Tips to Lower Sodium

According to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine—the scientists who provide government agencies with advice about nutrition guidelines—nearly all men and about three quarters of women eat too much sodium. If you want to limit the amount of sodium you eat, here are guidelines for you to think about as you buy your foods and prepare them:

•             Choose and use as much unprocessed, fresh foods as you can. This means buying fresh fruits and vegetables. If you buy processed vegetables, choose frozen vegetables that don’t have sauces and seasonings.

•             Choose and use fish, chicken and meats that are not processed, smoked or prepared with sauces or seasonings.

•             Choose snack foods that have less than 150 to 200 mg of sodium for each serving.

•             Limit the amount of sodium in side dishes to less than 300 to 350 mg for each serving.

•             Choose frozen meals or fast foods that have less than 600 to 800 mg of sodium for each serving.

•             Choose natural cheeses, such as mozzarella, rather than processed cheeses.

•             Make your own salad dressings with healthy oils, such as corn or safflower, and add vinegar, mustard, garlic and the like. These are all very low in sodium.

•             Use plenty of herbs and spices to season your foods. These are very low in sodium. Watch out for items like garlic salt, lemon pepper or mixtures of seasonings.

•             Use seasonings like lemon, lime, vinegars or mustards to increase the flavor in your foods without extra sodium.

•             Limit the amount of salt you use in cooking and at the table.