Low Sodium Foods Please!

the only real way to reduce is to just eat cleaner. Processed foods are loaded with sodium. Deli meat has good amount of sodium. Reducing sodium and sugar has completely changed how I eat. I have lost 20lbs in the last 65 days just by paying attention to sodium and adjusting my diet accordingly. I recently started paying attention to the sugar. I am a sugar bug, and I know that if you have high sugar it can make you crave and eat more.

Cut out processed foods.

Vegetables, fruits, and meats (that aren't injected with salt water) are all very low in sodium

Hi, GreenEyes. What kinds of foods do you eat?

Fruits

Vegetables

Pasta and rice made with unsalted water

Swiss cheese

Fresh meat (not deli meat, or chicken/pork that's been plumped with saline)

Make your own bread

Cook beans from dry instead of canned

Make your own salad dressings

Honestly, if you make things from scratch instead of buying canned/packaged/processed, it's pretty easy to keep sodium in check.

Eat clean, unprocessed foods... Yes, it takes A LOT more time to prepare all of your meals, but well worth it, processed foods are loaded with sodium and while they are super easy and taste good, they just aren't great for you.

Also eat things with a lot of potassium, it helps rid your body of sodium... I really am starting to think that beans really are the "magical fruit" Lima beans don't really have a taste I don't think they have TONS of fiber and potassium, a good amount of proteins too, no fats, slow carbs and no sodium if you make them from the dried packages... yes that takes a lot of time to prep too. but well worth it... I eat bean brownie batter every morning... It really does taste pretty good... blend 3 cups of cooked and drained lima beans, 1 cup of steal cut oats, about 20 mint leaves from the herb garden, 2 tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 tbs of truvia in a food processor... makes 8 servings, only around 85 calories per serving, half of your daily recomendation of fiber and keeps me full all morning. Sure it doesn't taste like a real brownie, but still not bad.

Fruits

Vegetables

Pasta and rice made with unsalted water

Swiss cheese

Fresh meat (not deli meat, or chicken/pork that's been plumped with saline)

Make your own bread

Cook beans from dry instead of canned

Make your own salad dressings

Honestly, if you make things from scratch instead of buying canned/packaged/processed, it's pretty easy to keep sodium in check.

great :-) but it depends which Swiss cheese... I live in Switzerland and we have a lot of sorts with a huge amount of sodium... I don't know, maybe in the US "Swiss cheese" is just one of them... :-) Good luck everyone

I try to watch my sodium as well; my diary is open if you want to check it out. Here are a few random things I do:

It helps to try to eat foods that are less processed, and I've stopped adding salt. I think salt substitutes taste terrible, so I try to use lemon, lime, hot pepper, and salt-free Mrs. Dash seasonings to add flavor.

I love beans, but I've realized that most of the cans have ridonk amounts of sodium, even in some of the "low sodium" varieties. I never have the foresight or patience to boil my own from the bag (which is definitely ideal), so if you're like me, check out the organic cans. I've found that the store brand organic beans at my grocery store have waaaay less sodium.

Tomato sauce also has a butt-ton of sodium; I buy no-salt-added marinara and add basil and garlic for flavor.

Oh and another one of my favs - to marinate chicken, I use lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. Super delish on the grill and no added sodium!

Hi, I am looking for some low sodium foods....OR....how to cut sodium in my diet. I find myself daily going over my limit. I feel like pooh because of it and I need some help. I am trying to loose over 100 pounds and can feel my legs swelling when I eat to much salt. I know that I am retaining water and I don't want that to keep happening. Please HELP!!! Please also feel free to add me. I need all the support I can get right now

Try to stay away from canned/processed foods as much as possible. Also, deli meats are loaded with sodium. Sara Lee does make a LowER Sodium turkey breast, ham, and chicken breast, but there's still alot of sodium in it, so I eat it in half servings (2 slices). You can get no sodium added tuna, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and sometimes kidney beans. I use a combination of the three canned tomato products and add Italian seasoning, onion, green pepper, and mushroom to make my own tomato sauce instead of using Prego, Ragu, etc, which has loads of sodium in it. Fresh/frozen veggies are best, though. Invest in some good herbs and spices, then learn how/when to use them. That way you can add flavor to your meals without relying on the salt shaker. Stay away from sodas and processed drinks. Cheeses are also high in sodium, so use them sparingly. Canned soups are also notoriously high in sodium. I like to buy lots of fresh veggies at the Farmers Market in the summer time and make my own veggie soup, then can it or freeze it so I have some during the cold months. Read the labels on everything. If it has more than 140mg of sodium per serving, it is not considered a low sodium food. 5mg or less is considered no sodium. This is everything I can come up with off the top of my head, but here is an article that may have some more ideas.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/Nutrition/hic_Low-Sodium_Diet_Guidelines.aspx

I have been researching this, too lately. Unfortunately for me, there isn't much way around preparing everything yourself! lol

But if you are like me, not a great cook and/or busy , start with small swaps. Look at your diary and pick one thing you can find a low sodium substitute. This week I packed swiss cheese as a snack instead of string cheese and prepared my own brown rice for the week instead of using the 90 second zap variety! Bread's sodium content was a surprise to me, I'm trying to eat less and using those "thins" for sandwiches.

I am planning to find a health food store in my area to see if I can find a few low sodium dressing type preparation staples.

I love sandwich thins! They have been a Godsend for me. It's more like using only one regular slice of bread at a time, but you still feel like you're getting a whole sandwich. Plus, I like to get the Nature's Own Multi-grain with Flax Seed, that way I'm getting extra fiber and some Omega 3's (from the flax seed).

Fruits

Vegetables

Pasta and rice made with unsalted water

Swiss cheese

Fresh meat (not deli meat, or chicken/pork that's been plumped with saline)

Make your own bread

Cook beans from dry instead of canned

Make your own salad dressings

Honestly, if you make things from scratch instead of buying canned/packaged/processed, it's pretty easy to keep sodium in check.

great :-) but it depends which Swiss cheese... I live in Switzerland and we have a lot of sorts with a huge amount of sodium... I don't know, maybe in the US "Swiss cheese" is just one of them... :-) Good luck everyone

In the US Emmental Cheese is called "Swiss Cheese."

Stay away from fast food, pre-packaged food, and canned food. Sometimes they have low sodium versions of things, or no salt added canned things. Still should check labels though, because low sodium doesn't always mean much. :P

Just eat more whole foods if you want to reduce sodium, like others have said.