Limiting the
salt in your diet may seem difficult. But if you are aware of the sodium
content in foods and avoid high-sodium foods, you will be able to limit your sodium intake to 1,000 mg a day.
Perhaps the major misconception
people have when limiting sodium is that the biggest source of sodium in the
diet is salt added at the table. This is not true. In general, the biggest
source of sodium is processed foods and foods from restaurants. About 66% of the sodium in our diet comes from these sources, while salt added
at the table accounts for only about 15% of our sodium intake.
Following are some suggestions to help you limit your sodium
intake.
Evaluate your diet
- Talk with a doctor about how much sodium you
need and how to evaluate your current diet. He or she will probably ask you
what types of foods you are eating and get a rough estimate of your current
sodium intake. Have
questions prepared to ask him or
her.
- Track your sodium intake for a few days by counting the
milligrams of sodium in the foods you eat. You will have to know how to read
food labels
. Record your intake in the
salt record
(What is a PDF document?). - Review your record with your doctor. He or she
will be able to help you target which foods to avoid and provide other dietary
advice.
Cook with less salt
When you cook your food, you
can cut down on salt by:
- Using fresh or frozen
foods.
- Rinsing canned vegetables.
- Flavoring your food
with spices, not salt. But don't use soy sauce, steak sauce, onion salt, garlic
salt, mustard, or ketchup on your food because these contain a lot of
salt.
- Avoiding processed foods.
Limit salt in your foods
Look for salt in the
foods you prepare and try to avoid high-salt foods.
- Read
food labels
. They tell you how much sodium a food contains in each
serving. - Read ingredient lists and be aware of the many forms
of salt. These include sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate (MSG, common in
Chinese food), sodium citrate, sodium alginate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium
phosphate.
- Substitute low-salt foods for high-salt foods. Use a
general list of foods allowed and foods to avoid. For
instance, milk and vegetables are low-salt foods but frozen prepared meals and
crackers are high in salt. Foods allowed have low salt content. Foods to avoid
have high salt content.
- Avoid fast food and processed
foods.
- Ask for low-salt foods when you eat out.
- Drink
low-salt bottled water.
- Don't add table salt to your
food.
- Don't drink water that has been softened.
If you do not cook for yourself, let those who help
you know that you need a low-salt diet:
- If family members or friends help you, or if
you hire someone, print this section and have them read it. This will help them
provide you with the right food choices.
- If you have meals
delivered to you, attend a senior center for meals, or have another source of
meals, ask the administrator of the program about low-salt meals. You may have
to ask for special meals.
- If you feel you need help, ask the
provider of a nutrition program (often a health department or hospital in your
area) to find out where meals are served in your area. Be sure they know that
you have to limit the amount of salt in your diet.
In general, the biggest source of sodium in our diets
is:
This answer is
incorrect.
In general, the biggest source of sodium in our
diets is not salt added at the table. Processed foods and foods from
restaurants are the biggest contributors of sodium in our diets. About
66% of the sodium in our diets comes from these sources. Salt added at
the table is only about 15% of our sodium intake. The correct answer is
b.
This answer is
correct.
In general, the biggest source of sodium in our
diets is processed foods and foods from restaurants. About 66% of the
sodium in our diets comes from these sources. Salt added at the table is only
about 15% of our sodium intake.
This answer is
incorrect.
In general, the biggest source of sodium in our
diets is not salt added in cooking. Processed foods and foods from restaurants
are the biggest contributors of sodium in our diets. About 66% of the
sodium in our diets comes from these sources. Salt added at the table is only
about 15% of our sodium intake. The correct answer is b.
This answer is
incorrect.
In general, the biggest source of sodium in our
diets is not milk. Processed foods and foods from restaurants are the biggest
contributors of sodium in our diets. About 66% of the sodium in our
diets comes from these sources. Salt added at the table is only about 15% of
our sodium intake. The correct answer is b.
Choose the food lowest in salt (you may need to review
the general list of
foods allowed and foods to avoid):
This answer is
correct.
Fresh green beans have the least salt. All the
other foods have salt added to them.
This answer is
incorrect.
Canned green beans contain more salt. Fresh
green beans have the least salt. The correct answer is a.
This answer is
incorrect.
Green bean casserole contains more salt. Fresh
green beans have the least salt. The correct answer is a.
This answer is
incorrect.
Green beans served at a restaurant usually
contain more salt. Fresh green beans have the least salt. The correct answer is
a.