Top 5 ways to reduce your salt or sodium intake

1. Choose fresh vegetables

Choose fresh or frozen vegetables. If you purchase canned vegetables, choose those labeled “reduced sodium”, “low sodium” or “no salt added”. At the very least, rinse off your canned vegetables before using them.

2. Limit salty snacks

Limit the amount of salty snacks you eat, such as chips, pretzels, and nuts and choose unsalted options when available. For example, choose unsalted nuts.

3. Use different spices

Experiment with different herbs, spices, and other flavors to replace salt as a seasoning.

Examples:
Garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, ground black pepper, dried basil, salt free seasonings such as those from Mrs. Dash, etc.

4. Limit processed meats

Limit your intake of processed meats such as ham, bologna, corned beef, bacon, hot dogs, sausage, and pepperoni.

Americans get 77% of their sodium from processed foods and restaurant foods.

5. Limit fast food and eating out

• A big mac from McDonald’s has 1040 mg of sodium!
• A double beef burrito from Taco Bell has 1620 mg sodium!
• A fajita chicken quesadilla from Chili’s has 4,820 mg of sodium!

Look at the food labels of the products you eat to see how much sodium you are consuming.
How do I read a food label?