Cutting Down on Salt
Limiting salt when you cook
Avoid any seasonings that taste salty, including:
bouillon cubes
cooking sherry or cooking wine
chili sauce
meat tenderizer
seasoned salts
soy sauce
steak sauce
tamari
Worcestershire sauce
Instead, try cooking with low-salt seasonings, such as lemon juice, vinegar and herbs.
Drain and rinse canned foods before preparing them to remove some of the salt.
Substitute fresh fruits and vegetables and other low-sodium foods for canned and processed foods. Use canned vegetables with no salt added. Select brown rice or plain white instead of flavored rice (such as chicken- or beef-flavored, or any rice that comes with a packet of powdered seasoning).
Avoiding high-sodium foods
This recommendation is probably the hardest to follow, because so many convenience foods (like prepackaged meals and soups) and snacks (potato chips and popcorn) are high in sodium. But most of us take in more sodium through these foods than by using table salt. That's why it's essential to cut back and eventually eliminate them. The foods below are usually high in sodium (but read the labels, because some may be available in a low-salt or unsalted form):
Canned soups and dry soup mixes
Canned meats and fish (buy water-packed tuna or salmon instead)
Ham, bacon and sausage
Salted nuts and peanut butter
Instant cooked cereals
Salted butter and margarine
Processed meats, such as deli items and hot dogs
Prepared mixes (pancake, muffin, cornbread, etc.)
Prepackaged frozen dinners (unless one serving has less than 400 mg of sodium)
Preseasoned mixes (tacos, chili, rices, sauces, gravies, etc.)
Snack foods (pretzels, potato chips, olives, cheeses, pickles)
Salad dressings
Fast food
Choosing low-sodium alternatives
Read food labels to check salt content (listed as "sodium"
. Start with
what's in the cabinet right now, so you can stop buying any high-sodium foods.
People with heart failure should watch out for the various forms of sodium (for example, sodium alginate, sodium sulfite, sodium caseinate, disodium phosphate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide, monosodium glutamate or MSG, sodium citrate).
Check your medicine cabinet. People with heart failure should avoid headache or heartburn medicines that contain sodium carbonate or bicarbonate.
Look for canned vegetables labeled with “no salt added.” Look for "low-salt" or "low-sodium" labels on cans and packages. This label isn't allowed on the can or package unless the food has 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving. However, it's still important to read the label to see exactly how much it does contain. The less salt, the better!
Do you love salt? Your heart doesn’t. Get tips on shaking your salt habit to reduce your risks of heart disease and stroke.
learn more...
If you are being treated for cardiovascular disease or risk factors, you have an elevated risk of suffering sudden cardiac arrest.
_________________
Limiting salt when you cook
Avoid any seasonings that taste salty, including:
bouillon cubes
cooking sherry or cooking wine
chili sauce
meat tenderizer
seasoned salts
soy sauce
steak sauce
tamari
Worcestershire sauce
Instead, try cooking with low-salt seasonings, such as lemon juice, vinegar and herbs.
Drain and rinse canned foods before preparing them to remove some of the salt.
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Substitute fresh fruits and vegetables and other low-sodium foods for canned and processed foods. Use canned vegetables with no salt added. Select brown rice or plain white instead of flavored rice (such as chicken- or beef-flavored, or any rice that comes with a packet of powdered seasoning).
Avoiding high-sodium foods
This recommendation is probably the hardest to follow, because so many convenience foods (like prepackaged meals and soups) and snacks (potato chips and popcorn) are high in sodium. But most of us take in more sodium through these foods than by using table salt. That's why it's essential to cut back and eventually eliminate them. The foods below are usually high in sodium (but read the labels, because some may be available in a low-salt or unsalted form):
Canned soups and dry soup mixes
Canned meats and fish (buy water-packed tuna or salmon instead)
Ham, bacon and sausage
Salted nuts and peanut butter
Instant cooked cereals
Salted butter and margarine
Processed meats, such as deli items and hot dogs
Prepared mixes (pancake, muffin, cornbread, etc.)
Prepackaged frozen dinners (unless one serving has less than 400 mg of sodium)
Preseasoned mixes (tacos, chili, rices, sauces, gravies, etc.)
Snack foods (pretzels, potato chips, olives, cheeses, pickles)
Salad dressings
Fast food
Choosing low-sodium alternatives
Read food labels to check salt content (listed as "sodium"
. Start with
what's in the cabinet right now, so you can stop buying any high-sodium foods.
People with heart failure should watch out for the various forms of sodium (for example, sodium alginate, sodium sulfite, sodium caseinate, disodium phosphate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide, monosodium glutamate or MSG, sodium citrate).
Check your medicine cabinet. People with heart failure should avoid headache or heartburn medicines that contain sodium carbonate or bicarbonate.
Look for canned vegetables labeled with “no salt added.” Look for "low-salt" or "low-sodium" labels on cans and packages. This label isn't allowed on the can or package unless the food has 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving. However, it's still important to read the label to see exactly how much it does contain. The less salt, the better!
Do you love salt? Your heart doesn’t. Get tips on shaking your salt habit to reduce your risks of heart disease and stroke.
learn more...
If you are being treated for cardiovascular disease or risk factors, you have an elevated risk of suffering sudden cardiac arrest.
_________________
