Salt reducing thoughts?

[Berge20]

Even though I've made a conscious effort to start cooking more foods myself and eating healthier overall, I'm still noticing that one of the biggest challenges I face is with the sodidum intake.

Now, this may not be a huge deal in the scheme of things, but I'd like to try and cut it back a bit. Any general thoughts on how people work to reduce the amount of sodium they consume on a daily basis?

My first thought it fully cutting out soda. Even though the fine Diet Cokes aren't calorie filled, they do contain a fair bit of salt.

[Jordan]

avoid salty foods?

what sort of things do you eat that are concerning you?

as long as you avoid potato chips, frozen foods, canned foods especially soups and packaged luncheon meats, i think you should be okay.

[Efourdee]

Yes, cut soda. There's much more wrong with it besides sodium.

The general population gets sodium from restaurants, fast food, processed foods, candy and table salt.

What is your diet like, it will be easier to give you advice if we know what you are eating.

[Berge20]

Yeh, sorry for the broad question.

Generally breakfast is fruit (Grapes, watermellon, cantalope, etc) and wheat toast. Coffee or juice as a beverage.

Lunch is normally some type of lunchmeat sandwitch (ham or turkey) with mustard, ketchup and cheese, and canned soup (any ideas of a good substitute) at home or Subway sandwitch (Club or Chicken Terry) on the go with veggies.

Dinner is always a hodge podge. Sometimes I'll hit up COSI for one of their salads and soups. Sometimes I'll fire up a slab of beef or chicken, generally with spinach, corn or green beans(canned). Preparation depends heavily on time, but some sauces are involved most of the time--not my own.

Generally don't eat out too much, especially fast food (save Subway and Cosi).

Soda is the big killer for me on the sodium I think, as I have a Diet Coke addiction and probably snag 32-46oz per day of the junk.

Evening snacks are either carrots, popcorn or some chocolate candy [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Jordan]

When I said avoid frozen foods I meant stuff like stouffers and lean cuisines. Frozen veggies are great, and you should probably consider replacing some of your canned veggies with frozen ones. Fresh deli meats instead of oscar meyer packages would also help your goal.

I would also drop the diet soda, but I'm the kind of guy that doesn't mind drinking water 90% of the time. I don't really have any ideas on what a good substitute for diet soda would be. My roommate drinks crystal light, which doesn't seem too bad I suppose.

[Neko]

[ QUOTE ]

I would also drop the diet soda, but I'm the kind of guy that doesn't mind drinking water 90% of the time. I don't really have any ideas on what a good substitute for diet soda would be. My roommate drinks crystal light, which doesn't seem too bad I suppose.

[/ QUOTE ]

Club soda. If it's just a cold carbonated beverage you're looking for, you can't really beat it.

[qdmcg]

Not to side track, but the jury is still out on diet soda right? I know that there is certainly nothing in it thats good for you, but damn, it makes getting through the day on a caloric deficit so much easer. diet mountain dew ftw

[shemp]

Eat real food-- not as hard as you think for most folks. Cut out things one at a time, maybe.

[Rootabager]

If I drink coke I will drink Diet Rite which doesnt have any sodium, caffeine, and uses splenda. It taste good too.


Someone said switch to fresh deli turkey. I think they have about the same amount of sodium as the packaged kind. Unless your talkin about where they cook a turkey and just shave it for you which I have seen before, but is usually $$$.

[AZK]

drop the fast food, even if it's "healthy" fast food, tons of salt in there.

Drop any drink that isn't water.

Drop processed meats, tons of salt.

Drop condiments (I mean seriously?).

I tried to cut down on salt too, my diet used to be filled with it...Now most of my salt comes from a marinade/rubs used for chicken/steak, or cottage cheese (which I eat probably 3-4 times a week). At first not salting steamed veggies was really difficult, over time it got better.