What are the best sources of Sodium?

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I understand that an adult man has to consume at least 500 mg of Sodium a day and more if he exercises. Ever since I started dieting, I've realized that I am often not eating enough salt. What are the healthiest sources of salt? How do I make sure I eat enough of it? Is it a bad idea to simply add table salt to the food I'm eating?
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Replies

  • tangent836
    tangent836 Posts: 14 Member
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    If the food is verified on myfitnespal, then I can assume that the amount of salt it lists is accurate, right?
  • RunnerGrl1982
    RunnerGrl1982 Posts: 412 Member
    edited February 2019
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    Good advice from @janejellyroll.

    To add to that, if you are exercising and do so in a moderate amount - you could always look into something like Nuun tablets. They provide 360mg of sodium per tablet.

    I generally don’t get enough sodium in my diet from daily food consumption and use the tablets to help combat the sodium lost from my workouts.

    However, this may or may not be the right suggestion for you. Just tossing it out, as another possible alternative.

    Edited: I’m not stalking @cwolfman13 , I swear! LOL. That’s two posts in a row. XD
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    tangent836 wrote: »
    If the food is verified on myfitnespal, then I can assume that the amount of salt it lists is accurate, right?

    No, it just means that a number of your fellow users have checked a box saying they *think* it is accurate. I have found verified entries that aren't correct.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    For a time, I had to increase my sodium. I used salt with iodine.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    tangent836 wrote: »
    melmoldy wrote: »
    tangent836 wrote: »
    I understand that an adult man has to consume at least 500 mg of Sodium a day and more if he exercises. Ever since I started dieting, I've realized that I am often not eating enough salt. What are the healthiest sources of salt? How do I make sure I eat enough of it? Is it a bad idea to simply add table salt to the food I'm eating?

    THIS is hilarious!!! Dude, you really need to educate yourself on nutrition. Sodium = salt! WTF. SPRINKLE SOME EFFIN SALT ON YOUR FOOD. There are some of the stupidest people on this website. LMAO. Man...

    For starters, Salt = Sodium + Chloride In fact, salt is MOSTLY chloride. Sodium is a nutrient that is found in many foods, salt being only one among them. My question was whether salt was a good source of sodium, or whether it's better to get it from other foods such as vegetables.

    If you're actually low on sodium, you're not going to beef it up much with vegetables. I would look more to minimally processed foods like canned goods, cottage cheese, vegetable juice, etc.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    tangent836 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    tangent836 wrote: »
    melmoldy wrote: »
    tangent836 wrote: »
    I understand that an adult man has to consume at least 500 mg of Sodium a day and more if he exercises. Ever since I started dieting, I've realized that I am often not eating enough salt. What are the healthiest sources of salt? How do I make sure I eat enough of it? Is it a bad idea to simply add table salt to the food I'm eating?

    THIS is hilarious!!! Dude, you really need to educate yourself on nutrition. Sodium = salt! WTF. SPRINKLE SOME EFFIN SALT ON YOUR FOOD. There are some of the stupidest people on this website. LMAO. Man...

    For starters, Salt = Sodium + Chloride In fact, salt is MOSTLY chloride. Sodium is a nutrient that is found in many foods, salt being only one among them. My question was whether salt was a good source of sodium, or whether it's better to get it from other foods such as vegetables.

    If you're actually low on sodium, you're not going to beef it up much with vegetables. I would look more to minimally processed foods like canned goods, cottage cheese, vegetable juice, etc.

    I'm trying to avoid processed foods like
    the plague. Wouldn't it be better to just take a sodium table like @RunnerGrl1982 suggested? Also, wouldn't it be more convenient to take when I'm working out? That way I don't have to drink gatoraid (yuck).

    All processed foods? Why?
  • tangent836
    tangent836 Posts: 14 Member
    edited February 2019
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    tangent836 wrote: »
    Roberta H. Anding is a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and a registered dietitian. She says that the less processed something is, the better it is for you.

    But that doesn't necessarily make sense. You need more sodium, right? So if a processed item has more sodium, then it's actually better for you currently, right?

    Possibly. I'm looking for the optimal solution. I want to consume the correct amount of sodium daily while avoiding processed food. Can't I have the best of both worlds? :)
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Raw fruits and vegetables won't help you hit your sodium goal
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Raw fruits and vegetables won't help you hit your sodium goal

    Some vegetables have a higher amount than others (celery, artichokes, and I think beets), but you'd still need to eat a fair bit of them.