Low Sodium Foods-DASH diet

peprmintpt
peprmintpt Posts: 10 Member
edited December 17 in Food and Nutrition
i started the DASH diet about a week ago and have lost 6 pds so far. My blood pressure readings were out of control, near stroke levels. I found myfitnesspal today and think it's great. I can keep track of my calories and sodium intake all in one.

Question ?
Anybody have an good ideals for low sodium foods? I am doing good but getting a little bored with my selections.
Bread and grains are the hardest for me.

Replies

  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    i started the DASH diet about a week ago and have lost 6 pds so far. My blood pressure readings were out of control, near stroke levels. I found myfitnesspal today and think it's great. I can keep track of my calories and sodium intake all in one.

    Question ?
    Anybody have an good ideals for low sodium foods? I am doing good but getting a little bored with my selections.
    Bread and grains are the hardest for me.

    Most breads are high sodium, but darker breads (pumpernickel) usually are lower so check those.

    Generally, whole foods (whole fruits, veggies, fresh meats, etc.) are best for low-sodium diets. There are also salt alternatives you can add to your food to give you the taste of salt but with less sodium. Most are heavy on potassium instead. I would not overuse them, but they help when starting to get off of salt.

    Canned foods are very very salty, so avoid those or get the "no salt added" alternatives. Frozen meats are bad too (bagged ones especially) as they are coated in a salty fluid to preserve them and keep them from sticking in the bag.

    Also go invest in some spices and fresh herbs to chop up and add to your food for flavor. Just check the label to be sure there's not added salt in there. McCormick makes a whole line of no-salt spices that are quite tasty.

    If you are handy with baking, you can make your own bread fairly easily and not add any salt to it. It is a little time consuming, but works quite well.
  • Jackieb301
    Jackieb301 Posts: 140 Member
    Bump! I need to watch my sodium and blood pressure...
  • CallOnRo
    CallOnRo Posts: 62 Member
    bump
  • Daisy374
    Daisy374 Posts: 539 Member
    Breads can be high in sodium!!! So be careful read labels! I actually read the label on EVERYTHING before I buy it and compare to find items with the lowest sodium.

    I cook a lot of my own stuff so I can control the sodium...especially stuff like soup and chili. The canned ones are just too high for me.

    I was a saltaholic before, and will admit it took some getting used to... but now I can really taste when things are salty and I am sometimes shocked at how salty things I ate before taste to me now, but how I never noticed it before. But the biggest benefit I like is how I don't retain water like I used to, so it is definitely worth it.

    Good luck! :drinker:
  • nszocinski
    nszocinski Posts: 156 Member
    bump
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    You should probably think of revaming your whole diet and consuming more natural foods that will bring your sodium levels way down, and if your blood pressure is that high you should be addressing other more important factors like weight loss, exercise, daily stress, proper sleep, potassium regulation, limit alcohol etc.
  • peprmintpt
    peprmintpt Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for the tips, I was def. A salt acholic, I would eat salt sandwiches. My blood pressure has always been high probably due to weight. In the week on this dash diet I have lost 6 pds so far and blood pressure levels much better. I had a hysterectomy about a month ago, cancer prevention related. After my surgery, my blood pressure got even higher so I started the dash diet. I think iam gonna need to go to my local whole foods for some breads since the other stores don't seem to carry them. also might have to dig out my bread machine and make my own.
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