1. Choose fresh, plain frozen or canned vegetables without added salt most often-they’re low in salt.
2. Choose fresh or frozen fish, shellfish, poultry, and meat most often. They are lower in salt than most canned and processed forms.
3. Read the Nutrition Facts Label to compare the amount of sodium in processed foods- such as frozen dinners, packaged mixes, cereals, cheese, breads, soups, salad dressings, and sauces. The amount in different types and brands often varies widely.
4. Look for labels that say “low-sodium.” They contain 140 mg (about 5% of the Daily Value) or less of sodium per serving.
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5. Ask your grocer or supermarket to offer more low sodium foods. Cooking and eating at Home, If you salt foods in cooking or at the table, add small amounts. Learn to use spices and herbs, rather than salt, to enhance the flavor of food. , Go easy on condiments such as soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and olives-they can add a lot of salt to your food.
6. Leave the salt shaker in a cupboard.
7. Eating Out
8. Choose plain foods like grilled or roasted entrees, baked potatoes, and salad with oil and vinegar. Batter-fried foods tend to be high in salt, as do combination dishes like stews or pasta with sauce.
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9. Ask to have no salt added when the food is prepared.
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- Choose fruits and vegetables often.
- Drink water freely. It is usually very low in sodium. Check the label on bottled water for sodium content.
- Choose sensibly to moderate your salt intake.
- Choose fruits and vegetables often. They contain very little salt unless it is added in processing.
- Read the Nutrition Facts Label to compare and help identify foods lower in sodium-especially prepared foods.
- Use herbs, spices, and fruits to flavor food, and cut the amount of salty seasonings by half.
- If you eat restaurant foods or fast foods, choose those that are prepared with only moderated amounts of salt or salty flavorings.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation
Alcoholic beverages supply calories but few nutrients, echoic beverages are harmful when consumed in excess, some people should not drink at all. Excess alcohol alters judgment and can lead to dependency and a great many other serious health problems. Taking more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men (see INDEX 26) can raise the risk for motor vehicle crashes, other injuries, high blood pressure, stroke, violence, suicide, and certain types of cancer. Even one drink per day can slightly raise the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases risk of birth defects. Too much alcohol may cause social and psychological problems, cirrhosis of the liver, inflammation of the pancreas, and damage to the brain and heart. Heavy drinkers also are at risk of malnutrition because alcohol contains calories that may substitute for those in nutritious foods. If adults choose to drink alcoholic beverages, they should consume them only in moderation (see INDEX 26)- and with meals to slow alcohol absorption.