Reducing Sodium Intake

Being conscious of your salt intake is important to reduce the likelihood of high blood pressure and reduce the chances of developing heart disease. Decreasing your sodium intake can be difficult, especially if you habitually add table salt to your food. Give these sodium reduction tips a try!

·      Cut back on prepared foods- Most of our salt comes from processed, prepared foods such as crackers, cheese, canned foods, breakfast cereals, and restaurant foods. Even processed foods that don’t taste “salty,” like breakfast cereal, can have surprisingly high sodium levels so be cautious.

·      Eat smaller portions of salty food- Choosing foods with lower sodium doesn’t mean losing flavor. Human taste buds aren’t sensitive enough to notice a minor (30 percent) reduction in salt, and for many types of foods, salt reductions of up to 30 percent won’t taste noticeably different.

·      Discovered reduced or no sodium alternatives- Salt substitutes, including herbs and spices, and citrus like lemon can provide more flavor with less sodium.

·      Cook your own meals- Instead of eating processed foods and restaurant meals, focus on cooking with fresh ingredients. Cooking with fresh unprocessed ingredients allows you to control the amount of salt you decide to add to your meals- if any!