Consuming too much salt, or sodium chloride, can raise your blood pressure levels. Higher blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke. Because sodium is present in all foods, including fruit and vegetables, you cannot eliminate all salt from your diet. But reducing your salt intake can have an immediate, positive effect on your health, and eating less salt is easier than you might think.
How Much Salt?
The Institute of Medicine says that people ages 9 to 50 need no more than 1.5 g of sodium daily. People 51 to 70 years old need 1.3 g, and people over 70 should reduce their daily consumption to 1.2 g. Infants up to six months old need no more than .12 g per day, and from 6 months to 1 year, they need only 0.37 g daily. Children ages 1 to 3 years should consume 1 g daily, and children ages 4 to 8 can consume up to 1.2 g daily.
Diet Plan
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has developed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet to help people reduce their sodium intake. DASH emphasizes whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables as low-sodium sources of energy and nutrition. It offers a menu plan, recipes and advice on changing your eating habits, such as substituting an apple for four cookies, to help reduce the salt you consume.
Food Shopping
Some food manufacturers offer products with no added salt to reduce your overall sodium intake. The amount of salt added to food varies from canned to pickled to frozen, and between manufacturers. Read package nutrition labels to determine how much salt is in the foods you purchase. Check the label's serving size using the Percent Daily Value information to quickly determine how much one serving contributes to your overall daily intake of sodium.
Salt Alternatives
Add flavor to your food by replacing salt with other herbs and spices. Use black or red pepper, cilantro, garlic and ginger to add spice. Fresh or dried basil, sage, rosemary and thyme create clean tastes and subtle flavor. Add zest with low sodium wines, vinegars and small amounts of lemon or lime juice.
Meals at Home
Many people add salt when cooking by habit or because the recipe calls for salt. But you can often add no salt and still prepare a great tasting dish. For example, leave the salt out of a banana bread recipe and see if anyone notices. Instead of using salt while cooking, place a salt shaker on the table and taste your food before adding salt.
Dining Out
One of the most challenging aspects of managing your salt intake is dining out. Most restaurants do not include sodium information on their menus. If you are pursuing a low salt diet, check the restaurant's website to see if it lists nutritional information for its dishes. If so, avoid those items that are higher in sodium. If no information is available, ask your waiter to prepare your food with no added salt.
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