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Did you know that the daily recommended intake of sodium is 2,400mg, which is the equivalent of one teaspoon of table salt? If you have high blood pressure, the American Heart Association recommends that you limit your sodium to 1,500mg per day.
Most Americans, however, consume anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 mg per day.
Even if you aren't in the habit of regularly picking up the salt shaker, your diet may still be high in sodium. In fact, if you're like most people, the salt you add at the table or during cooking only adds up to around 5 to 10% of the sodium in your diet. A whopping 75% of the sodium that Americans consume each day is hidden in packaged, processed and prepared foods.
Following these steps will help you reduce the amount of sodium in your diet:
- Cut back on processed and prepared foods. Food manufacturers often use salt to preserve food and help "improve" the flavor and texture. Processors also use sodium to mask the taste of chemicals and additives they add to foods.
- Read labels. Just because a food doesn't taste salty doesn't mean it is low in sodium. Even foods that taste sweet can contain a significant amount of salt.
- Make over your spice rack. Seasoning mixes, rubs, and marinades can contain a lot of unnecessary sodium. Revamp your seasoning arsenal with fresh herbs, spices, and low-sodium seasoning blends like Mrs Dash. Keep in mind that condiments such as soy sauce, mustard, mayonnaise, barbeque sauce, and even ketchup contain sodium. Remember to include them when calculating your sodium intake.
Look for low-sodium products. Hoping to keep up with consumer demands, manufacturers have created lower sodium varieties of our favorite soups, canned vegetables, deli meats, crackers, sauces, and many other products.
The good news is that as you start to cut back on added salt, you'll find that your taste buds start to adjust. You'll need less salt to make foods taste good and you may develop a taste for other seasonings in the process.
