sodium is my enemy

mbakken90
mbakken90 Posts: 202 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have any suggestions or foods that I can eat that have less sodium?? I started getting frustrated because I wasn't losing weight and now i've started to track sodium...and i can see that is my ultimate problem!!!! Someone please help meeeee!!!

Replies

  • shannon_stallone
    shannon_stallone Posts: 136
    I bought a lot of salt free seasonings...Mrs Dash has a few really good ones....And try staying away from packaged dinners, etc. which contain a lot of sodium. Also if you drink a ton of water, it will help flush excess salt. Good luck :)
  • super_chkin
    super_chkin Posts: 5
    hmmm... I'm in the same boat. Forget sweet cravings, I go for salt every time. Besides trying to avoid processed foods and banishing my salt shaker (so hard to do!), I can't thing of what else might help.
  • kirstinlee
    kirstinlee Posts: 152 Member
    Do you eat many frozen foods? Like frozen diet meals or frozen dinners? It's almost impossible to find low-sodium frozen meals, because they use the salt to help preserve the food. Even if the package says "low sodium," it most likely means that they've reduced the sodium from something way high like 1,500, to something still high like 1,000.
  • denitraross
    denitraross Posts: 325 Member
    lol..I had same problem - basically anything pre-made, pre-packaged has sodium in it....go fresh and natural all the way - veggies and fruit are generally the only thing with next to no sodium - get some in each and every meal!!....you can also buy reduced sodium products like ketchup, salad dressing, soup, etc.....just read all the labels :)

    I agree - sodium is my enemy too....lol...I try to off set it with lots of fiber!
  • Aitenev
    Aitenev Posts: 62
    For me the hardest part of watching my diet is reducing sodium. Almost anything that is highly processed is going to have lots of sodium. The best way to reduce it is to focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and foods that require very little processing. It's seems to be easier to find low-calorie or low-fat foods in the stores than low-sodium so it takes a little extra effort while shopping. And speaking from experience...it's totally worth it! Good luck.
  • Tarah1357
    Tarah1357 Posts: 139 Member
    There are so many great options now with reduced sodium or even no sodium. I try to eat as little as I can as I tend to hold a lot of water weight and I hate the feeling of being puffier than I already am! lol I just recently started tracking my sodium intake on here as well and it's been really helpful. Good luck! :)
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,378 Member
    I also seek to avoid sodium. So here are some tips.

    1) Look at your food diary and see what the foods and meals that are high in sodium are. From that you can seek to minimize or eliminate those things from your diet. You will likely find most of them are processed foods (canned or frozen).

    2) As mentioned, spices are your friend, but always read the label as many of the spice mixes have added salt which you don't want.

    3) Fresh food is best, so seek to eat fresh as much as possible.

    4) Watch for sources of hidden sodium like breads. Many of them have a lot of sodium per serving.

    5) Make as much food as you can yourself from scratch. This can be inconvenient, but it is worth it as you control the sodium amount. I find now most processed foods seem too salty to me.

    6) Lastly, don't assume that low sodium labels mean anything. Look at the actual nutrition information. If it is a full meal sodium should not be over 400mg if at all possible. If it is a component of a meal, seek to minimize the sodium.
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