really need help with this low sodium thing......

marquita_1983
marquita_1983 Posts: 7 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
My doctor wants me to be on a low sodium diet for health reasons. Do anybody have any advice on how to do this or any. Recipes that I can try? This is pretty hard for me because I am so use to eating foods with lots of seasonings and spices.

Replies

  • Krisengel
    Krisengel Posts: 161 Member
    It's usually not the seasonings that get me in trouble, it's anything packaged. If it's fast and easy it's probably high in sodium.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Seasoning and spice does not equal sodium. use spices and herbs until your heart's content. Just lay off the salt shaker. Also, if you cook your own foods, it is easy to control sodium. This means stay away from prepared frozen meals and just about everything that comes in a box or package. Watch prepackaged breads, they are notoriously high in sodium.

    If you have access to a store like Whole Foods, they sell many pantry staple type items in no salt added forms (like canned beans, canned tomatoes, canned vegetables, etc.).
  • Goose28in
    Goose28in Posts: 87 Member
    Cooking your own food is the best way to go. I'm not sure if you eat out but eating at resturants is normally loaded with sodium. I would suggest eating more fruits and vegetables, lay off the salt shaker, look for products that are low in sodium.
  • rammsteinsoldier
    rammsteinsoldier Posts: 1,552 Member
    I have kidney disease so I have to cut way back on my sodium intake. I have found Mrs. Dash is great of adding seasoning. Believe it or not, you will get used to not using so much salt and won't even miss it after awhile.
  • Front_Runner
    Front_Runner Posts: 175
    Check out "Harvard Nutrition Source" - they have a great section on Sodium with tips! Here's the link if you want to cut and paste:

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt/

    Cooking with fresh ingredients is really key! Avoiding fast foods, canned foods, and frozen prepared foods - and of course anything highly processed. Portion control will also help you cut your sodium! :) Start comparing lables - look for stuff that has <300 mg Sodium per serving (and don't forget to glance at how much they call a single serving!).

    I bought a great herbal mix from Costco in their Spices Isle - it's called Kirkland's Organic No Salt Seasoning - and it's very good!

    One thing to take comfort in... your tastes WILL change over time. We get used ot the taste of salt, so at first, when we change to a lower sodium diet... it might taste a little bland. When you add herbs/spices and give it time - your perception WILL change. Now, when I eat something high in Sodium, it tastes really salty to me. It is like the fat in milk. Growing up, we drank Whole Milk. As an adult, I moved from Low Fat to Non Fat. NOW, when I drink whole milk it literally tastes like cream to me. My taste adapted. Same thing with salt! :)

    Good luck - you can totally do this!
  • sma83
    sma83 Posts: 479 Member
    Try Mrs. Dash seasonings. They come in lots of different flavors and dont have any salt in them. A lot of things come in low sodium these days...cheese, lunchmeat, soups, that sort of stuff. Also, eat food that is as close to its natural form as possible. An acutual chicken breast instead of nuggets, an apple instead of apple sauce, an orange instead of orange juice. The more processed a food is the higher the sodium content it will have. That doesnt mean you cant ever eat the foods you want, just read lables and be more aware of you're putting into your body. Also be aware that MFP sets the daily sodium intake higher than is typically recommended. If you're Dr wants you on a low sodium diet I would try to eat less than what MFP says is ok for daily in-take. This is all just my opinion of course.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    1. read labels
    2. buy no salted added and/or reduced sodium canned and frozen foods (available at every grocery store)
    3. skip canned soup and frozen meals (very high in sodium)
    4. watch out for packaged condiments (high in sodium)
    5. look out for packaged foods with surprisingly high amounts of sodium: breakfast cereals, bread are big culprits
    6. deli meat is really high in sodium, try to avoid it most of the time
    7. eating out is hazardous, most restaurant food is very high in sodium

    About 70% of sodium from the typical american's diet comes from packaged or prepared foods, not the salt shaker. Cutting this out will make a huge difference. And preparing food from scratch. When buying spices, look for salt free ones. Things like chili powder, lemon pepper and garlic powder can be packed with salt. when you are cooking, you can not season the food until you get to the table. And limit or eliminate all salt during cooking.
  • Rhian_81
    Rhian_81 Posts: 49 Member
    Welcome to MFP! I hope it works for you :o)

    What is your current diet like? Do you eat alot of take-aways or packaged convenience foods? These can be really high in sodium.

    You can set your food diary (via tools - settings) to monitor your sodium intake. Most folk shouldn't exceed 2500mg sodium a day, but your limit is probably lower than this.

    Good luck!
  • Quill78
    Quill78 Posts: 3
    My doctor told me to cut back on sodium in my diet, so I'm really trying to be aware of everything I'm eating or drinking.
    I was away from home this afternoon and wanted something to drink, thinking I'd just get a diet cola or tea. What an eye-opener! What is the deal with all the sodium in drinks? I ended up doing without because I couldn't find a single thing but water that wasn't loaded with sodium.
    What do YOU do? Is there any beverage with taste that is acceptable on a low sodium diet?
  • usedasbrandnew
    usedasbrandnew Posts: 300 Member
    I have kidney disease so I have to cut way back on my sodium intake. I have found Mrs. Dash is great of adding seasoning. Believe it or not, you will get used to not using so much salt and won't even miss it after awhile.

    This!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories