1. Cut the Salt!

2. Project Sponsors
USDA project funded through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
School District of Philadelphia
Department of Nutrition Sciences, Drexel University

3. What is Sodium? A mineral (like calcium and potassium)
Found in table salt (sodium chloride)
Found in foods
Essential nutrient
But most Americans get too much!

4. Importance of Sodium Maintains the water balance within cells
Involved in the function of both nerve impulses and muscles.
Athletes are often concerned about not getting enough sodium to replace what is lost through sweat; yet, sodium losses are easily replenished at the next meal.

5. High Blood Pressure & Edema
Eating too much sodium can cause high blood pressure over time
High blood pressure may lead to cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and stroke
Consuming excess sodium may lead to edema or water retention (“bloat”)

6. How Much is Too Much?
All of us should have no more than 2300 milligrams (mg) of sodium in a day
2300 mg sodium = 1 teaspoon table salt
African Americans, individuals over the age of 50 years, and anyone with high blood pressure or diabetes should have less (1500 mg a day)

7. How Much Do We Eat?
Most of us eat 3,400 milligrams a day!

8. Where is the Sodium? Canned foods (soups, vegetables)
Packaged sauces (spaghetti)
Some ready-to-eat cereals
Packaged deli meats
Breads
Frozen dinners
Dinners that come in a box
Restaurant/Fast food
Salad dressings and marinades
Salted nuts
Condiments (mustard, pickles, relish, etc.)

9. Ways to reduce sodium Cook foods at home from scratch!
Fill up on fruits and veggies
Choose low-fat milk and yogurt more often than cheese
Use smaller amounts of condiments
Use salt-free seasonings, spices, or herbs on veggies, meats, and other dishes

10. Ways to reduce sodium Read the label:
Choose canned foods that say “no salt added”
Compare amounts of sodium on the nutrition facts label and choose the product with the lowest % Daily Value of sodium

11. Ways to Reduce Sodium
Within the Ingredients List, sodium is identified in a variety of ways:
sodium alginate
sodium ascorbate
sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
sodium benzoate
sodium caseinate
sodium chloride
sodium citrate
sodium hydroxide
sodium saccharin
sodium stearoyl lactylate
sodium sulfite
disodium phosphate
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
trisodium phosphate
Na 

12. Ways to Reduce Sodium Packing on Food Labels Indicate Certain Claims:
Sodium-free: Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
Very low-sodium: 35 milligrams or less per serving
Low-sodium: Less than 140 milligrams per serving
Reduced sodium: Sodium level reduced by 25% 
Unsalted, no salt added, or without added salt: Made without the salt that's normally used, but still contains the sodium that's a natural part of the food itself.

13. Potassium
Potassium is a very important mineral for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs in the human body
It is an electrolyte… a substance that conducts electricity in the body, along with sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium
Potassium is vital for heart function and plays a key role in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction

14. Eat more potassium! Many of us eat too little potassium
Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte in our body, just like sodium.
Blood pressure is healthiest when potassium and sodium are in balance – potassium can lower blood pressure by blunting the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure
Fill up on your fruits, veggies, and milk, which have lots of potassium!
What foods do you think are high in potassium?

15. Good Sources of Potassium
Potato, baked, w/ skin
Tomato paste
Plain yogurt
Sweet potato
Clams, canned
Orange juice, fresh
Halibut, cooked
Soybeans, cooked
Tuna, yellowfin, cooked
Lima beans, cooked
Cod, Pacific, cooked
Low-fat milk
Bananas
Spinach, cooked
Tomato sauce
Peaches, dried
Apricots, dried
Pinto beans, cooked
Pork loin, lean, roasted
Lentils
Plantains
Kidney beans, cooked

16. Take Home Messages: Sodium is an essential nutrient
Americans often get too much sodium
Be mindful of salt/sodium intake to preserve a healthy heart and optimal health.
Read labels for the amount of sodium in the foods you eat and on the next grocery store trip – try to find different foods with less sodium
Share this information with your caregiver or household members
Add foods with potassium to encourage a healthy heart – such as bananas, potatoes, and fish

17. Questions?
… Thank You!