Getting the
Sodium Out and
the Flavor Into
Your Heart Healthy Diet
Mary Saucier Choate, M.S., R.D., L.D.
Food and Nutrition Educator
Co-op Food Stores
What You Will Learn Today
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Sodium Basics
Why Worry About Sodium Intake?
Which Foods Are High In Sodium?
Easy Ways to Lower the SODIUM
and Increase the FLAVOR
What Is the Difference Between Salt
and Sodium?
• Table salt is sodium chloride:
• Salt is roughly:
40% sodium
60% chloride
Sodium is one ingredient found in salt.
What’s In A Teaspoon?
• A teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300
mg of sodium
Wow!
That’s a lot
of sodium!
One teaspoon of salt has about a day’s supply of sodium for most people
What Is the Difference Between
Table Salt and Sea Salt?
•Sea salt is “chunkier” than table salt; so a teaspoon of it will
contain more air (between the chunks) and less salt.
•One level teaspoon (6 grams) of table salt = 2,300 mg
sodium.
•One teaspoon of sea salt (5 grams) =1960 mg of sodium
•Sea salt may a have a nutritionally insignificant amount of
additional minerals, which may add a subtle flavor difference.
Current Sodium Consumption is
Too High
Per day:
• Institute of Medicine’s new
recommendation for adults
• Up To Age 50: 1500 mg
• Age 50 to 70: 1300 mg
• Age 70 and over: 1200 mg
Most people eat 2-3 times as much sodium as they should!
Current Sodium Consumption is
Too High
• Institute of Medicine’s Upper Limit for
Sodium = 2300 mg
• This is the maximum level that is likely to
pose no risk of adverse effects for healthy
individuals.
– May be too high for individuals who already
have hypertension or who are under the care
of a health care professional.
Current Sodium Consumption is
Too High
Current average consumption:
4000 mg/day
DASH Study Results
(Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension)
DASH-Sodium
• Three different sodium levels
• Usual (Control) diet and DASH diet (rich
in produce, low fat dairy, whole grains and
nuts)
• The 3 sodium levels were:
– a “higher” intake of 3,300 mg per day
– an “intermediate” intake of 2,400 mg
per day
– a “lower” intake of 1,500 mg per day.
DASH Study Results
(Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension)
DASH-Sodium
• At every sodium level, Blood Pressure was
lower for the DASH diet compared with the
“regular” control diet.
• Lower sodium
lower BP
– for both the usual and DASH diets.
Results: blood pressure lowered with lower sodium diet.
Why Worry About Sodium Intake?
• High sodium intake raises risk for:
– High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure
is a serious matter!
High Blood Pressure Is the #1 Risk
Factor For….
• Stroke
– a blood vessel to the brain bursts or gets
clogged
– nerve cells in brain die rapidly
Stroke is the #3 killer and a leading cause
of severe, long-term disability
High Blood Pressure Is A Major Risk
Factor For….
• Heart Attack
– occurs when the blood supply to part of the
heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped
Coronary heart disease is the leading killer
of men and women in the U.S.
High Blood Pressure Is the #1 Risk
Factor For….
• Congestive Heart Failure
– heart is unable to pump enough blood for the
body's needs
High Blood Pressure Also Leads to…
• Kidney Failure
– over time, blood vessels of the kidneys
narrow and thicken
High Blood Pressure Impairs…
• Vision and can cause Blindness
– blood vessels in eyes rupture or bleed when
blood pressure is high
Excess Sodium Intake May Play A
Role In Other Diseases Such As…
• Osteoporosis
• Stomach cancer
• Kidney stones
But I never use the salt shaker!
Where Does Salt Intake Come From?
6%
5%
Processed food
12%
Naturally Occurring
At the Table
77%
During Cooking
Salt intake comes mostly from processed foods and meals that
are eaten away from home.
Easy Ways to Lower Sodium
Read the Label
• If a food contains
140 mg or less of
sodium, then it is
low in sodium.
Label Lingo- Level 1
• Sodium Free/Salt Free
Less than 5 mg sodium per serving
• Very Low Sodium
35 mg or less per serving
• Low Sodium
140 mg or less sodium per serving
• Unsalted or No Added Salt
No salt added during processing; does not
necessarily mean “sodium-free”
Label Lingo- Level 2
• Reduced/Less Sodium
At least 25% less sodium per serving than
the same food with no sodium reduction
• Light in Sodium/Lightly Salted
At least 50% less sodium
• Low Sodium Meal
140 milligrams or less sodium per 100
grams (3½ ounces)
Compare 3 Kinds of Oat Products
Sodium is
much
higher for
many
processed
oat cereals.
190mg
240 mg
0 mg
Old fashioned
rolled oats
Cheerios
Instant oatmeal
Read the Label
• Some breakfast cereals
Sodium= 400mg per serving!
Compare Turkey Products
4 oz
2 oz
75 mg
Sodium is
much
higher for
processed
turkey
products
with only
half the
serving
size.
430 mg
450 mg
460 mg
430 mg
410 mg
360 mg
Compare Tomato Products
Sodium is
much
higher for
processed
tomato
products.
1 cup
½ cup
66 mg
360 mg
It Is A Challenge To
Keep Sodium Low
• Try dividing your sodium budget into 3
meals and 2 snacks.
• You can see how foods fit or don’t fit into
your goals.
Sodium Budget Example #1
• GOAL 1500 mg/day
• 500 mg per meal
or
• 400 mg per meal (1200)
plus
• 2 snacks of 150 mg each (300)
Sodium Budget Example #2
GOAL 2300 mg/day =
• 770 mg per meal
or
• 650 mg per meal (1950)
plus
• 2 snacks of 175 mg each (350)
What Do You Eat In a Day?
• Let’s see how different food choices can
dramatically affect sodium intake
Low-Sodium Day
1832 calories, 536
417
mg sodium, 34 g fiber.
Low-Sodium Day
1832 calories, 536
417
mg sodium, 34 g fiber.
BREAKFAST: Oatmeal with skim milk, orange
juice and berries 114
SNACK: Light yogurt and strawberries
96
LUNCH: Chicken rice salad with oil and vinegar
SNACK: Air-popped popcorn
2
DINNER: Baked fish, potato, light sour cream,
asparagus with tomatoes. Baked apple with
131
pecans
74
High-Sodium Day
1880 calories, 3276
3547
mg sodium, 16 g fiber.
High-Sodium Day
1702 calories, 3276
3547
mg sodium, 14 g fiber.
BREAKFAST: Cornflakes with skim milk,
toast with margarine, orange juice 576
SNACK: Banana
1
LUNCH: Subway turkey deli sandwich,
barbecued potato chips, diet soda 1238
SNACK: Pretzels
486
DINNER: Rotisserie chicken dinner
1246
Sodium Savvy
Being aware of the sodium content
of food can make a BIG difference
in your sodium intake.
Using whole unprocessed foods in
the low sodium meals saved more
than 3130 mg of sodium!
Cooking And Meal Planning
With Less Sodium
Tips for making the sodium disappear
and the flavor burst through!
Substitute Fresh for Processed
• Instant mashed potatoes,
frozen potatoes
• Fresh potato (baked or
mashed)
600
3
440
Substitute Fresh for Processed
• Pickled foods
• Fresh vegetables
360
1
Substitute Fresh for Processed
• Processed or canned
deli meat, sausage,
ham
600
• Fresh meat, poultry,
fish, low sodium deli
choices
62
Substitute Lightly Processed, Low
Sodium Whole Grains for
Refined, Salty Processed Products
• High sodium breakfast
cereals, rice and pasta
mixes, regular crackers
and breads
184
780
• Low sodium whole grain
breads, crackers, pasta
• Whole grain foods (not
boxed mixes)
175
1160
0
100
5
7
Compare These Cans of Tomatoes
• Regular diced
tomatoes
• Diced tomatoes
without added salt
389
50
Compare Pasta Sauce
• Regular
• Without added salt
25
580
Beware of Convenience Foods
• Frozen foods
• Boxed mixes
1450
1240
1035
750
Beware of Cheese
• Use cheese sparingly
• 400 mg sodium per 28 g (1/4 cup)
But only
33 mg sodium per teaspoon. Pick a sharp cheese
and use sparingly.
33
Avoid Breaded Fried Foods
3-oz. broiled skinless chicken breast = 64 mg
sodium
3-oz. breaded, fried breast = more than 500 mg
sodium!
Add Flavor, Not Salt
• Use herbs, spices and other no-salt-added
seasonings
Add Flavor, Not Salt
Beef: Dry mustard, nutmeg, onion, sage, pepper, ginger, garlic
Lamb: Garlic, curry, mint, rosemary
Chicken: Paprika, thyme, sage, parsley, curry, ginger, garlic
Fish: Dry mustard, paprika, curry, lemon juice, dill, basil
Eggs: Pepper, dry mustard, paprika, tarragon
Pork: Ginger, cinnamon, curry, onion, pepper, garlic
Add Flavor, Not Salt
Asparagus: Lemon juice, caraway seed
Green Beans: Lemon juice, nutmeg, onion
Broccoli: Lemon juice, oregano
Cabbage: Mustard, caraway seed, vinegar
Carrots: Allspice, ginger, cloves
Cauliflower: Nutmeg, celery, seed
Peas: Onion, mint
Potatoes: Parsley, chives
Squash: Ginger, basil, oregano
Tomatoes: Basil, oregano, sage, thyme
Add Flavor, Not Salt
•Replace dried herbs and spices at least
yearly for the most potent flavor.
•Store them away from heat and light.
•Save (loads of) money and get the highest
quality herbs and spices by purchasing just
the amounts you need from the Co-op’s bulk
foods department.
Add Flavor, Not Salt
Use low- or no-salt mixtures
•Mrs. Dash
•Low sodium Vegit
•Salt-free Spike
•Lemon pepper
•Salt-free Italian seasoning
Add Flavor, Not Salt
•Lemon juice
•Balsamic vinegar
•Wine
•Beer
•Salsa
•Liquid smoke flavoring
REVIEW
• Lowering sodium intake
-can lower BP significantly
-results in lower disease risk
REVIEW
• Most of our sodium comes from
packaged foods
• Label reading- best way to avoid
excess sodium
• Flavor enhancers are inexpensive and
delicious
• Use your sodium “budget”
FOR MORE INFO
Most recipes under 300 mg sodium.
Almost half are low sodium- under 140 mg sodium
FOR MORE INFO
American Heart Association Recommendation- Sodium
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4708
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 -Chapter 8 Sodium and Potassium
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm
“Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure With DASH (Dietary Approaches
to Stop Hypertension)”
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
Your Turn
How will YOU
lower your
sodium intake?
THANK YOU!
QUESTIONS?