| 7 Simple Tips to Reduce Your Salt Intake This Memorial Day weekend, shake things up at your picnic or barbecue by sharing delicious dishes that are low in salt! Salt and sodium have been in the news a lot recently. High sodium intake is an important cause of high blood pressure (hypertension), which affects about one in three adults in the United States. Reducing the amount of salt (sodium chloride) and other forms of sodium in your diet can significantly lower blood pressure and can help safely prevent or control high blood pressure. For some individuals, lowering the amount of salt and sodium in the diet can have the same effect as using medication to control blood pressure. Lower-sodium diets may also help blood pressure medicines work better. Simple tips to reduce salt and sodium in your diet - Choose fresh, frozen, or canned (low-sodium or no-salt-added) vegetables.
- Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.
- Rinse canned foods, such as tuna and canned beans, to remove some of the sodium.
- Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned, smoked, or processed types.
- Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
- Choose prepared foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium.
- Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.
Deliciously healthy eating It's easy to reduce sodium and salt without sacrificing taste, as illustrated in the three simple, healthy dishes below. These recipes, from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) "Keep the Beat™ Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Dinners" cookbook, are perfect for picnics and barbecues — this weekend and all summer long.  Grilled Tuna with Chickpea and Spinach Salad
Tuna is a sturdy fish that is easy to grill or broil. In this recipe it's seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, and oregano, and served over a salad of spinach, chickpeas and tomatoes. Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Caesar Dressing
Try a new approach to salad — grill it! Cold Fusilli Pasta with Summer Vegetables (shown)
This twist on pasta salad features cherry tomatoes, zucchini, green bell pepper, basil, and whole-wheat pasta. It can be made ahead and easily transported to a gathering. Doing the DASH Research shows that high blood pressure can be prevented — and lowered — by lowering your sodium intake and following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. The DASH eating plan: - Is rich in fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts.
- Contains less salt and sodium; sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages; fats; and red meats than the typical American diet.
- Is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
- Is rich in nutrients that are associated with lowering blood pressure — mainly potassium, magnesium, and calcium, protein, and fiber.
The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and has no hard-to-follow recipes. It simply calls for a certain number of daily servings from various food groups. The number of servings depends on the number of calories you're allowed each day. Your recommended calorie level depends on your age and how active you are.
Explore the DASH eating plan  Tips for gradually including the DASH plan - Add a serving of vegetables at lunch one day and dinner the next, and add fruit at one meal or as a snack.
- Increase your use of fat-free and low-fat milk products to three servings a day.
- Limit lean meats to 6 ounces a day — 3 ounces a meal, which is about the size of a deck of cards.
- If you usually eat large portions of meats, cut them back over a couple of days — by half or a third at each meal.
- Include two or more vegetarian-style, or meatless, meals each week.
"I've lost and kept off 148 pounds following the DASH plan. I started out just adding a vegetable or two at meals. Then my husband joined in. Soon we were eating less salt [and] my blood pressure gradually went down. We both walk for exercise every day. My cholesterol went down to normal too. It took me five years to lose the weight, but I feel terrific that with DASH as a template, the weight loss is permanent for a longer and much healthier life. Thank you so much!" — Customer review of the DASH plan Popular resources - Healthy Eating Video: Easy Ways to Add Whole Grains to Your Plate
- Keep the Beat™ Deliciously Health Eating
- Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH
- NHLBI Diseases and Conditions Index: High Blood Pressure
- Tips for Reducing Sodium in your Diet
- Professional Spotlight: An update on salt, sodium, and DASH
™Keep the Beat is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. |
