52-Week Challenge: Week Forty-Seven

This week's challenge is to actively reduce your daily sodium intake.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that we consume no more than 1,500 to 2,300 mg of sodium per day, which is less than one teaspoon of table salt.  The average American's intake is around 3,436 mg per day.  Where is the WORLD is all that sodium coming from?  You may think you're not taking that much if you don't salt your food at the dinner table but, unfortunately, sodium is hiding in many unexpected places.   Processed and packaged foods, as well as foods in restaurants, are usually loaded with sodium, and 77% of our sodium intake comes from processed and prepared foods, while only 12% is found in food naturally, and 5-6% is added before eating or while cooking.

Our cravings for salt are mainly acquired, meaning that we can retrain our taste buds.  If you decrease your salt intake gradually, you will crave it less.  But how do you reduce your intake?

Well, a good start to to purchase whole foods and prepare them at home yourself.  As stated earlier, processed and packaged foods contain lots of hidden sodium.  When you buy foods fresh, they will contain little to no added sodium and you can control the amount you put in while cooking.  However, if you do choose to buy packaged foods, it's important to read the label.  In the ingredient list, look for things like MSG, baking soda, baking powder, disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, and sodium nitrate.  Avoid products with these ingredients.

When dining out, taste your food before seasoning; most dishes come already salted, so there is little need to add more.  And just as an FYI, be aware that fast food restaurants, as well as Asian, Italian, and Mexican restaurants tend to be higher in sodium due to the sauces and dressings they use.