People living in Western countries consume an average of 3,500 mg of sodium per day, a dose well above the recommended limit of 2300 mg. Excessive intake of this substance increases blood pressure and wreaks havoc in the cardiovascular system, exposing the individual to a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. For this reason, most people - especially European and North American - should take steps to limit their intake in their diets. To evaluate how much you need to eliminate, you first need to know how much you are currently consuming; It is not easy to monitor sodium doses, as most of it comes from processed foods and those served in restaurants, while what you sprinkle over the dishes to flavor them represents only a small amount.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Estimate the Salt Intake
Step 1. Keep a food diary
Write down everything you eat every day for at least a week; this way, you collect enough data to accurately estimate the salt you consume on a regular basis.
- Write the brand name and type of packaged food you eat.
- Be honest with the portion sizes. It is worth weighing everything before eating it, to avoid making mistakes in judgment. You can also measure the volume of the cups and bowls you usually use or switch to a measuring cup to get a realistic idea of the doses you take.
- Don't forget the snacks. Simply keeping a food diary helps you reduce the occasions when you eat unknowingly; for example, if you have to write down everything you consume, you are less likely to munch on chips or cookies while watching TV.
Step 2. Learn the difference between sodium and salt
While these terms are often used interchangeably, there is some difference instead. Salt is a chemical compound of which sodium represents a part.
- Usually, you can see the word "sodium" in the nutrition table, while the word "salt" is listed in the ingredients list.
- You can use sodium intake data to calculate salt intake; in general, just multiply the first by 2, 5 to get the dose of salt. Remember that if you are estimating the amount of sodium, that of salt is also only an approximate value.
Step 3. Don't forget the table one you sprinkle on food
The salt found in industrial food served in restaurants represents the largest slice of everything you eat during the day; however, this does not mean that the dose you add to the dishes does not increase the dosage by much.
- It is difficult to quantify "a pinch"; you can drop the amount you usually add to dishes into a graduated spoon or onto a digital scale to get a better idea.
- Think about the types of foods you usually season with a little salt and how many times you consume them during the day; for this evaluation the food diary is very useful. If you add salt to a plate, make a note of it so you can count later.
Step 4. Search for an online calculator
There are several web pages that provide these tools to estimate the salt intake; choose one developed from an official and trusted source, because it is usually more accurate too.
- Although general guidelines exist, the recommended daily allowance of sodium varies by age and gender. Online calculators should take these factors into consideration; in some cases, you even have to enter your weight and height to get a reliable estimate of what you are consuming.
- If you've kept a food diary, you can use it to compare data from the online calculator; first of all, read all the questions that are asked on the web page, consult the diary to divide the foods into categories and then answer the questions in a simple and truthful way.
- At the end of the procedure, the calculator provides an estimate of the sodium that you introduce into the body daily and compares it with the recommended value; remember that this is only a rough evaluation, but it can help you change your diet.
Part 2 of 3: Monitor your salt intake
Step 1. Plan your meals in advance
If you carefully organize what you eat each day for a week, you can only buy the ingredients you will need to cook those dishes. This method allows you to monitor your sodium intake more easily, because you don't eat foods that you don't know the content of and you don't have to make subsequent estimates.
- You have probably already started keeping a food diary, so you can already evaluate how much salt you are introducing into the body, but this tool also helps you organize your meals and stick to the plan.
- It is a good idea to check your pantry and refrigerator to throw out all the snacks and foods that are very high in sodium, so as to avoid falling into temptation; this is a very important step, especially if you are trying to follow a low-sodium diet.
Step 2. Read the nutrition tables carefully
You can find them on the packaging of processed foods; their purpose is to declare the nutrients present in the product, including the sodium dose for each serving. Choose foods that have a low content of this substance or those that have none at all.
- Remember that different brands of foods can have different amounts of sodium and you should generally choose those that have less sodium.
- Frozen vegetables contain less than canned vegetables and some are absolutely free.
- Pay attention to foods that you usually do not consider salty, such as bread, wraps and biscuits; salt is often used as a preservative and for this reason it is also present in baked goods.
- In some countries, such as the UK, a color-coded labeling system is in place to help consumers choose low-sodium products; in this case, you should opt for foods whose label has the color indicating a low amount of salt.
Step 3. Measure the portions accurately
The data reported on the nutritional tables refer to a single portion; To properly and accurately monitor your salt intake, you need to make sure you consume no more than one ration of food.
- The amount of food considered as an "individual portion" is indicated on the nutritional table. Use graduated cups and spoons or a scale to measure the doses; in some cases, you can even estimate the amount equivalent to one serving.
- The sodium content declared on the label refers to a single portion; if you eat more of the product, you must multiply the value by the number of rations you consume.
- For example, if the bowl of cereal you usually eat for breakfast is two servings, you need to multiply the declared sodium content by two.
Step 4. Add the amount of salt in the ingredients
This substance can "sneak" into the dishes you cook at home even if you don't add it directly; make sure you know the contents of the various ingredients you use to prepare your meals, so that you can take that into account.
- If you've purchased bulk foods that don't come with packaging and therefore no nutrition label, you need to do some research online to determine how much sodium they contain.
- Once you have calculated the amount present in a product you have cooked, don't forget to divide the value by the number of servings. For example, if you made a timbale and ate a quarter of it, you should divide the total sodium content by four to find the single intake.
- Do not forget the table salt, that flavored with garlic, onion and all the other condiments that you used in the recipe or that you sprinkled on the plate and that contain it.
Step 5. Use the sodium dose to calculate the salt dose
While you can track the exact amount of sodium you consume, you can put in a "little extra effort" and find the precise amount of salt you consume.
- You should theoretically write down the sodium amounts for at least a week; then simply divide the total value by seven and get the daily dose. The result is much more accurate than what you can get by measuring your sodium intake for just one day.
- Once you know this value, multiply it by 2, 5 and get the amount of salt you consume.
Part 3 of 3: Eat Lower Amounts of Salt
Step 1. Consume more whole foods
You can better control the amount of salt you introduce into your body by choosing bulk and whole products instead of pre-packaged and industrial ones, as well as avoiding eating often at restaurants.
- When you rely on processed and packaged products, there isn't much you can do about the amount of salt the company has put into the food; however, by using whole ingredients and preparing the dishes yourself, you have the opportunity to reduce and even completely eliminate sodium from your dishes.
- Another advantage of these bulk products is that they are generally cheaper than pre-cooked or processed foods; consequently, the supermarket receipt becomes less "heavy".
- When you go shopping, start with the shelves around the perimeter of the store. In these sectors, fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products are usually stored; then start from these areas of the supermarket and then continue to the other shelves.
Step 2. Pay attention to ready-made bread, soups and sandwiches
These processed foods, including cold cuts, bring large amounts of sodium to your diet, even if their taste isn't particularly salty.
- If you try to abruptly reduce or completely eliminate salt from your diet, you risk encountering several difficulties; the taste buds have become accustomed to the taste and at first the food may seem bland or even unpleasant. It takes some time for the sense of taste to adjust to minimal doses of this chemical element.
- Canned soups and ready-made sandwiches are the products that make the most of them without you even noticing; a single bowl of soup or a sandwich made with sliced meat contains the entire recommended daily dose.
- If you eat these products regularly, choose the variants without added salt or with the words "low sodium"; Typically, low sodium is printed in green, but there is no fixed rule. In most supermarkets you can find certain soups in the "low salt" version right next to the "normal" product without major price variations.
- On the web and in cookbooks you can easily find recipes for preparing soups starting from loose ingredients; cook large quantities and freeze leftovers so you can enjoy these dishes for a long time.
- Instead of buying packaged meats, opt for unprocessed meats to cook and slice yourself, or buy fresh ones to make sandwiches. These solutions are generally more expensive and don't last as long, but they contain significantly less sodium.
Step 3. Kitchen
Most people rely on pre-cooked products because they are more comfortable, especially when the day is very busy for school and work commitments; however, you can easily solve this problem by planning and preparing meals in advance.
- This technique not only allows you to manage and monitor your salt intake, but also to control portions.
- Choose three or four recipes you like and buy the necessary ingredients. Spend an afternoon preparing these dishes and freeze them in individual portions that you can consume throughout the week; remember to buy some single-serving containers that you can store in the freezer.
Step 4. Increase your potassium intake
This substance helps to balance the effects of sodium, the two minerals act synergistically to support cell function and keep the body hydrated.
- Try to supplement your diet by consuming products containing this mineral at each meal to ensure the recommended daily dose; alternatively, you can also try supplements.
- Avocados are the richest food of all in potassium, with a dose equal to 1068 mg per fruit, which represents about 30% of the recommended daily intake for an adult.
- Potassium-rich vegetables include spinach, sweet potato, acorn squash, and mushrooms.
- Bananas and apricots contain significant amounts of this mineral; a large banana provides up to 12% of the recommended daily allowance.
- Potassium is present in coconut water, yogurt and kefir.
