How do I decrease my salt intake?
Eating too much salt is very detrimental to health and can cause serious health issues, mainly increased blood pressure, which can increase risk of heart disease and stroke. But did you know that if you’re eating a significant amount of bread, that your salt intake could be too much? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the leading cause of nine out of ten Americans’ increased intake of salt is when they eat bread or rolls with dinner.[1] With one of three Americans facing heart disease, it’s very important to monitor your salt intake. The recommended daily allowance is 2,400 milligrams per day and it’s important that you don’t consume more than that on a regular basis.
It’s important to remember that you do need sodium to help maintain water balance in your body, but it’s easy to take in too much of a good thing. So how do you avoid foods that are high in sodium? We’ve compiled a list of foods that are high in sodium. Many of these you can find in “low-sodium” form, which will help you in your goal of decreasing sodium intake and living better.
High sodium foods:
-Bacon
-Ham
-Hot dogs
-Olives
-Pickles
-Salad dressing
-Canned vegetables
-Sausage
-Cold cuts
In addition to avoiding these foods, you can also help decrease your salt intake by cooking more with natural spices, herbs, or juices. Also, incorporating lots of fresh vegetables is imperative and using salt at the table should be a rare occasion. Try not to eat frozen meals or processed foods on a regular basis, as they are often full of salt. Limit your trips to the drive thru window, too, as the foods there are likely high not only in sodium but fat as well. In addition, beware of salt substitutes – these can contain sodium and may be just as bad as the real thing! It’s likely that you’ve become accustomed to tasting strong amounts of salt on a daily basis, so reducing your serving portions of salt and beginning a low sodium diet may take a little adjusting. Researchers predict that reducing sodium intake could help prevent more than 100,000 deaths per year.[2] Your heart and overall health are worth this lifestyle change!
[1]Beasley, David. Reuters Health Information. “Bread a culripit in Americans eating too much salt.” http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_121676.html
Accessed Feb. 8, 2012
[2]“ Strategies to reduce sodium intake in the United States.” Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Consensus Report. http://iom.edu/Reports/2010/Strategies-to-Reduce-Sodium-Intake-in-the-United-States.aspx
Accessed February 9, 2012.
