Help! Too much sodium!

JessicaB3007
JessicaB3007 Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
Hey all,

Really struggling to overcome my awful habit that I've gained of putting vegetable stock, salt, soy sauce etc etc anything with salt on my veggies that I have for dinner every night!
Does anyone know any low sodium options that would give me a salty sort of edge? Started the habit in the first place because I eat veggies for dinner every night and got sick of the taste of normal veggies by themselves :(
Such an awful habit I'd love some advice.

Cheers :)
«1

Replies

  • 1longroad
    1longroad Posts: 642 Member
    You can start by cutting down whatever you are adding! Cut the amount of salt, soy sauce or whatever in 1/2.

    You can also try mrs. dash, garlic powder or onion pqwder, not salt. Some vegies taste great with light dressing on top, or a timy bit of sesame oil. Another great flavor and good fat besides is avocado, if you like it!!

    I have noticed that the more I do not add extra salt or salty condiments, the more I like the vegetable taste itself!!
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Or unless you have a medical issue, like high blood pressure, just don't worry about going over on sodium. I don't track sodium or sugar. There is no need to.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Or unless you have a medical issue, like high blood pressure, just don't worry about going over on sodium. I don't track sodium or sugar. There is no need to.

    QFT Never tracked a single gram of either and don't plan on starting anytime soon.... Best of Luck
  • gringuitica
    gringuitica Posts: 168 Member
    Balsamic vinegar tastes salty, but has very little sodium (about 4 mg per tablespoon).
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Or unless you have a medical issue, like high blood pressure, just don't worry about going over on sodium. I don't track sodium or sugar. There is no need to.
    salt can cause high blood pressure so keeping an eye on it can stop this happening. Prevention is better than treating after the fact.
  • FourIsCompany
    FourIsCompany Posts: 269 Member
    Good for you for wanting to watch your sodium! It can really mess with my system. I set my daily intake at 1500. I usually go a bit over, and sometimes a lot over, but it helps to know that it's being tracked strictly.

    As others have said, use spices. I use black pepper, garlic powder, chipotle powder, basil, oregano and rosemary and Mrs. Dash has several different versions that are delicious! You can get all sorts of different flavor profiles depending on the combinations of spices.

    I never cook with salt. That way, if I do add it after cooking, I have a good idea of how much I'm consuming.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    Or unless you have a medical issue, like high blood pressure, just don't worry about going over on sodium. I don't track sodium or sugar. There is no need to.
    salt can cause high blood pressure so keeping an eye on it can stop this happening. Prevention is better than treating after the fact.

    That's....not really the case. Low sodium is recommended as a treatment for patients with existing hypertension. I've not seen anything convincing to ever demonstrate a causal link between the two. Even in the case of existing hypertension, exercise + weight loss is a much better therapy than a low sodium diet.
  • FourIsCompany
    FourIsCompany Posts: 269 Member
    Some really good information at this site. OP, if you are using processed foods, you could probably cut some there and be able to use salt on your veggies. Look at the chart on that page. :smile:

    http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/sodium.htm
    Too much sodium is bad for your health. It can increase your blood pressure and your risk for a heart attack and stroke.
    ...
    Nearly everyone benefits from reduced sodium consumption. Eating less sodium can help prevent, or control, high blood pressure.
  • tubaman58
    tubaman58 Posts: 151
    Try to moderate your consumption, but don't obsess about it...
    Make your own stock and freeze it, tastes better than the canned stuff anyway
    :)
  • nehushtan
    nehushtan Posts: 566 Member
    Just drink a gallon of water (or enhanced water) a day. It will flush any extra sodium out of your system.
  • fairie_marie
    fairie_marie Posts: 106
    When I have to much salt I bloat really bad, and my weight goes up.. If you like soy sauce get the lite kind, it has a lot less sodium in it. They make low sodium stock as well. Like the otthers said, try salt alternitives, like Ms. Dash.. Good Luck!
  • violetartfolks
    violetartfolks Posts: 3
    I really like using herbs instead. try ginger, lemon pepper or garlic. also apple cider vinegar is great with pepper and lemon on most vegg and salads.
  • kaysmom13
    kaysmom13 Posts: 13 Member
    Fresh herbs work best or using onions or garlic where you can I used to be a salt head and fresh herbs has helped me alot
  • suzyfj8
    suzyfj8 Posts: 257 Member
    Try cutting down on the stock/soy sauce etc, or buy low sodium soy sauce-and I cannot taste the difference between low sodium and normal soy sauce. Also try using more herbs and spices to get more flavour into the food.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
    I don't worry about salt. It doesn't seem to hurt me. My blood pressure is on the low side and I do drink a lot of water which probably helps keep me from retaining. I don't know why you would worry about it unless you had a health condition or it affected you in some other negative way. Plus, it's yummy. I like yummy things that aren't bad for me.
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    Drink more water, I salt a lot of things and use things that have a lot of sodium, drink around a gallon of water a day and my blood pressure ranges from 115/78 to 120/80 every time I'm at the doctors or have it taken. I probably consume around 3500-4000 mg of sodium a day. I don't see any bloat really, unless for some reason my water intake is really low for that day.

    Essentially I agree with those people that say unless you have high blood pressure I wouldn't worry about tracking it. I don't track sodium or sugar either.
  • jclark0523
    jclark0523 Posts: 47 Member
    Use sea salt. It has a lot less sodium with pretty much the same benefit flavor wise as adding table salt.
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
    Bump to save the ideas- I'm not too worried abt my sodium but looking to add new flavours.

    But I use cayenne pepper power or chilli flakes on almost everything- If you can handle spicy foods, this may help curb the need for that salty taste. Big tip tho- start super small if you're not used to spice. Less than a pinch small... that stuff packs a punch lol
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Salt is essential to good cooking
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Salt is essential to good cooking

    QFT especially Lawry Salt.....:drinker:
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    Use sea salt. It has a lot less sodium with pretty much the same benefit flavor wise as adding table salt.
    Not true. All salt, sea or table, is NaCl and contains the same amount of sodium. The difference is how much of other minerals there are, and the presence of beneficial iodine. Sea salt usually has more beneficial minerals, but less iodine. Table salt has fewer additional minerals, but has iodine.
  • nitenichiryu
    nitenichiryu Posts: 17
    Some really good information at this site. OP, if you are using processed foods, you could probably cut some there and be able to use salt on your veggies. Look at the chart on that page. :smile:

    http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/sodium.htm
    Too much sodium is bad for your health. It can increase your blood pressure and your risk for a heart attack and stroke.
    ...
    Nearly everyone benefits from reduced sodium consumption. Eating less sodium can help prevent, or control, high blood pressure.

    Look at the chart on this page: http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2013-04-21/heart-disease-deaths-5-times-higher-with-low-salt-jama-study/
    The associations between systolic pressure and sodium excretion did not translate into less morbidity or improved survival. On the contrary, low sodium excretion predicted higher cardiovascular mortality. Taken together, our current findings refute the estimates of computer models of lives saved and health care costs reduced with lower salt intake.

    Source Study: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=899663

    Takeaway: Eat salt.
  • diolpah
    diolpah Posts: 134 Member
    Who cares? Unless a doctor specifically indicated you as having severe chronic hypertension, eat as much sodium as you like. The "salt is bad" broscience of the 1970s is about as dated as the "fat is bad" broscience of the 1980s.
  • peejay65pj
    peejay65pj Posts: 15
    since I'm battling hypertension, I too share your pain..lol.

    here's some pointers I've come up with.

    use a bread maker to make your own low-sodium bread, half the quantities of salt asked for in recipes

    use 1% sour cream with mrs. dash, hot sauce, fennel seed or lemon juice added for veggie dip

    Mexican food- look for low sodium cheeses, tortillas, canned tomatoes, beans in the grocery store

    unsalted butter, and substitute apple sauce in baking

    make your own salad dressings so there's no salt added

    I actually found that after a while with low sodium, you miss it less and some really salty stuff becomes unpleasant.

    Good Luck
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    Hey all,

    Really struggling to overcome my awful habit that I've gained of putting vegetable stock, salt, soy sauce etc etc anything with salt on my veggies that I have for dinner every night!
    Does anyone know any low sodium options that would give me a salty sort of edge? Started the habit in the first place because I eat veggies for dinner every night and got sick of the taste of normal veggies by themselves :(
    Such an awful habit I'd love some advice.

    Cheers :)


    Fresh Lemon juice: 1 tbs of olive oil and 1 tbs of balsamic vinegar (no salt) along with any no salt seasoning (Mrs. Dash) or Costco have a really nice no salt one, to me much nicer than Mrs. Dash.
  • jclark0523
    jclark0523 Posts: 47 Member
    Use sea salt. It has a lot less sodium with pretty much the same benefit flavor wise as adding table salt.
    Not true. All salt, sea or table, is NaCl and contains the same amount of sodium. The difference is how much of other minerals there are, and the presence of beneficial iodine. Sea salt usually has more beneficial minerals, but less iodine. Table salt has fewer additional minerals, but has iodine.

    Good to know. Guess I was misinformed.
  • FourIsCompany
    FourIsCompany Posts: 269 Member
    Look at the chart on this page: http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2013-04-21/heart-disease-deaths-5-times-higher-with-low-salt-jama-study/
    ...
    Takeaway: Eat salt.

    I'm afraid that study is hugely flawed. It doesn't say anything else about the subjects' lifestyles. If the high salt intake group were otherwise healthy marathon runners and the low salt intake group were slovenly couch potatoes, it would skew the results quite a bit. Here's an article from Harvard edu that explains why the JAMA study is flawed.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/jama-sodium-study-flawed/
    A new study would have you believe that low-salt diets raise your risk of dying from heart disease—a surprising finding, and one that’s sure to grab headlines worldwide. The only problem is that the study’s conclusions are most certainly wrong.

    It's true, we can all find resources on the internet that support our opinions. And I have a history of sodium/blood pressure issues, so that is the position I speak from. The OP was looking for ways to decrease their sodium intake, not asking if they should or not. The chart I linked to shows that most sodium in the diet comes from restaurant and processed foods.

    My takeaway: If you WANT to reduce sodium, eat less restaurant and processed foods.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Or unless you have a medical issue, like high blood pressure, just don't worry about going over on sodium. I don't track sodium or sugar. There is no need to.

    +1

    I have HBP and it sucks to monitor sodium intake and not be able to eat what everyone else eats because of the salt/sodium content.
  • nena49659
    nena49659 Posts: 260 Member
    I have HBP and started trying to limit my intake of sodium, as well. It's been hard to do since my family salts EVERYTHING. About the 50th time I asked them if they were trying to kill me when they would taste test something I was cooking and grab the salt shaker and pour it in our food, they finally quit. I told them to add salt to their own food AFTER it was on their plates.

    This has really helped me cut down on processed foods and makes me cook more. Because, eating some of those high sodium foods can be really unpleasant when you start getting used to your new diet.
  • amsipub
    amsipub Posts: 84 Member
    I really like to have roasted veggies, especially this time of the year. You can just use a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and olive oil. I also like to change things up and put in leeks sometimes or garlic with the veggies.

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