Low Sodium Cooking

When my doctor recommended that I watch my sodium intake, I was surprised at how much sodium I was consuming. It's really not that hard to maintain a low sodium diet if you pay attention to what you eat and how you cook. Once you get used to less salty foods, you won't miss the salt.

There are many health benefits to a low sodium diet - don't wait to have high blood pressure or heart problems to start reducing your sodium intake.

Prepare your own meals as much as possible; you can't control the amount of sodium in food you don't prepare. When you shop, read food nutrition labels to see how much sodium foods contain. Anything under 140mg of sodium per serving is considered a low sodium food (be sure and check the serving size on the label too). Fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains are always the best ingredients to use. Avoid cooking with processed foods as much as possible.

Your total sodium intake target per day should be discussed with your doctor. Your body does need some sodium, somewhere around 500mg per day; the American Heart Association recommends no more than 2400mg per day. The average American consumes more than 4000mg per day.

When I shop, I try to purchase only foods with less than 140mg per serving, and as close to 0 sodium as possible. I sometimes purchase a few items with more than 140mg sodium, and then try to be careful about how much I consume. Remember, its the total sodium intake per day that counts.

When cooking, leave the salt shaker in the cabinet. Just stop using it completely. Also, don't use potassium chloride based salt substitutes - these can cause health problems too. Deal with not using salt by spicing food in other ways, and by getting used to the taste of foods that contain less salt. Vinegar can add a salty flavor to soups, salads, and other foods. Lemon juice or powdered lemon peel can be used as a substitute. Experiment with spice mixes, use more black pepper or cayenne pepper, and garlic or onion powder can add flavor without sodium.

Processed foods can contain a huge amount of sodium. In many cases low sodium choices are available. You'll figure it all out by reading food labels. Some of the foods to be careful of are:

• Soy Sauce (can be higher in sodium than salt - even 'low sodium' soy sauce is very high in sodium)
• Canned soups
• Soup stocks
• Bouillon cubes
• Cottage cheese
• Barbecue sauce, ketchup, pickles and other condiments
• Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste (most stores carry no salt tomato products)
• Canned vegetables
• Bread
• Some breakfast cereals (shredded wheats usually have very low sodium content)
  

The recipes posted here are not necessarily low sodium recipes, but can always be made without salt. The recipes are usually a little vague about the amount of salt as a reminder that you can decide.