A single teaspoon of regular table salt has about 2,325 mg of sodium. On average, Americans eat about 5 tbsp. of salt every day, according to the University of California Medical Center's website. By combining a low-sodium diet with eating 1,500 calories, you will be eating at a weight-loss level for both men and women. As you change your eating habits, focus on both calories and sodium to meet your health and weight-loss goals.
Identification and Benefits
Keep your calories to 1,500 each day, and your sodium consumption under 1,500 mg to follow the sodium recommendations of the American Heart Association. Following a low-sodium diet can reduce your blood pressure, which in turn reduces your risk of stroke or developing heart disease. Eating 1,500 calories of low-sodium, healthy foods, may enable you to lose weight at a healthy rate of 1 to 2 lb. per week. As you lose weight, your energy levels may improve, you may experience less frequent mood swings and experience less joint pain.
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet, is a plan endorsed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Although not designed as a weight-loss diet, you can easily adapt the diet to your 1,500 calorie level requirements. Use measured servings rather than calorie counting to stay within a 1,500 calorie diet and read the food nutrition labels to monitor how many milligrams of sodium each food contains. The less processed a food, the less sodium it generally contains. Eat 5.5 oz. of whole-grains, four 1/2 cup servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-calorie dairy products, two 3 oz. servings of meat, 2 tbsp. of nuts and 1 1/2 tbsp. of healthy oils and fats each day. Choose lower-calorie choices such as reduced-calorie breads, calorie-free condiments such as mustard or vinegar, low-fat dairy and raw or lightly cooked vegetables and fresh fruit.
Design Your Own Plan
Designing your own low-calorie, low-sodium eating plan allows you flexibility to follow a vegetarian diet, or focus on your favorite foods while learning how to adapt your lifestyle. Count both calories and monitor sodium intake as you eat throughout the day. Allot 60 percent, or about 450 calories each for both breakfast and lunch. Use the remaining 40 percent, or 600 calories for dinner and one snack. Eat a breakfast with under 200 mg sodium to ensure you have enough sodium milligrams left for the rest of the day. Filling, low-sodium, low-calorie breakfasts include homemade bean burritos, egg white omelets, steel-cut oatmeal and some cold cereals. Use low-sodium, low-calorie whole grains for both lunch and dinner. Choose beans or poultry for protein, no-salt frozen, canned or fresh vegetables, whole fruits and rice or pastas without added salt. Read the food labels to determine your lowest sodium choices when comparing processed foods.
Considerations
While dining at a restaurant is relaxing, the sodium content and calorie amounts in many dining establishments can make it difficult to stay on your plan. A cheese quesadilla can have over 3,000 mg of sodium and over 1,700 calories, and restaurant prepared Asian double pan-fried noodles has over 7,000 mg of sodium and about 1,800 calories, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. If you must eat out, choose plain or all-vegetable salads with vinegar. Ask the server for a nutritional brochure or research the restaurant's website before dining. Other healthier dining choices include plain meats, unsalted potatoes and small orders of bread.
References
- University of California at San Francisco Medical Center: Guidelines for a Low Sodium Diet
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21: Sodium
- American Heart Association: Sodium
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: DASH Diet
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH
- American College of Sports Medicine: Fit Society Page; Matthew Percia, et al.; Spring 2010
Member Comments