Johns Hopkins Health Alert
The Art of Making Low-Salt Food Choices
All of us need some salt to survive, but too much can lead to poor health. A high salt intake not only increases blood pressure but also raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes. In this article, Johns Hopkins offers practical advice to help you reduce the salt in your diet and still enjoy satisfying meals.
Taking salt out of the kitchen and off the dining room table is the first step in reducing your daily salt consumption. But these measures alone won’t make much of a dent in your sodium intake. That’s because only 10% of American’s sodium intake comes from salt added at the table or in cooking. Another 10% occurs naturally in food. But the vast majority -- 80% -- derives from processed and restaurant foods. And this is where you should focus most of your attention by doing the following:
- Minimize your intake of processed and packaged foods. Almost all frozen dinners, canned foods, processed meats, savory snacks, bottled sauces and dressings, and condiments are high in sodium.
- Read labels for sodium content and try to select products that contain less than 200 mg of sodium per serving.
- Look for foods with reduced-sodium labels. A label that says “low sodium” means the product contains less than 140 mg per serving; “very low sodium” indicates 35 mg or less, and “sodium free” is less than 5 mg. Foods labeled unsalted or no-salt-added contain no or only naturally occurring sodium.
- Choose fresh fruits and vegetables more often. These foods are naturally low in sodium and are good sources of potassium, a mineral that helps blunt the blood pressure–raising effects of sodium in the diet.
Eating a low-salt diet outside of the home is not always easy, but here are some tips to minimize the impact:
- Limit your consumption of fast foods and Asian foods. These are most likely to be high in salt.
- Avoid most soups and sauces. These are usually premade and almost always have plenty of salt.
- Many salad dressings contain salt. Instead, ask for oil and vinegar that you can use at the table.
- Ask the waiter if your food can be prepared without salt. Some restaurants have a no-salt menu option.
A last piece of advice: Hang in there! Research shows that in about a month and a half your taste buds will become accustomed to and perfectly contented with a lower-salt diet. After that, “normally” salted foods will taste too salty.
Posted in Hypertension and Stroke on March 30, 2010
Reviewed January 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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Can someone tell me how many mg's per day constitutes a low sodium diet? I have severe COPD with swelling in ankles & feet, etc. so want to know how much sodium--if any--is allowable Thank you.
Posted by: lopartist | April 3, 2010 9:33 AM
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Something that is rarely mentioned is rinsing certain canned foods to reduce the sodium level. I've been doing this for over twenty years now with canned tuna, chicken, beans, etc.
I open the top of the can but leave it in place. Next, I run cold water into the can and squeeze the top down. I do this three times or so until the water is almost clear.
How much salt is carried away is uncertain but I'm sure it reduces it drastically.
Posted by: BobP | March 30, 2010 6:27 AM