Salt Sense

Salt is made up of two minerals: sodium and chloride. You need these minerals in the body to help balance fluid levels. Sodium is the main concern with your dietary intake. Normally your body can handle any level of sodium intake, even large excesses. However, some people can not handle such large amounts and are called "salt sensitive". Unfortunately there are no tests to determine who is or is not salt sensitive so it is recommended that everyone learn to limit their intake of sodium.
Large amounts of sodium in your diet may lead to large amounts of sodium in your blood. Sodium attracts water in the blood that can lead to high blood pressure, stress to your heart, and swelling in your hands, ankles, and feet.
It is recommended that a diet low in sodium include no more than 2400 milligrams of sodium a day. Typically Americans consume 4000 to 7000 milligrams a day. Your body only needs about 295 milligrams to meet its daily needs.
Sodium is everywhere. Mother Nature put it in all foods. However 75% of the sodium you consume comes from processed foods. Salt is used as a preservative to keep foods fresh longer. The more processed a food is the higher the sodium content.
For many people salt makes food taste better. Believe it or not you are not born with the desire to eat salty foods. Using salt to season food is something that you learn to like as you grow up. It is hard at first to use less salt but be patient your taste buds will adjust after about 2 weeks of using less salt.
Making Changes
Season your foods with herbs and spices instead of salt to enhance flavor. Use garlic
powder or onion powder instead of garlic salt or onion salt.
Find an empty salt shaker and fill it with 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt as your limit of extra salt to season foods for the day. This will give you a good idea of how much extra salt you may have been using.
Be careful: low sodium or reduced sodium salts are still high in sodium.
Try to select more fresh foods and prepare more foods yourself so that you control
the amount of sodium used. Prepare extra portions when you cook and freeze individual
servings for "fast foods". |
Look for these claims on food labels to help your choices |
Sodium Free | |
Low Sodium | |
Reduced Sodium | |
Light in Sodium | |
Very Low Sodium | |
Unsalted |
Labeling Standards | |
Very Low Sodium Foods |
Less than 35 milligrams sodium/serving |
Low Sodium Foods | Less than 140 milligrams sodium/serving |
Moderate Sodium Foods | 140 to 400 milligrams sodium/serving |
High Sodium Foods | Greater than 400 milligrams sodium/serving |
Very High Sodium Foods |
Foods Greater than 600 milligrams sodium/serving
|
Additional Information: The following is a web site to provide you with more information about healthy diets: |
References
DASH Eating Plan. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
Larson Duyff, R. & ADA. (2006). American Dietetic Association complete food and nutrition guide (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Reduce salt in your diet. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/reduce-salt-in-your-diet
Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2008). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (11th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Tips for reducing salt in your diet. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/healthdisp/pdf/tipsheets/Tips-to-Eat-Less-Salt-and-Sodium.pdf
Developed in 2001 by Julie L. Smith, MS, RD, LD, CDE at The University of Toledo for Caring~Web©
Revised 2010, 2012.