Ingesting too much salt, or sodium chloride, in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, causing the heart to work harder than it should. High blood pressure can result in heart disease or failure, stroke and kidney disease. But sodium is needed in a diet for the body's muscles and nerves to function properly. The mineral also helps regulate body fluids, a process managed by the kidneys.
Sodium Guidelines
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that the average person consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. This equates to approximately 1 tsp. of table salt. People with hypertension or diabetes, as well as adults over the age of 51 and children under age 3, are advised to have less than 1,500 mg per day. The average American consumes much more than this, however. At the time of publication, salt intake hovered around approximately 3,400 mg per day, according to the USDA.
Reading Labels
Pay attention to food labels on prepared foods when purchasing grocery items for lunch and other meals. Looking at the "Percent Daily Value" on a nutrition facts label shows the percentage of the recommended daily value of sodium per serving. Paying attention to serving size is key as well. If there are 15 mg of sodium in one serving, but you're consuming two servings of iced tea with your lunch, you're getting double the sodium. Also, by simply looking at the ingredient list, if sodium is one of the first three items listed, the food is considered to have a higher salt content. The following descriptors on labels are helpful to keep in mind: "Sodium free" food has less than 5 mg of sodium per serving; "very low sodium" has less than 35 mg of sodium per serving; "low sodium" has less than 140 mg of sodium per serving; and "no salt added" had no salt added during processing, but it is not necessarily sodium free. The USDA publishes a comprehensive list of the sodium content of hundreds of types of food, if a food label is not available.
Low-Sodium Lunches
Many foods in their natural state contain sodium. But most sodium is added to food during processing or home preparation. Low-sodium foods to gravitate toward include fresh fruit and vegetables; lean meats including poultry and fish; and unprocessed grains. A sample lunch might consist of low-sodium deli turkey, romaine lettuce, tomato and hummus on a wheat wrap, followed by a berry smoothie. Another low-sodium lunch idea would be whole wheat couscous tossed with steamed fresh vegetables or quinoa mixed with a variety of unsalted nuts.
Low-Sodium Cooking
Choose fresh, frozen or canned vegetables or beans without added salt. Avoid instant pastas and boxed rice, especially those that come with seasoning pouches. Intake of salty snack foods such as chips and pretzels should be minimal, as should full-fat varieties of dairy foods. Packaged convenience foods such as pizza, canned soups or broths, sauces, gravies and salad dressings often are high in sodium, unless labeled otherwise. Therefore, it is best to purchase low-sodium versions of favorite condiments such as ketchup and soy sauce.
Cooking from scratch, mostly grilling and roasting, plus skipping high-salt sauces can keep sodium limits in check. When a recipe calls for salt, try eliminating it altogether, as the difference in flavor may not even be noticed. Substituting black pepper, onion, garlic or herbs in place of the salt shaker helps keep sodium levels low as well. Also, adding potassium to the diet from foods such as bananas, dates or lima beans can help counterbalance the effects of sodium on blood pressure, thereby doing the heart a favor.
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