The average American eats more than 3,400 milligrams of salt per day, according to the American Heart Association. That's 1,100 mg more than the maximum amount recommended for healthy adults, and more than double the amount recommended for those with health conditions. Watch your sodium intake by reading labels, reducing the amount of processed food you consume and going on a low-salt diet.
Benefits of a Low-Salt Meal Plan
Salt helps the body keep fluids balance, so it is a vital mineral that is found in many foods. However, too much salt in your diet can cause your body to retain water, increase blood pressure and cause swelling. These effects can be minimized by going on a low-salt diet.
Reading Food Labels
Creating a low-salt meal plan is made a lot easier by the standardized labels required by the National Labeling and Education Act. A product can be called low sodium if it has less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving. It can be labeled as no sodium if it has less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving. While it's a good idea to choose a low- or no-sodium alternative, too many of those products can easily add up to too much sodium, so continually read labels, add up the milligrams and incorporate more sodium-free foods into your meal plans.
Sources of Sodium
To create a low-salt meal plan, you first need to know where the majority of sodium comes from. Surprisingly, it's not from the saltshaker at your table. Most of dietary sodium comes from processed and prepared foods, according to MayoClinic.com. Examples of processed and prepared foods include boxed and frozen dinners, as well restaurant meals. The additional salt preserves the food and enhances its flavor.
There are natural sources of sodium, such as celery, milk, meat and shellfish. Like other low-sodium foods, it's important to keep natural sources of sodium in check as just one cup of low-fat milk can adds 125 milligrams of sodium to your daily intake.
The greatest control you have over a low-salt diet is to avoid adding salt to recipes or salting your food at the table. Watch out for sodium-loaded condiments, such as soy sauce, which has 1,000 milligrams of sodium in each tablespoon.
What to Eat
A low-salt meal plan is made up of moderate-sized portions of food from each food group with occasional use of canned or frozen foods. Choose two to three servings of protein per day, such as 2 to 3 ounces of fish, shellfish, meat or poultry, one egg or 1/2 cup of cooked dried beans or peas. Eat five or more servings of vegetables and fruits per day. Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables have the least amount of salt. If choosing canned vegetables or vegetable juices, choose the no-salt-added or low-sodium variety. Choose also six serving of grains, such as pasta, rice or low-sodium breads and crackers, as well as two servings of dairy products such as low-sodium cheese and cottage cheese.
Flavoring Foods
Salt is commonly used to enhance the flavor of food, but there are plenty of no-salt condiments that can be used when on a no-salt meal plan. These include citrus juices, such as lemon, lime and orange juice, all types of vinegars--try apple cider or balsamic vinegar--or herbs and spices, either fresh or dried.
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