How to Reduce Your Dietary Sodium/Salt
Most of the sodium in your diet comes from
processed foods. The rest comes from the salt added at the table, and
salt added while cooking. Observe the sodium RDA and limit the amount
of sodium that you consume from all these sources to no more than 2,400
milligrams (mg) each day which is equal to about 1 teaspoon of salt.
How to Reduce Sodium in Your Diet
- Eat canned soups, or broths, or bouillon
cubes, sparingly. These foods can be very high in sodium.
- Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat,
rather than canned or processed types.
- Avoid bacon, unless sodium-free.
- Avoid salted nuts, chips and other snackfoods.
- Switch to low sodium margarine, or low-salt
butter.
- Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning
blends instead of salt, in cooking and at the table.
- Cut back on instant or flavored rice,
which usually have added salt.
- Choose "convenience" foods
that are lower in sodium.
- Cut back on frozen dinners, mixed dishes
such as pizza mixes, packaged mixes, and salad dressings.
- Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals
that are lower in sodium.
Reduce Sodium When Shopping
- Read the food label to find out more
about what is in the foods you eat This will help you choose foods to
limit the amount of sodium you eat to 2,400 mg each day.
- Choose foods that say:
Sodium Free
Very Low Sodium
Low Sodium
Reduced (or less) Sodium
Light in Sodium
Unsalted
Reduce Sodium in Meals
- Add less salt at the table and in cooking.
Reduce the amount a little each day until none is used. Try spices and
herbs instead, or sodium-free bouillon. Sprinkle lemon juice over vegetables,
season or marinate meat, poultry, and fish ahead of time with onion,
garlic, and your favorite herbs before cooking to bring out the flavor.
- Cook with low-salt ingredients. Remove
salt from recipes whenever possible. Rice, pasta, and hot cereals can
be cooked with little or no salt.
- Use fewer sauces, mixes, and "instant"
products this includes flavored rices, pasta, and cereal, which usually
have salt added.
- Rinse salt from canned foods.
Sources include:
National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
And Office of Research on Minority Health
Sodium Diet Related Links:
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