Are You Salt Savvy?

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that most of us are consuming nearly twice the recommended amount of sodium in our daily diet. While the daily sodium recommendation for healthy people is 2300 mg, nearly 90% of Americans (including toddlers and children) struggle to stay under that number. And for those at risk, the recommended intake is even lower: 1500 mg daily. 

For most people, the term “cutting back on salt” is interpreted as a major drop in flavor. That doesn’t need to be the case. In fact, only about 10% of the sodium we eat daily comes from the salt shaker! The use of spices and sodium-free herb blends can wake up natural flavors in foods.

Nearly 80% of our daily sodium is “hidden” in processed foods – bagged, boxed, and canned – and in restaurant meals. Here’s where the taste test fails: Foods don’t have to taste very salty to be loaded with sodium. So stick with label-reading. And look for reduced-sodium products as a major step toward cutting down – it’s not necessary to choose sodium-free foods unless you are under doctor’s orders.

Canned and boxed soups are particular culprits. Simply choosing a reduced-sodium soup instead of “regular” can cut back as much as 500 mg of sodium per serving, about one-fifth of your daily intake right there!

If the low- or no-salt-added canned products don’t pass your personal taste test, dump the full-salt version into a strainer and rinse off the liquid, which contains much of the salt. This works great for canned vegetables and beans of all types.

Learn to barter for your daily sodium choices. If you have a restaurant meal or a high-sodium meal at home, aim for fresh, simply prepared foods the rest of the day.

Check with your doctor to evaluate your personal risk factors relating to sodium intake. Those most at risk are people who (1) are over age 50, (2) are African American, (3) have high blood pressure, or (4) have a family history of high blood pressure.