 2500. SO...my ole lunch meats, soups and tuna (which were great for my calorie count) went out the window. I can't trust the sodium content in ANYTHING. I think we wouldn't have 1/3 of the US with HBP if they would stop overusing it as a preservative. My frozen lunches each had over 600 mg! That was almost half my daily allowance.

    Instead, I now cook up several lean meats on Sundays. I control the seasonings, and make a large batch of rice, too. The sodium content in most meats is low to moderate. I fill the fridge with my tupperware and take it all on Monday to my work fridge. They tast alot better, IMO and mean I don't eat as much at night. When I run out, I mix it up with salmon or halibut or shrimp. I only have max 2 pieces of bread and have given up my lovely pickles for some time. Le sigh. I replaced my salt shaker with garlic powder and True Lemon (in the shaker).

    Also, I realized from my food log that I was scary short on the potassium side. Since this mineral naturally balances salt, I make sure to have an orange, a banana and an apple to take to work. I also bought unsalted nuts. I know Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have a lot of low sodium options, too. For me, my BP became a more urgent concern than my weight, but I think I can solve both problems at once!
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