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- Cook real food at home more often. Prepare meals from scratch--no box or frozen convenience foods. To drastically reduce your sodium intake, beware of restaurant foods.
- Do you own sodium comparison. You'll find a wide variety of sodium levels in foods at the market. For example, a jar of pasta sauce can contain anywhere from 40-800 mg of sodium PER SERVING. Read the labels!
- Watch out for "hidden" salt stashes. Believe it or not, the #1 source of sodium in our diets is yeast bread! Not to mention it's easy to eat multiple servings during the day. Other hidden surprises include salsa and salad dressings. So, read the label before dropping those foods in your shopping cart.
- Push the fruits and vegetables. If you pile your plate high with simply prepared fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, you're filling up with low-sodium healthy foods.
- Meat and faux meat--BEWARE. One of the major sources of sodium in the US diet is animal foods. Processed, smoked, and cured meats are extremely high in sodium, and even "plain" meats such as pork, poultry, and fish are often marinated and injected with high-sodium liquids. Also, many plant-powered diets include faux meats that are very high in sodium--again, read the labels.
- Check out restaurant websites for nutrition information. Do some menu planning before you dine out--you might be surprised at what you find!
- Focus on whole-food snacks. Processed snacks like crackers, cookies and desserts can add another unwanted pile of sodium to your day. Instead eat fresh fruits, unsalted popcorn, or a handful of unsalted nuts.
- Keep portion size in check. Every time you double up on the suggested serving size of food, (that's REALLY EASY to do), you are doubling the sodium level too. Remember, if you are eating plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, etc., you don't have to worry about sodium because it's not there.
- Cut back on condiments. From marinades and salad dressing to ketchup and soy sauce, keep an eye on how much sodium you slather on your favorite foods.