Sodium. I'm always getting way too much.

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antkowiak
antkowiak Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
Obviously the pre-packaged food has a lot of sodium. But when I prepare my own foods from scratch, I need to add enough salt to make it taste good.

What are your (all) strategies for lowering sodium?
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Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    hmmm...I don't really lower mine. I'm a sodium monster.
  • JEE2015
    JEE2015 Posts: 146 Member
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    Try different spices, especially fresh herbs. I'm huge on lemon and white pepper.
  • lairdmk
    lairdmk Posts: 5 Member
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    I've been working on this as well and this is what I have done:
    1-Switch out everything you can for low-sodium/no salt added versions (like canned beans and tuna).
    2-I like to get the Mrs.Dash brand seasonings and marinades because they have no salt.
    3-On my recipes that call for salt, I will still add salt but reduce the amount the recipe calls for. Also, I might use no-salt butter or low sodium broth/canned beans.
    4-I like garlic for a good pop of flavor or avocado.
  • KitkatcuteNYC
    KitkatcuteNYC Posts: 150 Member
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    Make sure to drink lots of water!
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Lower sodium salt (I don't use it, but it exists).
    More variety of spices.
    Learning to like less salt.
    Trying out new recipes.
  • takumar
    takumar Posts: 42
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    I've accepted that it's inescapable and basically turn off the food tap for the day. Primitive, but it works.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    It's not necessary to do, but of you want to reduce sodium do it abruptly.
    Don't salt any of your homemade food for about a week, while you experiment with new spices and herbs.
    Your food will taste bland for a bit, and then you will start getting used to it.
    Again, not necessary.
    I can't do a ton of salt because if I do my wedding rings get uncomfortable.
  • SunflowerCat74
    SunflowerCat74 Posts: 258 Member
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    I had to cut sodium because of my blood pressure. HBP runs on both sides of my family and it's just crap genetics. Nothing to do with fitness or weight. It was hard for me to cut back, but eventually you get used to it. I've noticed that when I keep my sodium under the recommended daily amount I feel soooo much better.

    I swapped out everything I can with low sodium options. I.e. Canned beans, tomatoes, broth, bread, deli meat, frozen veggies, soy sauce, etc...
    I eat sodium bombs in moderation. I.e. Deli meat, bread, crackers, cheese, pork products, etc...
    I don't add salt to my cooking with very few exceptions. Some recipes simply require it, but I always halve the salt and then can add more at the table if necessary.
    I use lots of herbs/spices/peppers in my cooking.
    I upped my produce intake and carry a bag of veggies/fruits with me everywhere...this way I'm less tempted by salty snacks.
    I pretty much don't eat anything processed like snack bars, crackers, cookies, frozen meals.
    When eating out I order simple foods (grilled meats, steamed veggies) and ask for them to omit the seasoning. Anything with sauce is usually loaded with salt.

    After a few weeks you don't miss the salt and in fact I get a little put off by super salty stuff now. (Like whats wrong with the food that they need to add so much salt?)
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
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    Sweat plenty and salty foods won't be a problem.
  • macx2mommy
    macx2mommy Posts: 170 Member
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    We had to drastically cut sodium because of my spouses BP, It is everywhere and where you least expect it.

    Again first it was bland, but after a couple of months, we now find things are too salty.

    Here are some of our biggest tips:
    -Don't add any salt to cooking, at the end, if you feel you must, do it after you taste it, and only do a little, we actually replaced my husband salt with potassium salt which is lower in sodium.
    -Stop eating processed food, this was harder, we make everything from scratch, even bread, and we cut the salt, and yeast
    - canned soups, sauces, veggies, and beans can be very high in sodium we have switched to the no added salt brand, though we go fresh if possible
    - Watch out for frozen meats like chicken and fish, I didn't know that even plain chicken breast are injected with salt water to preserve, and to increase the weight so you are paying more. We buy fresh and then freeze it now.
    - I alway look for the lower or no sodium version now. Unsalted butter, Greek yogurt instead of mayo, ect
    - Biggest sodium reducer is making things yourself, but it can be time consuming.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    When I care, which isn't often, I increase my potassium intake and try to limit high-sodium prepared/pre-packaged foods.
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    edited February 2015
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    My solution? Bacon. I just up my potassium when I can. I dont really watch it. Reason being that your muscles need sodium to move, and it is the mineral that plays the most part. It is the most useful electrolyte in the body. If you reduce your intake drastically, but not your physical output or water intake, you may have days where you just feel exhausted, and that will be because of too little sodium intake.

    Ftr...a typical ketogenic day has me between 4000-5000 mg of sodium. I have no heart or cv problems, and I am very active.
  • beachlover83
    beachlover83 Posts: 68 Member
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    I don't add salt to anything, but I grew up with that way, so have always been sensitive to salty foods. I cook most meals, but still pass my sodium levels most days. I use a lot of chicken broth, diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce which has super high levels of salt in them. I'm planning on starting to make more of my own chicken broth, and to freeze my own tomatoes and spaghetti sauce this summer to use throughout the year.

    Pepper and other seasonings really help a lot!
  • kathyk519
    kathyk519 Posts: 197 Member
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    I use low sodium broth and beans, etc...I don't put salt into anything I cook, I wait til I put it in my bowl and add it if necessary. I use spices and herbs. I didn't start this intentionally, it just happened and now when I eat too much salt, I don't feel good.
  • Lezavargas
    Lezavargas Posts: 223 Member
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    Onions and peppers make everything better!
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
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    I never add any salt to my home-cooked meals - I use lemon juice and various herbs and spices to pump up the flavor. However, I do tend to have deli meats &/or canned fish fairly often which are notoriously high in sodium. Whenever I eat those I simply offset the amount of sodium with a lot of water.
  • Tikibar72
    Tikibar72 Posts: 93 Member
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    SunflowerCat74 wrote: »
    I had to cut sodium because of my blood pressure. HBP runs on both sides of my family and it's just crap genetics. Nothing to do with fitness or weight. It was hard for me to cut back, but eventually you get used to it. I've noticed that when I keep my sodium under the recommended daily amount I feel soooo much better.

    I swapped out everything I can with low sodium options. I.e. Canned beans, tomatoes, broth, bread, deli meat, frozen veggies, soy sauce, etc...
    I eat sodium bombs in moderation. I.e. Deli meat, bread, crackers, cheese, pork products, etc...
    I don't add salt to my cooking with very few exceptions. Some recipes simply require it, but I always halve the salt and then can add more at the table if necessary.
    I use lots of herbs/spices/peppers in my cooking.
    I upped my produce intake and carry a bag of veggies/fruits with me everywhere...this way I'm less tempted by salty snacks.
    I pretty much don't eat anything processed like snack bars, crackers, cookies, frozen meals.
    When eating out I order simple foods (grilled meats, steamed veggies) and ask for them to omit the seasoning. Anything with sauce is usually loaded with salt.

    After a few weeks you don't miss the salt and in fact I get a little put off by super salty stuff now. (Like whats wrong with the food that they need to add so much salt?)

    ^^ Great post, and I've done very much the same for myself. I also look for foods naturally high in potassium. If you fill you day with foods like that, you're also cutting way back on sodium.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
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    For me (and I know it's not available for some people) I up my water so that I'm balancing the water in my body. More water= more urine and more sodium passing through. I cook most things from scratch and hate salty food but if I have a lot of bacon or something naturally salty, I will watch my sodium for the rest of the day. :)
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
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    You can build up a tolerance to the taste of salt, which means that you have to add more and more to get the same taste. You need to give your taste buds a break from all of the salt to kind of reset themselves. You will find that given enough time, things will be oversalty.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
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    I have to limit my sodium intake to 1,500mg or less per day because of high blood pressure. I stopped using any added salt and only use low sodium products. Even with low sodium products I rinse any canned items (beans, etc.)

    I've found that food tastes so much better without the added salt. The flavors of everything are so much richer it's crazy.

    As other posters have said, substitute herbs and spices instead of the salt; experiment with different spice/herb blends and Mrs. Dash is quite good. I never use salt in meals I prepare at home.

    When I eat at restaurants I request no added salt to my foods (I tell the server I'm allergic to salt) and keep my meals simple with grilled and steamed items, no seasoning. Sometimes if I don't want to hassle with restaurant foods but I have to eat out because of family/friend obligations, I eat before I go or bring something with me (I try to be discreet), and order a diet soda as a treat (and log the sodium in the soda). Even restaurant salads are sodium bombs.

    My family and friends have adjusted to my sodium restrictions and my blood pressure is much better though I'm still on medication.

    While it takes some effort it can be done and as I said before, food tastes so much better without it, in my opinion.

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