Low Salt Diet

1. Low Salt Diet: How much is enough? Cayla Skinner

2. What is Dietary Sodium? Chemically known as Sodium Chloride, it is a colorless crystalline compound which occurs naturally in seawater and halite. Commonly known as table salt.

3. Identify Table salt is not the biggest contributor of sodium intake Majority of sodium contributor is found in more than 75% of processed foods and restaurant meals Bowl of cereal for breakfast = 250mg of sodium Cup of soup and one turkey sandwich for lunch = 2,200mg of sodium Slice of pizza and salad with light dressing = 710mg of sodium 250mg +2,200 + 710mg = 3,160mg of sodium The average American is recommended to eat less than 2,300mg of sodium a day.

4. Selection Read nutritional labels when buying food and picking food with “low sodium” (140mg or less)(Daily Value 5% or less)) Can and processed foods are high in sodium for the preservation of shelf life More fruit and vegetables Low-fat dairy Avoid ‘Snack Food’ Ex. Chips, crackers and pretzels

5. Nutritional food label

6. Low Sodium Food Fruits and vegetables Frozen or dried fruit (unsweetened) Bread and grains Unsalted popcorn Dressing, oil and condiments Unsalted margarine and spreads with no trans fat Seasoning Sodium-free, light mayo and light salad dressing

7. Don’t be salty… Look for labels that read: ‘Low sodium’ ‘Reduced sodium’ or ‘No salt added’ Select ‘fresh’ instead of ‘processed’ 140mg of sodium or less and daily value (DV) is of 5% or less on nutritional labels Alternating from chips and cookies to apples and unsalted snacks could lead to a healthier you

8. References Centers for disease control. (2012). Get the facts: Sodium and the Dietary Guidelines. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sodium-Salt-or-Sodium-Chloride_UCM_303290_Article.jsp U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). Low sodium foods: Shopping List. Retrieved from http://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/health-conditions-and-diseases/heart-health/low-sodium-foods-shopping-list U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2015). Dietary Sodium. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietarysodium.html