Let's start off the new year by talking about sodium. Average healthy people should have less than 2400mg (approx. 1 tsp) per day. According to the AHA people with high blood pressure should have less than 1500mg per day.
How much sodium is in YOUR diet? Do you REALLY know? Most of us have way to much sodium in our diets. (and as you will soon see that is an understatement!) Do you have high blood pressure? a hard time losing weight? Get serious about the sodium in your diet!
Take a look at the sodium contents in the entrees at these popular restaurants:
OLIVE GARDEN
Some serious sodium there, huh! Makes one think a little differently about eating out. Eating out indiscriminately is indeed not good for you. You don't have to stop eating out. Just make healthier decisions. Research your favorite restaurants. Armed with the facts you can choose what to eat more wisely.
Read labels when you grocery shop! Not only will the ingredients label tell you if there is sodium in the product; it will also tell you about sodium-containing compounds such as MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG), BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, DISODIUM PHOSPATE or SODIUM ALGINATE.
Don't think that taste will tell you about the sodium content of a food. A bagel certainly doesn't taste salty but some bagels have 450mg sodium! READ LABELS or ASK! Also, don't overlook the sodium in condiments.... especially ketchup and mustard!
There are a lot of very tasty spice concoctions to choose from to enhance the taste of your foods! I LOVE the spices at PENZEY'S (No, I am not connected in any way with Penzeys!) There are also a lot of good spices in your grocery store. Be sure to read the label and make sure they are salt-free.
One of the best and healthiest perks of paying attention to the sodium content of your food is you will naturally turn to whole foods! Whole foods are so much healthier than processed foods. Bon Appetit!
