12 quick ways to reduce your sodium intake

The recommended daily intake of sodium chloride is 2300mg per day, which is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of salt. Excess sodium in the diet is linked to hypertension, heart disease, fluid retention, and kidney stones. Experts at the Mayo Clinic note that if you already have high blood pressure, are African–American, are over 50, or have a chronic condition such as diabetes, you should consume less than 1500mg of sodium per day.

Salt helps to prevent spoilage of food by removing excess moisture so that bacteria cannot grow. Before modern methods of preserving food such as refrigeration, dehydration, and chemical preservation, salting was one of the only ways to keep food fresh. Although salt is no longer needed as a preservative, manufacturers continue to use it to enhance flavor, improve tenderness in cured meats, control fermentation of yeast in baked products, and even to give processed meats a more attractive color.

Some ways to reduce sodium in your diet include:

1. Avoid salty foods whenever possible, especially processed snacks such as chips and pretzels

2. Do not add salt to your food. For extra flavor, try cooking with herbs, garlic, peppers or spices that do not contain salt such as Mrs. Dash

3. Avoid canned soup and broths, unless they say ‘reduced sodium’ or ‘sodium-free’ on the label.

4. Check the labels on all processed foods that you buy, such as frozen entrees, crackers, cured meats, and pizzas. These foods often have high levels of sodium.

5. Buy fresh of frozen vegetables, and canned vegetables that have no salt added.

6. Rinse canned foods such as tuna and salmon to remove some of the sodium.

7. Choose fresh poultry, fish and lean meat over processed meats as much as possible

8. Cut back on prepackaged rice, cereals, and pasta mixes, as they often have added salt

9. Select low-fat dairy products.

10. Kosher salt and sea salt should also be included when adding up daily sodium intake

11. Although most sodium is sodium chloride (table salt), other forms of sodium are also used in food. Check labels for both sodium and salt.

12. Check labels on all over-the-counter drugs. Some have high levels of sodium

Overall, choose foods in as close to their natural state as possible to reduce sodium intake, making sure to include foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grains more often.