Health experts advise adults 51 and older, all African-Americans and those who have high blood pressure to eat less sodium each day than the average U.S. diet contains, which is about 3,300 milligrams. Their recommendation is that about half of the U.S. population and the majority of adults should reduce sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day.
Eating too much sodium puts Americans at risk for developing serious medical conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. A diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, along with regular physical activity and losing excess body weight, helps lower blood pressure.
Here are ways to preserve the good taste of foods while cutting back on dietary salt and being savvy with your money.
• First, eat more foods from the farm and fewer from the factory. Buy as close to natural as possible, since processed packaged foods typically contain much more sodium than minimally processed ones.
• Prepare meals at home often, where you can be in control of the ingredients. Use lemon juice and salt-free herbs and spices, such as garlic and pepper, to flavor your food instead of sauces and prepackaged seasonings. Also, limit salt while cooking, and taste food first before salting at the table.
• Eat restaurant foods less often. One hamburger at a popular U.S. restaurant contains 6,400 mg of sodium, which is four times more than the daily amount recommended! Cooking your own sandwich at home will likely be much lower in sodium, and will also save you time and money. If you do dine out, ask that your meal be made with no added salt.
• At national restaurant chains, choose lower-sodium options after asking about the nutrition information of their foods. Be aware of certain foods. Foods that are high in sodium include frozen dinners, commercially prepared soups, canned vegetables, canned and cured meats, condiments, cheeses, breads and baked goods.
• If you do buy a packaged food product, buy a “no added salt” or a reduced-sodium version when possible. Also, compare the food labels of similar products. For example, fresh tomatoes have virtually no sodium. The sodium content of one brand of tomato soup is 1,100 mg per serving, and the sodium in another brand of tomato soup is 600 mg per serving.
• Be smart about food labels. If you buy packaged foods, the only way to know how much sodium is in it is to read the Nutrition Facts on the label. Many processed foods that are reduced or low in fat have had salt added to them to enhance their taste. For example, one ounce of salted peanuts contains only about half of the sodium found in one ounce of low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese (91 mg sodium for the peanuts, 174 mg sodium for the low-fat cheese)!
Be aware. Read labels!
Janine Rywak is director of the Anson County Cooperative Extension.
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