Cut The Salt
Too Much Salt is bad for you
- Salt is also called sodium chloride. It is the sodium in salt that is bad for your health.
- People who eat too much salt are more likely to have high blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke.
- Heart disease is New York City's biggest killer.
How Much Salt you should have ?
- Most adults should eat less than 2,300mg of sodium per day—that’s about one teaspoon of table salt.
- But most Americans eat twice as much salt -- almost 4,000mg of sodium per day!
- People with high blood pressure, Blacks, and middle-aged and older people are more likely to be salt sensitive, They should eat no more than 1,500mg of sodium per day.
- Salt is especially bad for people who already have high blood pressure or heart disease.
Cut the Salt to Lower Blood Pressure
- If you have high blood pressure, switching to a low salt diet (1,500mg) can help lower or even control blood pressure.
- For more information on high blood pressure go here.
Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, eating a low salt diet can help prevent you from getting it.
Salt in Your Diet
- Most of the salt we eat (more than 75%) comes from packaged, processed, store-bought foods and restaurant meals (especially fast food).
- A smaller amount comes from salt added during cooking or at the table.
Shake the Habit! Easy Ways to Make a Lifestyle Change
In the kitchen:
- Try cooking without salt or add a half teaspoon of salt when recipes call for 1 teaspoon.
In place of salt, create your own herb and spice mixes using oregano, basil, pepper, celery seed, curry powder, cayenne pepper or any other herbs and spices. - Squeeze fresh lime or lemon juice on a dish just before serving to give it all the zest it needs!
Count all of these ingredients as salt: table salt, sea salt, garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, lemon pepper, monosodium glutamate (MSG), soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. - If you cut down on salt slowly over a few weeks or even months, you will be less likely to notice a change in taste.
At the grocery store:
Choose the freshest ingredients possible.- Fruits and vegetables are most flavorful when they are in season. When you cook with these foods, you’ll be less likely to reach for the salt shaker.
- Frozen vegetables and fruits are a good choice when fresh produce is unavailable.
Canned beans are good for you but are also high in salt. - Wash canned beans several times in cold water to rinse away extra salt.
Check the % Daily Value of sodium in the Nutrition Facts label - choose foods with less than 20% sodium per serving. - The amount of salt can vary in different brands of the same food. Compare food labels and choose foods with the lowest % Daily Value of sodium.
Learn more about how to read a Nutrition Facts label here: Learn to Read Food Labels – Sodium
At the table:
- Start your day with fresh fruit or breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.
Snack on fresh fruit, vegetables, and low or unsalted snacks instead of salty chips or popcorn. - Take the salt shaker off the table.
Limit extras such as ketchup, barbeque sauce, steak sauce, mustard, salsa, olives, and pickles. - Ask restaurants to prepare your meal without salt.
- Some restaurants—especially fast food places—have nutrition information printed on menus. Ask for a copy before ordering.
