How to Adopt a Lower Sodium Diet
By Making Better Choices in Recipes and Pantry Ingredients
Sep 3, 2008
Salt in the Everyday Foods We Eat
While salt may be considered royalty as a seasoning, a diet high in salt can increase the risk for hypertension and cause edema. While salt is necessary for the body, it is in almost everything around us.
Processed foods account for a large percentage of the salt we take in, and are the easiest to avoid. Simply avoiding snacks high in salt isn’t the only way for a reduced sodium diet. Read the nutrition content on the labels on foods you commonly eat like canned vegetables and pasta sauces. Items you wouldn’t consider high in sodium like breakfast cereals and breads may be high in sodium depending on the brand. Labels with the terms ‘reduced sodium’, ‘unsalted’ and ‘sodium free’ are keywords to look for. Also look for ‘low sodium’, ‘salt-free’ and ‘no salt added’.
Sodium as AdditivesReading a label closely can result in finding hidden sodium additives. While they each have a function in the processing like acting as a preservative or a leavening agent, they each contribute to the overall sodium level. Terms to look and watch out for: MSG (monosodium glutamate), sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrate and sodium saccharin. The term sodium equals salt in the finished product.
Cutting salt entirely from the diet cold turkey will probably result in salt-shaker madness soon after so reduce sodium slowly. Begin by reducing the amount of salt you add in cooking over time allowing your taste buds to accommodate and appreciate lower sodium menu choices.
Ways to Reduce Salt in Everyday Diets
Here are some ideas to incorporate into family menu planning and food preparation at home for reduced sodium diets:
- Remove salt shakers from the dining room table and replace with herb and salt free blends.
- Instead of canned vegetables in recipes, use fresh when at all possible or use frozen vegetables with no salt added. Canned vegetables are generally high in sodium. If canned vegetables cannot be substituted, choose salt-free or reduced sodium choices in the same variety of vegetable.
- Chicken and beef broth can be very high in sodium. Make stock at home and you can cut out the salt entirely, or choose lower-sodium varieties.
- When baking and cooking, use unsalted butter or margarine in place of whole butter or stick margarine.
- When making soups and chowders, try adding dry mustard powder, vinegar or peppercorns to the recipe.
- Vegetables can be seasoned and prepared with fresh mushrooms, ginger powder or fresh ginger, lemon juice and peppers.
- Meats are enhanced by the use of curry powders, garlic, sage, bay leaves, mint and blends of marjoram, savory, thyme and rosemary.
Generally speaking, salt is used to bring out the flavors of the dish being prepared. Experiment with fresh herbs or adding aromatic vegetables while at the same time removing the salt shaker when cooking. Salt can be added to a dish without the shaker by adding vegetables and different foods higher in sodium. Examples include beets and beet greens, chard, green or black olives, kale, spinach, celery and carrots. This way, a dish can be higher in fiber as well as being lower in overall sodium, and still taste great at the same time.
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