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3)Choose
Foods Lower in Salt and Sodium.
 Americans
eat more salt (sodium chloride) and other forms of sodium than
they need. And guess what? They also have higher rates of high
blood pressure than people in other countries who eat less salt.
Often,
if people with high blood pressure cut back on salt and sodium,
their blood pressure falls. Cutting back on salt and sodium also
prevents blood pressure from rising. Some people like African-Americans
and the elderly are more affected by sodium than others. Since
there's really no practical way to predict exactly who will be
affected by sodium, it makes sense to limit intake of salt and
sodium to help prevent high blood pressure.
All
Americans, especially people with high blood pressure, should
eat no more than about 6 grams of salt a day, which equals about
2,400 milligrams of sodium. That's about 1 teaspoon of table salt.
But remember to keep track of ALL salt eaten--including
that in processed foods and added during cooking or at the table.
Americans eat 4,000 to 6,000 milligrams of sodium a day, so most
people need to cut back on salt and sodium. See the table below
for the range of sodium in some types of foods.
If you do not want to read it now, you can
skip to the end of the table.
SODIUM
IN FOODS (In Milligrams)
-
- Fresh
meat (including lean cuts of beef, pork, lamb and
veal) poultry, finfish, cooked, 3 oz. (less than 90)
- Shellfish,
3 oz. (100-325)
- Tuna,
canned, 3 oz (300)
- *
Sausage, 2 oz. (515)
- *
Bologna, 2 oz. (535)
- *
Frankfurter, 1-1/2 oz. (560)
- Boiled
ham, 2 oz. (750)
- Lean
ham, 3 oz. (1,025)
- Return
to list
-
- Egg
white, 1 (55)
- *
Whole egg, 1 (65)
- Egg
substitute, 1/4 cup = 1 egg (80-120)
- Return
to list
-
-
- Milk
- *
Whole milk, 1 cup (120)
- Skim
or 1% milk, 1 cup (125)
- Buttermilk
(salt added), 1 cup (260)
- Cheese
- *
Natural Cheese:
- *
Swiss Cheese, 1 oz. (75)
- *
Cheddar cheese, 1 oz. (175)
- *
Blue Cheese, 1 oz. (395)
- Low
fat cheese, 1 oz. (150)
- *
Process cheese and cheese spreads, 1 oz. (340-450)
- Lower
sodium and fat versions (read the label)
- *
Cottage cheese (regular), 1/2 cup (455)
- Cottage
cheese (low fat), 1/2 cup (460)
- Yogurt
- *
Yogurt, whole milk, plain, 8 oz. (105)
- Yogurt,
fruited or flavored, low fat or nonfat, 8 oz. (120-150)
- Yogurt,
nonfat or low fat, plain, 8 oz. (160-175)
- Return
to list
-
-
- Fresh
or frozen vegetables, or no salt added canned (cooked
without salt), 1/2 cup (less than 70)
- Vegetables,
canned, no sauce, 1/2 cup (55-470)
- *
Vegetables, canned or frozen with sauce, 1/2 cup
(read the label)
- Tomato
juice, canned, 3/4 cup (660)
- Return
to list
-
-
- Breads
and Crackers
- Bread,
1 slice (110-175)
- English
muffin, 1/2 (130)
- Bagel,
1/2 (190)
- Cracker,
saltine type, 5 squares (195)
- *
Baking powder biscuit, 1 (305)
- Cereals
(Ready-to-eat)
- Shredded
wheat, 3/4 cup (less than 5)
- Puffed
wheat and rice cereals, 1-1/2 to 1-2/3 cup (less than
5)
- Granola-type
cereals, 1/2 cup (5-25)
- Ring
and nugget cereals, 1 cup (170-310)
- Flaked
cereals, 2/3 to 1 cup (170-360)
- Cereals
(Cooked)
- Cooked
cereal (unsalted) 1/2 cup (less than 5)
- Instant
cooked cereal, 1 packet=3/4 cup (180)
- Pasta
and rice
- Cooked
rice and pasta (unsalted) 1/2 cup (less than 10)
- *
Flavored rice mix, cooked, 1/2 cup (250-390)
- Peas
and beans
- Peanut
butter (unsalted) 2 tbsp. (less than 5)
- Peanut
butter, 2 tbsp. (150)
- Dry
beans, home cooked (unsalted), or no salt added canned,
1/2 cup (less than 5)
- Dry
beans, plain, canned, 1/2 cup (350-590)
- *
Dry beans, canned with added fat or meat, 1/2
cup (425-630)
- Return
to list
-
- Fruits
(fresh, frozen, canned), 1/2 cup (less than 10)
- Return
to list
-
- Oil,
1 tbsp. (0)
- *
Butter (unsalted), 1 tsp. (1)
- *
Butter (salted),1 tsp (25)
- Margarine
(unsalted), 1 tsp. (less than 5)
- Margarine
(salted), 1 tsp. (50)
- Imitation
mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. (75)
- *
Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. (80)
- Prepared
salad dressings, low calorie, 2 tbsp. (50-310)
- *
Prepared salad dressings, 2 tbsp. (210-440)
- Return
to list
-
- Popcorn,
chips, and nuts
- Unsalted
nuts, 1/4 cup (less than 5)
- Salted
nuts, 1/4 cup (185)
- *
Unsalted potato chips and corn chips, 1 cup (less
than 5)
- *
Salted potato chips and corn chips, 1 cup (170-285)
- Unsalted
popcorn, 2 1/2 cups (less than 10)
- Salted
popcorn, 2 1/2 cups (330)
- Candy
- Jelly
beans, 10 large (5)
- *
Milk chocolate bar, 1 oz. Bar (25)
- Frozen
desserts
- *
Ice cream, 1/2 cup (35-50)
- Frozen
yogurt, low fat or nonfat, 1/2 cup (40-55)
- Ice
milk, 1/2 cup (55-60)
- Return
to list
-
- Mustard,
chili sauce, hot sauce, 1 tsp. (35-65)
- Catsup,
steak sauce, 1 tbsp. (100-230)
- Salsa,
tartar sauce, 2 tbsp. (85-205)
- Salt,
1/6 tsp. (390)
- Pickles,
5 slices (280-460)
- Soy
sauce, lower sodium, 1 tbsp. (600)
- Soy
sauce, 1 tbsp. (1030)
- Return
to list
-
- **
Canned and dehydrated soups, 1 cup (600-1,300)
- **
Lower sodium versions (read the label)
- ***
Canned and frozen main dishes, 8 oz. (500-1,570)
- ***
Lower sodium versions (read the label)
- *
Choices are higher in saturated fat, cholesterol,
or both.
- **
Creamy soups are higher in saturated fat and cholesterol.
- ***
Limit main dishes that have ingredients higher
in saturated fat, cholesterol, or both.
Source:
Adapted from Home and Garden Bulletin 253-7, United
States Department of Agriculture, July 1993.
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You can teach your taste buds to enjoy
less salty foods. Here are a few tips:
Check
food labels for the amount of sodium in foods. Choose
those lower in sodium most of the time. Look for products
that say "sodium free," "very low sodium,"
"low sodium," "light in sodium," "reduced
or less sodium," or "unsalted," especially on cans,
boxes, bottles, and bags.
Buy
fresh, plain frozen, or canned with "no salt added "
vegetables. Use fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, rather
than canned or processed types.
Use
herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at
the table instead of salt. This information is also
available in a non-table format.
SPICE IT UP
| Meat,
Poultry and Fish |
| Beef
|
Lamb
|
Pork
|
Veal
|
Chicken
|
Fish
|
| Bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, onion,
pepper, sage, thyme |
Curry powder, garlic, rosemary,
mint |
Garlic, onion, sage, pepper, oregano |
Bay leaf, curry powder, ginger,
marjoram, oregano |
Ginger, marjoram, oregano, paprika,
poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme |
Curry powder, dill, dry mustard,
lemon juice, marjoram, paprika, pepper |
| Vegetables |
| Carrots
|
Corn
|
Green
Beans |
Greens
|
Peas
|
|
| Cinnamon, cloves, marjoram, nutmeg,
rosemary, sage |
Cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika,
parsley |
Dill, curry powder, lemon juice,
marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme |
Onion, pepper |
Ginger, marjoram, onion, parsley,
sage |
|
| Winter
Squash |
Tomatoes
|
Summer
Squash |
Potatoes |
|
|
| Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, onion |
Basil, bay leaf, dill, marjoram,
onion, oregano, parsley, pepper |
Cloves, curry powder, marjoram,
nutmeg, rosemary, sage |
Dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley,
sage |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut
back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes because
they usually have added salt.
Choose
"convenience" foods that are lower in sodium.
Cut back on frozen dinners, mixed dishes like pizza, packaged
mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings which often
have a lot of sodium.
When
available, buy low-or reduced-sodium, or "no-salt-added"
versions of foods like these:
- Canned
soup, dried soup mixes, bouillon
- Canned
vegetables and vegetable juices
- Cheeses,
lower in fat
- Margarine
- Condiments
like catsup, soy sauce
- Crackers
and baked goods
- Processed
lean meats
- Snack
foods like chips, pretzels, nuts
Rinse
canned foods like tuna to remove some sodium.
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