Shake the Salt Habit Part II

Reducing sodium in the diet is not only a change in habit; it's also a change in taste. Why?

The saliva in the mouth contains sodium that bathes the taste buds. The more sodium a person consumes, the more their taste buds "crave salt" in food. It can take two weeks of eating a low-sodium diet to reduce the craving for salty food. Once the taste buds "get used" to lower sodium food, food that normally tasted fine, may now taste salty.

The first step in the process of reducing sodium is to stop adding salt to food at the table. Get rid of the salt shaker! Next, read food labels. Start with the non-perishable food in the supermarket aisles -- if sodium or salt are one of the first 5 ingredients, put it back. Some examples of "red light" foods are:

Salty snacks
Canned vegetables
Canned soups (homemade is easy and tastes great)
Seasoned boxed grains
Canned fish in either oil or water
Marinades and salad dressings

In the deli, freezer and refrigerated sections there are also foods with added salt such as deli meats, frozen vegetables with sauces, and frozen dinners.

Do unprocessed foods contain sodium? Absolutely! All foods, except water, contain this important nutrient, but in lower amounts than processed foods. Also, foods like bread have added salt for baking purposes. So, if the goal is to get as low as 1500 mg per day for heart health based on a physicians recommendation, here are some additional foods that need to be monitored:

Dairy, not more than 2 servings.
Limit bakery products to less than 6 servings. Check the label for portion sizes.
Cook at home more often... restaurant food has more salt than recommended.
Eat fresh or frozen vegetables without sauces containing salt.
Make salad dressings and marinades... oil and vinegar are essentially sodium free.

Reducing salt and sodium in the diet is a recommendation that is evidence based. Take steps to incorporate some or all of these suggestions when planning meals.

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