Looking for low sodium high calorie foods

allen83
allen83 Posts: 17
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
I've been eating 1400 calories a day while limiting my sodium intake to less than 2500mg and I'm finding this extremely difficult. I don't have time to prepare food since I work from 5am till around 5pm daily and as a result I tend to eat a lot of frozen/canned foods. On work out days this becomes even more difficult when my calorie intake jumps to 1800 - 1900. I was wondering if anyone has any recipes/recommendations for foods that are low in sodium, kinda low in carbs, and fairly high in calories? I could just eat oatmeal 3 times a day but that spikes my carb intake.

Thanks.

Replies

  • amy29fan
    amy29fan Posts: 83 Member
    I am in the same boat...Not many low sodium that is also low calorie....Which is more important is what I would like to know...
  • neyes67
    neyes67 Posts: 161 Member
    Bump! This has been a major challenge for me as well... would love to know.
  • peteyTwang
    peteyTwang Posts: 250
    :explode:
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    Keep frozen entrees to around 600 mg's of sodium, have oats or granola for breakfast, and snack on fresh fruits and veggies. The snacks are what is hard for me. I do not naturally want a good-for-you snack!!!! Just think of how much food you'll be able to eat!

    Some cereals are okay, too.
  • sarahs440
    sarahs440 Posts: 405
    i also have the same problem. one thing i have found is peanut butter. that helps me get my calories up without a ton of other crap.
  • sarahs440
    sarahs440 Posts: 405
    also, the fat in peanut butter is one of those "good fats", so in moderation its ok ;)
  • pixietoes
    pixietoes Posts: 1,591 Member
    Do you work 7 days a week? Eating low sodium with prepared foods is going to be tough, but it's easy if you can spend a few hours a week making meals for yourself. You can make soups and other dishes that go right into the freezer in individual servings, the sodium levels will fall through the floor compared to frozen entrees you can buy and you'll know you made your dishes with fresh ingredients that are good for you. It will also be cheaper than buying prepared meals.

    If that doesn't work for you, you need to look for calorie dense natural foods like peanut and almond butter (I grind my own at the Whole Foods store, there's no salt added at all).
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
    I'm wondering why you're concerned with keeping sodium so low?

    If you're staying hydrated, then bloating wouldn't be much of an issue.
    "dangers" of sodium are largely exaggerated.

    I eat over 5000 mgs a day, due to the high caloric requirements of my diet. And my blood pressure is fine.

    Excercise is gonna keep it where it needs to be.
  • allen83
    allen83 Posts: 17
    I'm wondering why you're concerned with keeping sodium so low?

    If you're staying hydrated, then bloating wouldn't be much of an issue.
    "dangers" of sodium are largely exaggerated.

    I eat over 5000 mgs a day, due to the high caloric requirements of my diet. And my blood pressure is fine.

    Excercise is gonna keep it where it needs to be.

    My blood pressure is a little on the high side, physician recommended that I try cutting sodium intake. I drink 2 - 3 liters of water a day and when I was eating 4000+ mgs of sodium a day I found that I'd see bloat gains of upwards of 3 pounds over night. I guess I'm more concerned about it now because my body went into starvation mode and I didn't lose or gain any weight for almost 3 weeks, and I'm trying to see if my increased calorie intake is having any sort of effect.
  • Brandon74
    Brandon74 Posts: 453 Member
    I also am having this problem, of trying to get my calories in and keeping my sodium intake relatively low. I heard things like Peanut Butter, yet I also don't want to go over my Fat content either.

    Anyone have some suggestions on what they do?
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Pretty much making your own food is the only way to avoid it. Buy a bunch of low salt chicken breasts (some are injected with stuff), cook them up on the weekend. Slice them up and eat them over salad with oil vinegar and Mrs. Dash. Or ground beef, turkey breast. Anything you make yourself is going to save you on salt.

    However, I don't do these things and just eat the salt.
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