It’s been an up and down story so far. In Slash the Salt Part I & Slash the Salt Part II, we learned about how much we love salt and that we literally can’t live without the sodium in it. But we love it so much that, on average, Canadians consume 50% more than Health Canada’s recommended daily ‘upper limit’ for sodium. And excess salt poses serious risks to our health.
How to Limit the Salt in Your Diet
Cutting down on the amount of salt you eat means more than just staying away from the salt shaker.
1. Do Your Own Cooking
Our lives seem busier than ever and finding the time to shop for the right foods and prepare meals isn’t always easy. But the vast majority of the excess salt in our diet comes from packaged foods, restaurant meals and fast food, so preparing your own meals will significantly cut your salt intake.
You can replace salt as a flavour enhancer with low-sodium alternatives like onion and garlic powder (not onion and garlic salt), lemon and lime juice, and ground pepper.
2. Eat More Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables contain very little sodium. The more of them you eat when you’re hungry, the less room you’ll have for salty foods. And you’ll get the added bonus of more healthy nutrients and fibre in your diet.
Canned and packaged fruits and vegetables can have added salt that you can reduce by washing them before they go to table.
3. Check Restaurant Websites
Whether it’s to spend time with family and friends, or simply treat yourself by having someone else do the cooking, a nice meal at your favourite spot is a great way to do it. But restaurant foods can have very high levels of added salt, even in dishes you wouldn’t expect it to be, like desserts.
Many restaurants list the nutritional content of their menu items on their websites. Before you head out, take a minute to spot the low-sodium selections. And don’t be afraid to ask your server to have the chef not add salt to your food.
4. Read Nutrition Labels
If it’s difficult to avoid prepared and packaged foods altogether, make it a habit to check the nutrition labels on everything you buy. And we mean everything – even foods that claim to be salt-reduced or those you wouldn’t expect to have high levels of salt. You might think fat-free cottage cheese is a good addition to your diet, but many brands can have over 20% of Health Canada’s recommended ‘adequate intake’ of sodium in just half a cup.
But Beware: The Nutrition Label is Deceptive: The % Daily Value listed on nutrition labels is a percentage of the ‘upper level’ amount recommended by Health Canada. In other words, for a product with 500 mg of salt, the nutrition label would list it as 21% of the daily value, but it’s actually 33% of the recommended ‘adequate intake’.
By becoming altogether more aware of the sources of salt in your diet, you’ll be better able to lower the amounts you consume, and avoid the negative effects it has on your health. Your Herbal One nutrition specialist is available to give you more information and support in your efforts to reduce your salt consumption and get the nutrition you need for a healthier diet.