Trying to reduce the sodium in your diet can be challenging, given that everything that comes in a box, bag, can or jar seems to have too much salt. However, the benefits of reducing salt intake are important. Excess sodium in your diet can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, eye problems or damage to your kidneys or liver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends that you reduce your sodium consumption to 1,500 mg, a little more than half a teaspoon, or less per day,
Step 1
Become a savvy shopper. Read labels and buy foods that are low sodium or have no added salt. Buy fresh meat, poultry and fish instead of processed meats such as ham, bacon, hot dogs or sandwich meats. Buy fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits rather than canned.
Step 2
Reduce the amount of salt you add during cooking by using salt-free seasoning blends, fresh herbs, lemon juice and vinegar. Put a salt-free seasoning blend on your table, rather than a shaker of salt.
Step 3
Cook pasta, rice and cereals without salt. Pasta sauces usually have enough salt to flavor the pasta. Serve rice with vegetables and meats to add flavor to the rice. Adding nuts, raisins, blueberries or other fruits to cooked cereals gives them plenty of flavor. Don't buy convenience foods such as flavored rice, instant rice or instant cereal. If you buy pasta sauce in a jar or can, add a 15-oz. can of salt-free tomatoes to the sauce when you heat it.
Step 4
Avoid high-sodium snack foods such as chips, salted nuts, baked goods or cheese. Cut back on convenience foods, fast foods and restaurant foods. Rinse canned foods such as vegetables, beans or tuna to remove some of the salt.
Step 5
Reduce the amount of condiments you use, such as ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, steak sauce, pickles and salsa -- all of which are high in sodium, unless the label specifically says they are low-sodium.
Member Comments