Reduce Sodium Intake?

Zoe, if you're going to ask for specific help, we need to see your food diary!

That said there's some general guidelines to keeping your food around the CDC recommended 2300 mg/day. It's not a bad recommendation at all, it certainly doesn't hurt anyone (unless they're sweating a TON, in which case you actually need more).

My mom has kidney failure, so we track salt pretty carefully in our household. My dad was able to go off his high blood pressure medication after 20 years on it when he switched to a reasonable salt intake, and that was a pretty dramatic change!

(1) Avoid processed foods. This goes QUADRUPLE for soups & meats. They put so much salt in soups, meats & sauces its not even remotely funny.

(2) Buy fresh or frozen vegetables. They have no sodium. If your budget has you on canned veggies, look for the "no sodium added" ones.

(3) Use just a smidgen or pinch of kosher salt to season food after its cooked. Kosher salt tends to have a high flavor intensity profile due to the larger grains, and it really doesn't take much. A "smidgen" is a precise measurement, by the way.

smidgen: 1/32 teaspoon (0.18g)
pinch: 1/16 teaspoon (0.36g)
dash: 1/8 teaspoon (0.72g)

Good luck getting a scale that reads that accurately. It ain't going to happen. Best way to get a sense of this is to take a teaspoon of salt (level, measured) in your hand. Re-measure into half, quarter teaspoons. If you have an eighth teaspoon spoon, go for that. Get a feel for how much that is in your hand. Put it on a cutting board ,and divide into half. Feel that in your hand. Get an idea how much space it takes up, what it feels like. Divide again in half. Repeat. Now you know what a smidgen, pinch & dash are.

(4) Keep cheeses to a minimum. Cheeses are great. My sister eats half her calories in cheese, I think. But They'll kill you on salt every time. So watch that.

(5) Change your tracked nutrients on MFP to include sodium. Pay attention to high-sodium foods in your normal diet. I'm talking things with 500 mg sodium or more PER SERVING. No, not a sandwich including all the vegetables (i.e. sub sandwich) that constitutes 1/3 your daily calories, you don't worry about that. Worry about the 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce with 960 mg.

(6) Be honest & consistent.

(7) AVOID PROCESSED FOODS ESPECIALLY MEATS AND SOUPS!!!!! (it bears repeating).

Good luck!

So I cook most of my own food, and eat out at most once a week, and I am usually low on my sodium. I never buy anything canned except tuna and coconut milk, and I use natural meats.

Reduce all processed foods - eat whole foods instead!