5 Painless Ways to Cut Back on Sodium

Most of us struggle to keep our daily consumption of sodium within the recommended 2,300mg. According to the CDC, the average American is getting 3,136mg daily and a large part of the problem is that most of that - 71% - does not come from our salt shakers. It is mostly hidden away in the prepared foods and restaurant meals that we eat.

Even if you take pains to choose healthy foods, this hidden sodium can add up pretty quickly. Bread and baked goods, canned foods, salad dressings and many other regularly consumed foods contain far more sodium than we imagine.

Here are 5 steps that you can take to cut back without resigning yourself to bland, tasteless meals.

1. Cut back gradually, not all at once.
    Start switching to lower sodium versions of the products you
    already use, and adding just a but less salt to your meals. You
    may not even notice and, if you do, your taste will adjust
    surprisingly quickly. Example: I am a big V-8 fan. When I made
    the switch to the "low sodium" version, it tasted a little flat and
    watery. But within 2 weeks it tasted fine. Now if I try the regular
    version, it tastes like sea water it is so salty. Start slow and as
    your taste adjusts, cut back a little more.

2. Learn the language.
    Food labeling is designed to confuse and mislead you. Learn the
    language so that you know what you are getting. Read the
    nutrition facts label, and remember that everything is listed "per
    serving" so check the serving size. Here is how to decode the
    marketing babble.

    "Low Sodium" means  a serving contains 140mg or less of
     sodium.

    "Salt/Sodium Free" means less than 5mg per serving.

    "No Salt Added" means just that. None was added during
     processing. It does not mean the product contains no sodium.

    "Reduced Sodium" means there is 25% - 50% less sodium than
     is found in the regular product. So a canned soup that may
     have 800mg of sodium will still be providing 400mg to 600mg
     in its "reduced" version.

3. Compare options.
    It pays to compare sodium content across - and even within -
    brands. It can vary by as much as 100%.

4. Rinse canned foods.
    Yes, rinse them. Canned beans and vegetables can be very
    high in sodium. By rinsing them in a colander under water
    you can reduce the sodium constant by as much as 40%.
    Obviously this is a poor strategy for soups and sauces.

5. Don't use any salt in cooking.
    Instead of adding salt for flavor, try different herbs and
    spices. Garlic, oregano, basil, dried peppers, curries,
    turmeric and cumin all add a lot of flavor with no sodium.

If you sometimes think that markets and food companies deliberately try to mislead you, that is because they do. But with a little knowledge and a little effort, you outsmart them. Remember, its your health, not theirs.