New here - low sodium choices for family

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realpure
realpure Posts: 156
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all, just starting down the road of changing how I eat. Thankfully, my husband is on board with me. Our children are another story. The biggest thing that has hit me is that I am not drinking enough water and consume way to much SODIUM. What works for your family? Whole foods are the obvious choice, but with kids they need bread? Thought Great Harvest was a good choice it's high in sodium too. Thoughts?

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  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    Why do they "need" bread? You're the adult, you know what they need.

    Whole Grain breads are the best option.

    Stay away from frozen foods, processed foods, etc.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
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    There are a number of breads out there that have a bit less sodium but it's kind of a fact of life. Dave's killer breads are a bit more conservative and if you read a bunch of labels you can likely find more. Also for lower sodium seasonings they will likely accept Mrs Dash has a line of spices and marinades that are salt free and tasty. Perhaps you could add a bit of salt at first if needed. Our rule is that if you need more salt you add it yourself but your young ones should probably not be making that decision, lol. Anyway there's a couple of ideas. There are lots of recipes on the web for lower salt alternatives to lots of stuff too.
  • ASiters
    ASiters Posts: 8 Member
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    Bread in moderation is fine. I eat the Kroger brand 100% whole wheat. Just really start watching labels. Anything processed is going to have a TON of sodium and a ton of other ingredients that your body doesn't need. I am still in the process of changing my eating habits and lowering your sodium intake isn't always easy. More fruits and veggies for sure. Anything in its "natural" state is going to be the best option for your family.
  • kayleen_longworth
    kayleen_longworth Posts: 147 Member
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    If they must have bread make it yourself at home. That way you can control how much salt goes into the recipe, plus it will be healthier without all the chemical preservatives that most breads have these days. If you do the kneading by hand, it's a workout in itself.

    Slowly work to substitute out the bad foods and add in good foods. Hide veggies in spaghettie sauce, lasagna, etc. In time they will adjust. How old are your kids?
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    make as much as possible from scratch and you'll find sodium is not a problem... make all your own sauces etc. great once you get into it xxx
  • TeeRaceFisher
    TeeRaceFisher Posts: 44 Member
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    I'd say do it slowly, start using low sodium processed foods first, tweak familiar recipes that they do like with lower sodium things, and then once they are used to that, add a few whole food recipes, from scratch meals that are similar to the processed/unhealthy food they eat already. Keep that up until the whole family is eating healthier. I'd keep fruit and nuts in the house as healthy snacking options- instead of cookies or chips. Good luck, my kid is still a toddler so she has very little verbal say in her foods (though throwing it is a still a problem.)
  • rgunn02
    rgunn02 Posts: 169 Member
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    You can drastically lower your sodium by making your own food and staying away from stuff that you buy in the middle of the grocery store. Look for things like "low sodium" I make things like brown rice and potatoes in low sodium organic chicken broth for flavour without the butter & salt.

    I don't believe that it's carbs alone that make people fat.

    As far as bread and kids: I like the new wonder plus for bread, it has no preservatives. My kids get a very balanced well rounded diet that INCLUDES bread/rice/potatoes/quinio/couscous etc. Stay AWAY from anything white. I don't have my kids on a diet and I don't restrict carbs or anything like that. I just stay away from crap - store bought cookies, chips, excessive amounts of crackers etc. When I bake I ALWAYS half the amount of flour with barley flour - yumm!
  • realpure
    realpure Posts: 156
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    Thank you!! Our children are 12 and 6. They usually have bread for lunch for taking a sandwich to school. I always thought I was so careful. Love this program to look at what we are eating. I have always avoided frozen and processed foods, but bread shocked me. Thank you again! Off to look for low sodium choices.
  • realpure
    realpure Posts: 156
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    Can't figure out how to reply directly to a post. Thank you! Great ideas.

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