inexpensive eating -- how to keep sodium levels down?
shining_light
Posts: 384 Member
Where I am, fruits and vegetables are cheap and easily accessible year round, regardless of whether it's in season or not. I rarely see a significant price jump for any of it either. It's quite odd in that way. I mean, we grow a lot of zucchini here, but not THIS time of year, so I realize I'm very blessed to have plentiful, cheap food even when it's not in season.
HOWEVER
There are things that are much more expensive for a healthier version. Unseasoned No Name frozen chicken breast, for example, is 1.5 times the price of a box of frozen chicken breast loaded with sodium. There's no way around it. The same thing goes for all no-salt-added off-brand canned goods in my supermarket. It's canned. It shouldn't need to be loaded with salt as preservative. That's the whole point of freaking canning/freezing things. So here's my question for all y'all. How do you keep your sodium down when shopping without breaking the bank? The things I have problems with are frozen meat, canned seafood/vegetables(I don't use canned vegetables typically anyway, but it can be hard to find reasonably priced, no salt added canned salmon or tuna), and cheese. Thoughts or ideas? Frozen is way, way cheaper than fresh, so any way to keep food costs down without added sodium would be appreciated.
HOWEVER
There are things that are much more expensive for a healthier version. Unseasoned No Name frozen chicken breast, for example, is 1.5 times the price of a box of frozen chicken breast loaded with sodium. There's no way around it. The same thing goes for all no-salt-added off-brand canned goods in my supermarket. It's canned. It shouldn't need to be loaded with salt as preservative. That's the whole point of freaking canning/freezing things. So here's my question for all y'all. How do you keep your sodium down when shopping without breaking the bank? The things I have problems with are frozen meat, canned seafood/vegetables(I don't use canned vegetables typically anyway, but it can be hard to find reasonably priced, no salt added canned salmon or tuna), and cheese. Thoughts or ideas? Frozen is way, way cheaper than fresh, so any way to keep food costs down without added sodium would be appreciated.
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Replies
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Sodium is never a problem for me, mainly because I cook my own food. Chicken breast takes less than 10 minutes to cook. Why buy it boxed and frozen? By a package of fresh raw chicken meat and cook it. You will only get naturally occurring sodium unless you add salt yourself. I don't generally eat canned tuna but the canned salmon I eat it is just salmon and water...any sodium again is naturally occurring.
Stay away from foods with ingredient lists that contain unidentifiable ingredients and your sodium intake will be minimal.0 -
I agree with melsinct. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store to avoid sodium-filled pre-packaged items. If it's not fresh, it's processed. If it's processed, it has preservatives. The most common preservative is salt.
If it's important to you to have less-perishable items, and your nutritional requirements allow for it, consider soy alternatives. I stopped drinking cow's milk because soy milk lasts a LOT longer in the fridge, and the boxed cartons actually don't require refrigeration before opening. I found the tofu, tofu sour cream substitute, tofu yogurt, etc., last for days or weeks longer than their dairy/meat alternates. These items provide the shelf-stability you may be seeking for your lifestyle with the reduced sodium levels beneficial for your diet.
Looking forward to seeing others' input.0 -
Because fresh chicken breast is expensive as f***. I buy it raw and frozen.Sodium is never a problem for me, mainly because I cook my own food. Chicken breast takes less than 10 minutes to cook. Why buy it boxed and frozen? By a package of fresh raw chicken meat and cook it. You will only get naturally occurring sodium unless you add salt yourself. I don't generally eat canned tuna but the canned salmon I eat it is just salmon and water...any sodium again is naturally occurring.
Stay away from foods with ingredient lists that contain unidentifiable ingredients and your sodium intake will be minimal.0 -
I agree with Bhan. Try different protein alternatives. You can usually find bulk amounts of dried beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, etc. Tofu, tempeh, seitan are also great but may be a bit more expensive if that is important to you. You need a little more time to prep and prepare food this way but it is so worth it. I usually buy coconut milk in the boxes like she spoke of and almond milk yogurt which is another good alternative and has a much longer shelf life than standard dairy products.
Good luck!0 -
If you balance the frozen chicken breasts, canned tuna, etc.. with fresh or frozen vegetables you won't have sodium issues.
It's only when I eat processed things that I ever go over.0 -
Frozen vegetables are usually as cheap as canned, but often have no added sodium. I'm not sure about the meat. Most frozen meats in my area don't have added salt unless they are seasoned or cooked first. The only canned meat I buy is tuna. I sometimes buy the more expensive low sodium, but usually I just buy the higher sodium kind and don't add salt to any of the things I mix with it so per serving the dish is not too bad.0
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Buying whole chickens is much cheaper! Buy some and cut them up and freeze! I use the dark meat parts to make my own salt free chicken broth.0
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How much sodium is actually in the cheap frozen chicken breasts? Did they pump it with saline to try and artificially inflate the weight? In which case, you'd probably be better off with the more expensive one anyway, as you are paying for meat, not water!
And how low are you trying to go with your sodium? Do you have hypertension or some other medical condition that requires you to eat a very low sodium diet? I eat a lot of chicken, and that's not what puts me up in the sodium - it's the deli lunch meats and chips that do that ;-)0 -
I was going to say the same thing as Donna. Buy a whole chicken. Piece it out yourself or cook it whole. After it's cooked, you can freeze the pieces if you want. SO much cheaper!! And you can make your own low sodium chicken stock from the bones (even better if you roast them first!) I am also a huge fan of canned beans. Just rinse them before you use them and don't add extra salt. There are plenty of fresh options on a budget.0
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What is your sodium goal?0
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My sodium loading has been a bit on the light side the last few days (I just started tracking sodium and potassium last week). Usually comes in at or a bit less than the 1,500 mg. that is recommended by most nutritionists. I have no idea why the macro here is set at 2500 when the potassium macro is set at 3,500---potassium should be at least half again higher than sodium. If you eat a lot of processed food, your sodium intake can easily be 2 to 3 times your potassium intake. :noway: What I do is to balance the high-sodium foods with high potassium foods. If I want a couple of ounces of cheese (and cheese is one of the worst sodium loaders) I only eat it with vegetables. If you workout and sweat a lot, your sodium will need to be increased but your potassium will need to be increased by a lot more.
I think the reason why a lot of people get exercise "burnout" is when their mineral levels drop--particularly magnesium and potassium. Nature packages both magnesium and potassium together in vegetables and fruit. If you are low in potassium, you will likely also be low in magnesium and sufficient quantities of magnesium ions in the blood are essential to the transport of ATP (energy) to the muscles. We need to eat our veggies! You might want to try the Yellow Pages in your area to look for "naturally raised meat" places that sell directly to consumers. That's what we do. We pay about the same as we would at our local supermarket but it is much better meat. If we want it fresh, (like our Thanksgiving turkey--SO much better than frozen) we order it in advance and pick it up when they call us that it is ready. Supermarket meat is not necessarily "fresh" just because it is unfrozen. Most of the big chains order it in frozen and then thaw it before displaying it. We buy most of our meat frozen but at least it has only been frozen once between producer and our table. You lose nutrients and flavor every time it is frozen and thawed.
In general, processed food tends to be very expensive for the amount of nutrition you are getting. If you are going to eat anything processed, you need to be picky about which ones. I eat about one ounce of Terra Sweet Potato chips every day (I hide them from my hubby because he will eat the whole bag in a day):laugh: . They are very low in sodium and very high in potassium. Just one ounce gives you 357 mg. of potassium (and I think it is 30 mg. of sodium). They don't have additives either.0 -
How much sodium is actually in the cheap frozen chicken breasts? Did they pump it with saline to try and artificially inflate the weight? In which case, you'd probably be better off with the more expensive one anyway, as you are paying for meat, not water!
And how low are you trying to go with your sodium? Do you have hypertension or some other medical condition that requires you to eat a very low sodium diet? I eat a lot of chicken, and that's not what puts me up in the sodium - it's the deli lunch meats and chips that do that ;-)
You're going to love this. The label on the chicken breast I WAS buying says there is *drumroll* 690 mg of sodium per 100 g. Yes, you read that right. So, you may absolutely be correct. The lower sodium chicken breast looks more natural, so I suspect you may be right about adding saline to it. I never, ever thought about it.
And I'm trying to go as low as possible with my sodium. Less than 2500 mg per day, as is recommended, and around 4700 mg with my potassium. Chicken breast is one of the best sources of potassium that I've found(that and tomato paste), so I hit my potassium goal pretty easily, believe it or not. I'm cutting back on milk again, so that's one less potassium source. And I love sweet potatoes, but cutting carbs now. I will eat the sweet potatoes that I have on hand(they're my only starchy food at this point, actually), but they'll be gone soon too. Ideally carbs will soon be entirely high fiber veggies.
Also, for anyone who loves cheese(like me!), I discovered that swiss is the lowest sodium hard cheese that I can find. Otherwise, dry cottage cheese all the way.0 -
How much sodium is actually in the cheap frozen chicken breasts? Did they pump it with saline to try and artificially inflate the weight? In which case, you'd probably be better off with the more expensive one anyway, as you are paying for meat, not water!
And how low are you trying to go with your sodium? Do you have hypertension or some other medical condition that requires you to eat a very low sodium diet? I eat a lot of chicken, and that's not what puts me up in the sodium - it's the deli lunch meats and chips that do that ;-)
You're going to love this. The label on the chicken breast I WAS buying says there is *drumroll* 690 mg of sodium per 100 g. Yes, you read that right. So, you may absolutely be correct. The lower sodium chicken breast looks more natural, so I suspect you may be right about adding saline to it. I never, ever thought about it.
And I'm trying to go as low as possible with my sodium. Less than 2500 mg per day, as is recommended, and around 4700 mg with my potassium. Chicken breast is one of the best sources of potassium that I've found(that and tomato paste), so I hit my potassium goal pretty easily, believe it or not. I'm cutting back on milk again, so that's one less potassium source. And I love sweet potatoes, but cutting carbs now. I will eat the sweet potatoes that I have on hand(they're my only starchy food at this point, actually), but they'll be gone soon too. Ideally carbs will soon be entirely high fiber veggies.
Also, for anyone who loves cheese(like me!), I discovered that swiss is the lowest sodium hard cheese that I can find. Otherwise, dry cottage cheese all the way.
690 MG. OF SODIUM???!! :noway: That's horrible. They must be injecting saline to bring the weight up.0 -
I just started buying my chicken breasts fresh @ Costco for 40 mg of sodium/4 oz. Buying it frozen was 200 mg/4 oz @ Sam's & King Soopers has it for 80 mg/4 oz fresh. Recently, I've always marinated my chicken in Italian dressing, but @ 300 mg/2 tbs w/ Kraft, I'll be looking into making my own instead.
With the research I have done, it is recommended to have my sodium @ 1500, but no more than 2000. Too much sodium can make my body plateau from too much water retention=plateau. I've upped my potassium & strive for more than 4000. A calculator I saw was 40 x your ideal weight for your potassium level. Avocados, potatoes, & spinach are a few of the high ends for potassium.
As far as finding cheap ways to meat your goals? How much lower do you want to go? Choosing fresh seasonable veggies by shopping around loss leaders will be key to help your budget.0 -
Try a better grocery store-- seriously. Try places that focus on the healthier side of food, like "Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wegman's, etc." Look up stores like that near you. They will have a better selection of food..I know Wal-Mart sucks with considering healthy (no sodium, organic, etc) food.0
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How much sodium is actually in the cheap frozen chicken breasts? Did they pump it with saline to try and artificially inflate the weight? In which case, you'd probably be better off with the more expensive one anyway, as you are paying for meat, not water!
And how low are you trying to go with your sodium? Do you have hypertension or some other medical condition that requires you to eat a very low sodium diet? I eat a lot of chicken, and that's not what puts me up in the sodium - it's the deli lunch meats and chips that do that ;-)
You're going to love this. The label on the chicken breast I WAS buying says there is *drumroll* 690 mg of sodium per 100 g. Yes, you read that right. So, you may absolutely be correct. The lower sodium chicken breast looks more natural, so I suspect you may be right about adding saline to it. I never, ever thought about it.
And I'm trying to go as low as possible with my sodium. Less than 2500 mg per day, as is recommended, and around 4700 mg with my potassium. Chicken breast is one of the best sources of potassium that I've found(that and tomato paste), so I hit my potassium goal pretty easily, believe it or not. I'm cutting back on milk again, so that's one less potassium source. And I love sweet potatoes, but cutting carbs now. I will eat the sweet potatoes that I have on hand(they're my only starchy food at this point, actually), but they'll be gone soon too. Ideally carbs will soon be entirely high fiber veggies.
Also, for anyone who loves cheese(like me!), I discovered that swiss is the lowest sodium hard cheese that I can find. Otherwise, dry cottage cheese all the way.
This isn't a new practice in anyway.This practice has been going on since the 1970’s. Poultry processors, for example, use special equipment to inject chicken with a saltwater broth and binders that enhance its flavor. Hundreds of tiny needles inject a single chicken passing through a conveyer belt. Apparently, adding salt at home is no match for this technology.
Manufacturers who add sodium and water claim that this is what consumers want. But the difference in sodium per serving can be staggering – 500mg of sodium per serving vs. just 75mg unsalted!
Link: http://blog.fooducate.com/2011/07/22/are-you-buying-meat-but-paying-for-salt-water/
And from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlumpingCost to consumers
Plumped chicken commonly contains 15% of its total weight in saltwater, but in some cases can contain as much as 30%.[1] Since the price of chicken is based on weight, opponents of the practice estimate that shoppers could be paying up to an additional $1.70 per package for added saltwater,[1] with the total annual cost to U.S. families estimated to be $2 billion in added weight charges.[3]
I have to watch my sodium (prediabetes), so I go for the unplumped ones when possible. Keeping below 2500 should be fairly easy if you're not getting 690 mg per piece of chicken!!!0 -
We do not have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods in my city. Besides, I can get plenty of wholesome food from Superstore for cheap. I also will not buy organic foods. I do not believe in them. I know that sounds bizarre, but I do have my reasons, growing up in a farming community and seeing where my non-organic food comes from and how it's produced. Organic farming practices are unsustainable because they waste massive amounts of resources and land. Organic farming uses about 3 times more land, in fact. I'll sacrifice some immeasurably small amount of health benefit in favor of supporting farmers who minimize deforestation and the like.
I checked the chicken breast labels. Massive discrepancy. Definitely paying for salt water with the boxed variety. 9 grams of protein more per 100 g of the new one. Major ripoff, I'd say. Can't believe that's actually legal here.
I rarely buy food at Walmart because the selection is terrible. I only buy my protein powder there because it's cheaper than buying it anywhere else.0 -
I just started buying my chicken breasts fresh @ Costco for 40 mg of sodium/4 oz. Buying it frozen was 200 mg/4 oz @ Sam's & King Soopers has it for 80 mg/4 oz fresh. Recently, I've always marinated my chicken in Italian dressing, but @ 300 mg/2 tbs w/ Kraft, I'll be looking into making my own instead.
With the research I have done, it is recommended to have my sodium @ 1500, but no more than 2000. Too much sodium can make my body plateau from too much water retention=plateau. I've upped my potassium & strive for more than 4000. A calculator I saw was 40 x your ideal weight for your potassium level. Avocados, potatoes, & spinach are a few of the high ends for potassium.
As far as finding cheap ways to meat your goals? How much lower do you want to go? Choosing fresh seasonable veggies by shopping around loss leaders will be key to help your budget.
I got potassium coming out the wazoo, easily meeting the government recommendation of 4700 mg a day. Part of why I was looking for low-sodium chicken breast was because it's one of the best sources of potassium that I've found and it seems a shame to ruin it with the sodium levels.0 -
Have you checked out bulk packages of chicken? I can get a "club pack" of chicken breast at my grocery store for $1.99 per pound. Typically around 6-7 pounds in a package. Then I just split it up and freeze it. I also buy meat on special when I can, stuff that is going out of date in a day or two, and freeze it right away.
You could also try checking your local butcher. Prices and quality might be better.0 -
I would like to address the issue of added sodium to canned vegetables....I learned from a nutritionist that works for Scottsdale Healthcare Hospital, that if you buy low sodium versions, and then rinse them with water before cooking...it will cut the sodium in half....same applies to the regular versions....I don't know if that will help you, but it is better than using them as is....I do this for my Mom who is on a low sodium diet for Heart Disease as prescribed by her physician.0
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Because fresh chicken breast is expensive as f***. I buy it raw and frozen.Sodium is never a problem for me, mainly because I cook my own food. Chicken breast takes less than 10 minutes to cook. Why buy it boxed and frozen? By a package of fresh raw chicken meat and cook it. You will only get naturally occurring sodium unless you add salt yourself. I don't generally eat canned tuna but the canned salmon I eat it is just salmon and water...any sodium again is naturally occurring.
Stay away from foods with ingredient lists that contain unidentifiable ingredients and your sodium intake will be minimal.
Where do you live? I can buy chicken breasts for $1.00/lb on sale. Boneless, skinless breasts for $1.99/lb.
Never mind. I see now that you are in Canada.0 -
Hit a local farmers market and freeze the meat yourself. We use our tax refund to split a cow and pig with our sibblings.0
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I noticed this too!!!! Just yesterday actually. We bought a bag of Tyson frozen boneless breasts for like $7, there were 8 of them. At first I thought we got a great deal, but then read the label, and then COOKED them... holy crap do they ever shrink up when you cook them! I think if you just wait until the fresh chicken breasts go on sale and buy the really big packages of them, then split them up and freeze them, it ends up being cheaper and healthier than the bagged frozen sodium-y ones. Idk what grocery stores you have where you live but maybe watch the sale flyers. Same thing happened with the steaks we bought from the door-to-door steak guy. FULL of preservatives. And those things taste AWESOME but I won't be buying them again.0
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Hit a local farmers market and freeze the meat yourself. We use our tax refund to split a cow and pig with our sibblings.
That's a great idea!
I'll look into that!
Also, I realized after doing the math that if I work out the price of the chicken breast in terms of protein by weight(this is how my boyfriend and I average prices a lot of the time when we're lifting...), the one that's not inflated with saline is -- surprise surprise -- cheaper. Ha. Sweet.0 -
The new recommended upper limit for sodium is 2300 mg, I believe, with 1500 mg being the goal. I'm on a very tight budget, and I manage to stay under the upper limit most days with some effort. Chicken is crazy expensive here, too. Four boneless, skinless breasts is going to cost about $15. It's the only chicken I like, though, so I splurge on it and try to spread it out by using half a breast whenever I can. I think Canadian chicken is more expensive because it's better quality, honestly. At least that's what I tell myself to justify the high cost. No offense to any American chickens who may be reading this.
One way to keep your sodium under control is to enter your day's food in advance and tweak the amounts. If you see your sodium levels are getting up there, use less mustard on your sandwich, or have one less piece of turkey bacon or half a serving of a salty snack. If one meal has a lot of sodium, try to keep it down in your other meals. Buy lower-sodium canned goods when you see them on sale. Superstore often has good deals on their Blue Menu stuff. The canned tomatoes are awesome and have no added sodium. You can feed two people twice with those on top of pasta.
Feel free to add me and creep my diary. It's not super exciting most of the time, but I'm doing okay with sodium.0
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