Salt (or sodium chloride) is a great way to add additional flavors to your dishes. It can also be used to preserve foods and prevent the growth of bacteria. In our body, sodium is essential for many functions, such as maintaining body fluid balance, serving as an electrolyte in body fluids to carry out cellular reactions, as well as muscle contractions. Though sodium is vital to the body, excessive intake could potentially lead to high blood pressure, heart diseases, and stroke. As mentioned above, sodium regulates fluid balance in our body, and it is shown that high sodium consumption will lead to fluid overload, which is dangerous to people who have a history of heart failure, kidney diseases, liver diseases, and in older adults.
What is the current recommended intake?
Currently, it is recommended to consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, which is about 1 teaspoon of table salt.
Where can I find sodium in foods?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that 71% of sodium consumed is from processed foods or eating out at a restaurant, 14% is naturally occurring in foods, 6% is consumed when preparing foods at home, and 5% of the amount is added at the table.
Many manufacturers use sodium in the food production process. Here is the top list of food sources besides your table salt in the kitchen.
- Bread
- Snacks (crackers, chips, pretzels, popcorn)
- Prepared/Frozen meals
- Processed foods
- Cold cuts/Cured meat
- Cheese
- Soups
- Sandwich
- Pizza
- Burritos
- Tacos
- Chicken
- Eggs
Tips to cut down sodium intake
- Limit the frequency of eating processed foods/frozen meals.
- Limit the frequency of dining out.
- When eating at a restaurant, ask for low-sodium options or no salt added to the dishes. Try to share your dish with your friends and family.
- Choose a “low-sodium” version of seasoning, such as less sodium soy sauce, less sodium oyster sauce.
- When shopping for groceries, compare different options by reading the nutrition label. Look for “no salt added”, “low sodium”, or “reduced sodium” options.
- Choose fresh meats over cured meats (sliced beef vs canned corned beef).
- Purchase fresh foods. Choose frozen or canned fruits/vegetables with no salt added.
- When cooking at home, substitute salt with other flavorful seasonings. For example, basil, garlic, cayenne, pepper, chives, onion, basil, cumin, ginger, and parsley.
- Use a measuring spoon to measure the amount of salt when cooking meals.
- Prepare sauces yourself instead of purchasing pre-made sauces.
- Remove the salt shaker at the dining table.
- Have fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks rather than buying chips, trail mix, and pretzels.
It is also important to have routine checkups with your primary care physician and have a discussion about high blood pressure. If you need additional help from a Registered Dietitian to guide you through your dietary changes, contact us for a free 15 minute discovery call at (929) 777-4973 !
