looking for ideas on how to lower sodium

tndejong · January 2013

i have an idea on what i need to watch for. but somtimes i come across things i least expect that are loaded with sodium. so im just looking for a little help and guidance on how to cut my sodium. im not a person who uses the salt shaker at all. but my problem is im not working and have to be really tight with mine and my fiances grocery budget. so its hard to avoid sometimes. any ideas on meals i could plan? i am able to add veggies many times. but not as often as i would like because of the cost of fresh stuff where i live. help if you can!

mygrl4meee · January 2013

I am not 100% sure but I think frozen veggies have less sodium.

lawtechie · January 2013

Feel free to look at recent entries on my diary for suggestions. Frozen veggies for sure, check the label for the low sodium. Hanover brand is great. Meats -- use Mrs Dash instead of salt for seasoning. Use other spices too for seasoning. Watch out for the processed foods, cold cuts, certain cereals, snacks. It's not too hard to keep sodium < 2000 mg for a day and even lower if you are good at preparing.

lilac67 · January 2013

We're on a budget, too.I bake chicken with a little sea salt, cracked pepper, garlic, and rosemary or with bbq sauce. I make chili from dry beans, it really helps to lower the sodiium. I add canned diced tomatoes, or you could use no salt added ones. I throw in fresh or frozen diced onion and green pepper, garlic or garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. You can add hamburger or skip it. I also cook my own rice instead of using the mixes. You can flavor it lots of ways I like to cook it with canned tomatoes, diced onion and peppers and garlic, or with a fat free low sodium broth. If I can't afford the lower sodium stuff, I make sure to serve plenty of frozen veggies with it to help the sodium content of the whole meal.

tndejong · January 2013

i notice a lot of sodium in meats too. the ms dash is a good idea. forgot about that. i thought canned tomatoes have a lot of sodium?

SoozeE512 · January 2013

Limiting your portion size can help. If you typically use 1/2 a cup of pasta sauce, use 1/4 of a cup. Instead of 2 tbsp of salad dressing, limit yourself to only 1. Whatever you notice has more sodium than you can afford in your daily diet, just use smaller amounts of it at a time.

lawtechie · January 2013

i notice a lot of sodium in meats too. the ms dash is a good idea. forgot about that. i thought canned tomatoes have a lot of sodium?

NEed to look for fresh cuts, and not pre-prepared. They are relatively low in sodium. Tomatoes? Look for the canned items that say no sodium added. Del Monte is what I usually get I think for diced tomatoes.

One piece of meat I'm thawing out is Hatfield premium cut pork tenderloin. It is 8 servings or so, 90 mg/sodium per serving. Season it as you wish.

kdiamond · January 2013

I agree, on the canned tomatoes, there is always a no or low sodium choice...same with beans, etc.. Buy frozen veggies if you can, much better for you nutrition wise.

Meats don't have sodium unless you buy the cuts that are already marinated, or sausages, things like that. I really only eat lean ground beef, chicken breast and thighs, and sometimes ground chicken breast. On occasion I buy chicken or turkey sausage but I try to stay away from pork products as I know they are usually loaded (bacon!!!). I also like salt free Mrs. Dash for seasoning.

nofwordallowed · January 2013

The more you cut out processed and pre-prepared foods, the easier it will be to limit your sodium because YOU control the salt content. AND, it is generally cheaper to make pretty much anything from scratch than to buy processed or pre-packaged

WBB55 · January 2013

You can also buy fresh vegetables, like broccoli and carrots and green peppers and onions, and cut them up yourself and freeze them in zip lock bags. You wouldn't want to eat them "raw" after they're thawed again, but if you're using things like that for casseroles and stews and stuff, you can freeze your own. Softer things like potatoes and banana slices can be frozen too, but you have to freeze them in one layer on a cookie sheet, and then 24 hours later once they're solid, put them in a ziplock bag.

[EDIT:} Aldis always has broccoli, carrots, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and celery. All of those are EXCELLENT buys ALL THE TIME at Aldis. They are worth the money.

To cut out some sodium, you can buy things like canned corn, but RINSE it under water before you use it. (But MyFitnessPal won't reflect this kind of post-processing you're doing.)

indy_cat · January 2013

1. Look for Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Cooking Stock. It is approved by the American Heart Assoc.
It only has 150 mg sodium per 1 cup serving. I use it to make homemade soup and to poach chicken.

2. Look for Gia Russa Low Sodium Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce. Only 20 mg sodium per 1/2 cup serving.

3. Hunts No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes are also approved by the American Heart Assoc.
It has 15 mg sodium per 1/2 cup serving.

4. Del Monte has a good selection of low sodium canned vegetables.

5. When you cook your fresh veggies, rice and pasta, omit the salt. Soon your taste buds will adjust and you won't miss the salt.

6. Smart Balance Whipped Buttery Spread has a low sodium option. Only 30 mg per Tbsp.

Check out the American Heart Association's website for more ways to reduce sodium. Also do a little research to see how sodium effects the body in so many negative ways. That will spur you on to reduce your sodium level. Also - set up your food diary to help track your sodium intake. Hope these hints help you and best of luck to you.

florentinovillaro · January 2014

Although not ideal, if you're eating canned foods, a lot of them are labeled with 2 columns, 1 for un-drained and the other for drained fluids. You'll notice on the drained columns that the sodium, potassium and other minerals and nutrients are less. Frozen or fresh would be better though.

Mlmessick · January 2014

Just don't eat anything from a bag, box or can and you salt issue will take care of it self.

Kevalicious99 · January 2014

Less processed food .. and frozen veggies (they are as good as fresh and most times better).

I cut my sodium in half .. it is actually quite easy to do. Just look at the labels.

Good luck.

Cortelli · January 2014

i have an idea on what i need to watch for. but somtimes i come across things i least expect that are loaded with sodium. so im just looking for a little help and guidance on how to cut my sodium. im not a person who uses the salt shaker at all. but my problem is im not working and have to be really tight with mine and my fiances grocery budget. so its hard to avoid sometimes. any ideas on meals i could plan? i am able to add veggies many times. but not as often as i would like because of the cost of fresh stuff where i live. help if you can!

If you're on a tight budget, I assume you are not eating out much? Prepared meals from a restaurant tend to have a lot more sodium than you might expect.

If not eating out, then my magic bullet is spent and it comes down to looking at nutrition info for the groceries you're buying and the recipes you're using.

looking for ideas on how to lower sodium

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