Tip of the Day
Slice Your Sodium Intake
Reducing your sodium intake is an important step to maintaining good health, and reduces your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and other conditions.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. It recommends even further reductions — to 1,500 milligrams — for people who are: over 51 years old; of African-American heritage; or have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
Follow these tips to help you make lower-sodium food choices:
- Add spices or herbs to season food without adding salt
- Taste food before adding salt.
- Look for labels that say "low sodium," "very low sodium" or "sodium-free."
- Read the Nutrition Facts Panel of pre-packaged foods like soups, breads, broths, frozen meals or canned vegetables. And then choose foods with lower sodium levels.
- Avoid processed meats such as ham, sausage, hot dogs and luncheon or deli meats.
- Choose fresh, frozen or canned vegetables without added salt.
For more information on how to lower your sodium intake, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit our Your Health and Your Weight section.
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