Salt & Sodium: Dangers to Your Diet

All About Sodium

Sodium is a mineral that your body needs to function properly. But eating too much sodium may, in time, raise your blood pressure. And high blood pressure increases your risk of stroke, heart disease, heart failure, and kidney disease.

Most people should aim to eat less than 2300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. That’s about 1 teaspoon of table salt. Yet most people in the United States get more sodium than they need each day. Most of this excess sodium comes from eating processed foods, such as frozen pizza and potato chips.

Quick Facts on Salt

• Most sodium is consumed in the form of sodium chloride which is table salt. Other forms of sodium are also found in food, so watch out for salt AND sodium.
• Try to have less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day – that’s the same as 6 grams of salt a day, or about 1 teaspoon
• That includes ALL sodium and salt – what’s in the product, and added in cooking and at the table
• Processed foods account for most of the sodium and salt consumed
• Check food labels – sodium is in some foods you might not expect, such as soy sauce and some antacids
• Kosher salt and sea salt are just that – salt. Don’t forget to include them in adding up your sodium intake for the day
• Reducing salt in the diet can lower blood pressure

Limiting Your Sodium

One way to limit the amount of sodium you eat is to check the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts label when buying food. The sodium content in similar foods can vary a lot. For instance, the sodium content in regular tomato soup may be 700 mg per cup in one brand and 1100 mg per cup in another brand. Choosing the brands with lower sodium content can be one way to lower the amount of sodium you eat.

Also, keep in mind that not all sodium in food is in the form of salt. Other food ingredients also contain sodium, such as:

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite (used as preservatives in foods such as luncheon meats)

Another way to limit sodium is to use spices other than salt. There are plenty of salt-free spice combinations that you can find in your grocery store. It may take a while for you to get used to the taste. But give it time. After a while, you may like them better than salt.

Besides limiting the amount of sodium you eat, it is also a good idea to eat foods rich in potassium. A potassium-rich diet blunts the harmful effects of sodium on blood pressure. Aim to eat 4700 mg of potassium a day.

Tips for Reducing Sodium in Your Diet

• Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned “with no salt added” vegetables.
• Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.
• Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.
• Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
• Choose “convenience” foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings – these often have a lot of sodium.
• Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.
• When available, buy low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods.
• Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.
• Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned “with no salt added” vegetables
• Choose foods that say the following on their packages:
  • Sodium free
  • Very low sodium
  • Low sodium
  • Reduced (or less) sodium
  • Light in sodium
  • Unsalted

Flavor That Food!

Make foods tasty without using salt. Try these flavorings, spices, and herbs:

For Meat, Poultry, and Fish:

• Beef: Bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme
• Lamb: Curry powder, garlic, rosemary, mint
• Pork: Garlic, onion, sage, pepper, oregano
• Veal: Bay leaf, curry powder, ginger, marjoram, oregano
• Chicken: Ginger, marjoram, oregano, paprika, poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
• Fish: Curry powder, dill, dry mustard, lemon juice, marjoram, paprika, pepper

For Vegetables:

• Carrots: Cinnamon, cloves, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
• Corn: Cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika, parsley
• Green Beans: Dill, curry powder, lemon juice, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme
• Greens: Onion, Pepper
• Peas: Ginger, marjoram, onion, parsley, sage
• Potatoes: Dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley, sage
• Summer Squash: Cloves, curry powder, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
• Winter Squash: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, onion
• Tomatoes: Basil, bay leaf, dill, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley, pepper

Tips on How to Prepare Lower Salt 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
• 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
• Limit smoked, cured, or processed beef, pork, or poultry