Blood Pressure Cut the Salt

Today’s Agenda Salt, sodium, and high blood pressure Cut the salt when you eat out Cut the salt when you shop and cook at home

What’s the Difference Between Salt and Sodium? Sodium is present in all foods. Table salt is sodium chloride. 1,000 mg of salt contains: –400 mg sodium (Na+) –600 mg chloride (Cl-)

What About… What about kosher salt and sea salt? Both ARE salt, and should be counted as part of your daily intake.

What About… What about salt substitutes? ALWAYS check with your doctor first!

How Much Sodium? Some people should get no more than 2,300 mg/day. Others should get no more than 1,500 mg/day. –51 and older –African American –Hypertension –Diabetes –Kidney Disease

Why Worry About Sodium Intake? On average, the higher your salt intake is, the higher your blood pressure will be.

Never Use the Salt Shaker? Most of the salt you eat comes from processed foods and restaurants. –Soup –Condiments –Grain foods like bread, crackers, and cereal –Canned foods –Frozen foods –Boxed meal mixes –Deli meat/cheese

Where’s the Salt?

What Is “Processed”? Lunch meat Bacon Hot dogs Sausage Canned goods Boxed items Frozen foods

Read the Label If a food contains 5% or less of the daily value for sodium, then it is low in sodium. This food has 660 mg sodium and 250 calories per serving – that is too much! 250 calories 660 mg

Read the Label Other terms to look for on food packaging: –Sodium-Free –Very Low Sodium –Low Sodium –Salt-Free

Read the Label These terms can be tricky… –Reduced or Less Sodium –Light in Sodium –Low Sodium Meal –Unsalted or No Salt Added

Compare Oat Products 0 mg 270 mg Old fashioned rolled oats Instant oatmeal 210 mg Sodium is much higher in many processed oat cereals. Cheerios

Compare Turkey Products 75 mg Sodium is much higher in processed turkey products with only half the serving size. 4 oz 2 oz 430 mg 450 mg 460 mg 430 mg 410 mg 360 mg

Compare Tomato Products 66 mg Sodium is much higher in processed tomato products. 360 mg ½ cup 1 cup

Cut the Salt When You Eat Out Let’s take a look at what foods you should choose when you eat away from home!

Best Bets to Order Salad with oil and vinegar –(exclude cheese, meat, olives, and croutons) Baked potato with veggies. Pasta with fresh tomatoes and garlic

Best Bets to Order Steamed vegetables Steamed rice Baked or poached fish or chicken

Avoid These Sodium Bombs Cheese Processed meats – ham, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, deli meat Fried foods Canned foods: soups, gravies, meals, meat/fish, etc. Many Asian foods, soy sauce, sushi Frozen foods

Avoid These Sodium Bombs Sauces, gravies, and dressings Imitation seafood Instant mashed potatoes Bread, cereal Boxed rice/pasta mixes

Know Before You Go Baked potato with sour cream and chives 260

Look What Happens If You Don’t Know Before You Go! This chicken wrap contains 860 mg of sodium in just 320 calories Homestyle Chicken Go Wrap

It Is A Challenge to Eat Out And Keep Sodium Low Let’s take a look at the sodium content of foods that sound healthful.

Low in fat doesn’t mean low in sodium! (mg)

The fat is low but the sodium is high for the calories provided

Even without sauce, this is a half day supply of sodium for just 330 calories. 1120

Chicken and salads are high in sodium

Chicken, salads, and veggie burgers are high in sodium here

For one slice How many slices do you usually eat?

Individual pizzas are high in sodium

The sodium TOTALS are very high for these salads

Panera Bread Salads –Greek Salad - Half Portion mg –Asian Sesame Chicken - Half Portion mg –Classic Salad - Half Portion mg Sandwiches –Frontega Chicken Panini - Half mg –Smoked Turkey on Country - Half mg –Mediterranean Veggie - Half mg Soups –All Natural Low Fat Chicken Noodle oz - 1,380 mg –Low-fat Garden Vegetable with Pesto oz mg

Stay Home To Cut the Salt! Eating at home is the way to go. It enables the DASH diet and makes cutting sodium a snap!

Substitute Fresh for Processed Skip processed or canned deli meat, sausage, and ham (600 mg). Stick to fresh meat, poultry, and fish instead (62 mg).

Add Flavor, Not Salt Use herbs, spices and other no-salt- added seasonings. Cook without adding salt.

Substitute Fresh for Processed Instant mashed potatoes (600 mg) Frozen potatoes (440 mg) Fresh potato (3 mg)

Substitute Fresh for Processed Packaged cereals (200+ mg) Cooked oatmeal, rice, pasta (1 mg)

Substitute Fresh for Processed Pickles, 1 oz (330 mg) Fresh vegetables (19 mg)

Beware of Cheese Use cheese sparingly! Most cheeses have about 176 mg of sodium per ounce.

Compare These Cans of Tomatoes Regular diced tomatoes (389 mg) Diced tomatoes without added salt (50 mg)

Compare Pasta Sauce Regular (580 mg) Without added salt (25 mg)

Convenience = High Sodium!

What Do You Eat In a Day? See how food choices can dramatically affect sodium intake. Compare… –Two approaches –Same calories –Different sodium outcomes ?

Low-Sodium Day 1832 calories, 536 mg sodium, 34 g fiber. 536

High-Sodium Day 1880 calories, 3276 mg sodium, 16 g fiber. 3246

A Little Planning…. Sodium management all comes down to planning ahead and making smart choices. You too can cut the sodium in your diet, and your blood pressure will thank you!

“Always have a plan, and believe in it. Nothing happens by accident.” --Chuck Knox (former pro football coach)