Salt is a very important ingredient in your kitchen. But do you know how excess salt can cause severe health concerns? Read on to know how you can replace it with better substitutes to strike the right balance.
Table salt or cooking salt is the prime source of sodium in our bodies. Though lack of it makes the food tasteless, excess of it is not good either. It is necessary to control the level of sodium in our body to be healthy and fit. To control the optimum level of sodium in the body, it is not only required that you eat wisely but you should also resort to measures like exercise and workout.
Effects of Sodium on Overall Health:
Sodium is responsible for controlling the overall fluid balance in our body. It is also responsible for maintaining blood volume and blood pressure which is directly related to the heart. Too much of sodium intake may raise blood pressure. Eventually, it leads to fluid retention which causes swelling in feet and legs.
What quantities of Sodium are healthy?
On an average, 3000 mg of sodium per day is required by a healthy body. For a low sodium diet, salt intake should be about 1500 to 2400 mg, if followed rigorously. It is advised to the persons with severe heart problems not to exceed 1500 mg of sodium intake in a day.
High Sodium Foods and Their Healthy Substitutes:
High-Sodium Foods:
- Smoked, salted and canned meat, poultry or fish also include bacon, ham, sausages and caviar
- Burritos and pizza or any other form of frozen meats and dinners
- Canned ravioli, chili and spam
- Salted nuts in all forms
- Canned Beans
- Buttermilk
- Cottage cheese, regular and processed cheese, cheese sauces and spreads
- Quick breads, self-rising flour, biscuit, pancake and waffle mixes
- Pizza, croutons and salted crackers
- Packaged and processed mixes for potatoes, rice, pasta, stuffing etc.
- Canned vegetables and vegetable juices
- Olives, pickles and other pickled vegetables
- Packaged and prepared pasta and tomato sauces and salsa
- Canned and dehydrated soup, cup noodles, seasoned mixes
- All kinds of sauces including soy sauce, large portions of ketchup, mustard etc.
- Bottled salad dressings, salted butter or margarine
- Instant pudding and cake
Alternatives:
- Fresh beef, lamb, pork, poultry and fish
- Eggs and substitutes
- Low-sodium peanut butter
- Dry peas and beans (not canned)
- Low-sodium canned fish, drained or oil packed canned fish or poultry
- Milk, low cholesterol yogurt, fresh ice cream
- Low-sodium cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese
- Breads, muffins and ready-to-eat cereals
- All rice and pasta, without added salt during cooking
- Corn and flour noodles, crackers and bread-sticks
- Unsalted popcorn and chips
- Fresh vegetables without sauces, a few frozen vegetables
- Low-sodium canned sauces and juices
- Fresh potatoes, frozen french fries and instant mashed potatoes
- Most of the fresh, frozen and canned fruit
- Dried fruits
- Homemade vegetarian or non-vegetarian soups without added salt
- Vinegar, unsalted butter or margarine
- Vegetable oils and low sodium sauces and salad dressings
- Most of the desserts made without salt
How to strike a balance?
Given how difficult it is to measure the amount of salt in our foods, what can be done is to watch out for what you are eating, at what time of the day and how much of it?
Here are some quick tips to reduce your daily sodium intake:
- Eat home cooked food,
- Try herbs and spices instead of salt,
- Avoid eating canned/processed vegetables, gravy, meats, fruits etc.
- Forget that there is a salt shaker on the table.
This way, you end up striking the apt sodium balance in your body. Don’t forget to share your feedback on how this article helped you!
