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Satisfying your savory craving without the salt 

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Satisfying your savory craving without the salt 

approved

Satisfying your savory craving without the salt

Like sugar and fat, sodium is essential for health, but excessive intake of this nutrient increases your risk for hypertension, which is also called high blood pressure. Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults consume less than 2300 mg per day, while the American Heart Association suggests an even lower target of 1500 mg or less each day. However, we tend to consume more sodium than the recommended intake, consuming an average 3400 milligrams a day.

When snacking, low-salt foods can help you limit your sodium intake because many snack foods contain higher levels of salt. In time you’ll retrain your taste buds and food that once tasted good to you will seem too salty. Aim for products that have less than 5% Daily Value as listed on the food label line for sodium content. A food with 20% Daily Value of sodium is considered high. Another way to gauge your intake of sodium is to look for foods with 140 mg or less per serving. A food that has 400 mg or more of sodium per serving is considered high in sodium content.

When you start reading food labels, you’ll be surprised at the high sodium content of many snack foods. Protein-rich foods generally contain more sodium than vegetables, grains or fruit. Snacks typically have much higher sodium content because salt is added for taste and as a preservative. Examples of these foods include:

  • Smoked, processed or cured meat such as salami, sausages, and bacon; and smoked, processed, or cured fish such as smoked salmon, anchovies, or sardines
  • Salted snacks such as potato, corn and tortilla chips, salted pretzels, salted nuts, salted popcorn, and salted crackers
  • Cheese
  • Vegetables which are canned, pickled or packaged as a soup.

Convenience foods are often an easy option for us because they require less time to prepare at work or in your own kitchen. In addition to reading the food labels of snack foods, try to eat more at home; and while preparing and eating your meals, try not to add extra salt. These are small steps that you can take to reduce your risk of hypertension, heart disease and kidney disease.

Listed below are some snacks that are naturally low in salt. You may also find the American Heart Association’s website a good source for ideas for low-salt foods and recipes.

  • Cut-up vegetables
  • Whole fruit
  • Hummus and vegetables
  • Popcorn without salt or butter
  • Lightly salted or no salt nuts and seeds.

 

approved

Satisfying your savory craving without the salt

Like sugar and fat, sodium is essential for health, but excessive intake of this nutrient increases your risk for hypertension, which is also called high blood pressure. Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults consume less than 2300 mg per day, while the American Heart Association suggests an even lower target of 1500 mg or less each day. However, we tend to consume more sodium than the recommended intake, consuming an average 3400 milligrams a day.

When snacking, low-salt foods can help you limit your sodium intake because many snack foods contain higher levels of salt. In time you’ll retrain your taste buds and food that once tasted good to you will seem too salty. Aim for products that have less than 5% Daily Value as listed on the food label line for sodium content. A food with 20% Daily Value of sodium is considered high. Another way to gauge your intake of sodium is to look for foods with 140 mg or less per serving. A food that has 400 mg or more of sodium per serving is considered high in sodium content.

When you start reading food labels, you’ll be surprised at the high sodium content of many snack foods. Protein-rich foods generally contain more sodium than vegetables, grains or fruit. Snacks typically have much higher sodium content because salt is added for taste and as a preservative. Examples of these foods include:

  • Smoked, processed or cured meat such as salami, sausages, and bacon; and smoked, processed, or cured fish such as smoked salmon, anchovies, or sardines
  • Salted snacks such as potato, corn and tortilla chips, salted pretzels, salted nuts, salted popcorn, and salted crackers
  • Cheese
  • Vegetables which are canned, pickled or packaged as a soup.

Convenience foods are often an easy option for us because they require less time to prepare at work or in your own kitchen. In addition to reading the food labels of snack foods, try to eat more at home; and while preparing and eating your meals, try not to add extra salt. These are small steps that you can take to reduce your risk of hypertension, heart disease and kidney disease.

Listed below are some snacks that are naturally low in salt. You may also find the American Heart Association’s website a good source for ideas for low-salt foods and recipes.

  • Cut-up vegetables
  • Whole fruit
  • Hummus and vegetables
  • Popcorn without salt or butter
  • Lightly salted or no salt nuts and seeds.

 

approved