Struggling with salt....
 

Hi every1!
I joined Daily plate today and i was in shock!....I knew i had a salt problem but I didn't realize how bad it really is i calculated my foods for yesterday and my sodium level was at 455% OMG! that is bad!:(....and another thing seems as if I'm not eating enough calories as I should either that or daily plate is way off....LoL....but the sodium thing I know must be right. I love vegetables but only with lots of salt on them I'm thinking maybe i shouldn't even eat at all.....LoL....well I have set a new goal for my next shopping trip! NO MORE SALT! I'm going to try getting low sodium everything and eating only fresh foods its going to be tough but I need to do it. And as far as the calorie thing I didn't have the time to eat more....any suggestions welcome and thank you in advance.

Your taste buds will adjust to a decreased amount of salt. It may take time but it'll happen.

What Nelie said. The first few weeks of lower salt I kept thinking that everything was really BLAND. But now, even the tiniest bit of salt is just overwhelming.

Actually, it's funny, but 2 Saturdays ago my husband and I had lunch at 5 Guys - burgers and fries. And I had to take the fries back and ask them to make me a new batch w/out salt, because they were too salty for me to even eat.

:)

You really will adjust to it.

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Yup. And think of all the "weight" you'll loose the first week with normal amounts of salt! ;)

Last year I stopped adding salt and washing salt off things i eat, you dont crave it at all after a few months.

I've found that regular table salt isn't the enemy. My mom LOVES gatorade...but after drinking two bottles a day for 2 weeks, she noticed her ankles were swelling. I pointed out that each 8 oz serving has 110 mg of sodium - 440 mg in the entire bottle! 2 bottles per day - almost 900mg {or 50% of the RDA for women} of salt!

Other killers are "low cal/low fat" microwave dinners {in the 600-1500 mg range}, diet sodas {25-50 mg per 8oz} and "low fat" snacks {varies widely}. A lot of frozen veggies and things sweetened with "non-nutritive sweeteners" {AKA Splena - sucralose; Nutrasweet/Equal - aspartame; saccharin; asculfame-k} load up on salt to balance out the taste.

I never felt better last year when I stopped all sodas, sugar, salt ......it was great want to get back there again

If you don't want to go "cold turkey," you can use one of the many salt substitutes.

My favorite is AlsoSalt, which is a potassium based substitute. I don't have any problem with salt, but I like to use the AlsoSalt from time to time because it's easy to be too low on potassium. It's not something you can use on popcorn, but it's good mixed in with vegetables and other foods.

Jay

Be careful with these because the increased potassium can mess with your electrolytes. Please check with your doctor before using salt substitutes, ESPECIALLY if you are on blood pressure meds such as an ACE inhibitor or ARB.

I can't have salt due to my kidneys. Mrs Dash is your friend. Fresh herbs, spices & juices are your friend.

Anything that comes in a box or mix (hamburger helper, au gratin potatoes, rice mix) is pretty much the enemy. Stop using table salt, too.

Canned goods should say No Salt Added, rinse all canned goods anyway for good measure. Can also rinse off canned tuna & salmon. Frozen vegetables are your best bet.

You can also get unsalted butter, and Pacific brand makes a decent low sodium chicken broth.

Most processed foods have salt hiding in them. Frozen dinners are bad, but watch out for lowfat or nofat dairy too because they take out the fat & jack up the sodium.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

I was a salt and ketchup user big time. I now rarely use salt and when I do it's is Sea Salt. (not all brands are the same so find one you like) When I began (2004) I searched the spice isle to see what was there to replace my salt usage. I found all kind mixes and looked to see if they contain salt. If so I really limted it. I found with the other spices in place the food had lots and lost of flavor. I did take it slow so I could aquire a taste for all these new seasonings. I also did the same with salad dressing. There are so many flavored vinagers so I'm never bored. I think that if you take a walk in the spice isle you'll be suprised on what is there. Don't forget to look in the back to see what is all in the mix.

Oh, yeah, I don't use regular iodized salt either. I buy kosher salt in a big box and refill the salt cellar by the stove once in a while. I sprinkle it lightly when I need it ... but we don't even keep a salt shaker on the table any more.

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I have actually increased my salt usage lately on purpose. I've been exercising a lot and started having leg cramps and psuedo leg cramps. I also drink a LOT of water so I will add a little salt here and there to some things I eat, whereas before I wasn't adding any. I also drink an electrolyte drink sometimes and always take my multivitamin.