How to Consume Less Salt/Sodium

Be aware of your limit (1500-2300 mg of sodium per day) and how easy it is to exceed it.

The pie charts below help folks realize that just 1/4 of a teaspoon is a quarter of a day’s sodium intake. It is easy to go overboard fast. But the tricky challenge is that over 70% of the sodium most people consume comes from salt already added to processed food and restaurant meals, not from the cook’s pantry or the salt shaker on the table. If you are NOT working to control your sodium intake, it will be too much.

By reading food labels and being aware of what is in frequent restaurant choices, you can make better decisions for what to eat.

1/4th of a teaspoon of salt is 1/4th of a one day alotment for sodium for folks following the recommendation for 2300 mg of sodium or less. Most people eat 1.5 time that amount each day.

One teaspoon of salt contains a one day’s supply of sodium.

Read food labels and eat more home-cooked meals.

By choosing restaurant meals and processed foods, you increase the amount of sodium you consume. By shopping and cooking at home, you can lower sodium consumption.

Choose more fruits and vegetables for every meal. Salads are very simple to make. Fruits make great snacks or desserts.

Fill your cabinet with spice and herb mixes that do not contain salt, so you have an easy way to season food without adding more salt.

Roasting foods in the oven or pressure cooking them in an Instapot is an easy way to prepare meals healthfully.

Avoid high-sodium foods and meals.

Limit foods that are very high in sodium, like frozen meals, canned goods, boxed foods, many condiments, and foods eaten away from home.

Write down what you ate yesterday and research the amount of sodium consumed. Chances are you will be surprised at a few things. But knowledge is power and you can always find lower-sodium options for favorite foods and condiments or eat them a little more sparingly.

Your brain, liver, heart, and kidneys will thank you!