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Experts have linked excessive consumption of this ingredient to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Many people consume more salt than they require, with estimates suggesting that 90 percent of the population does not follow the recommended limits.
“It is easy to consume this mineral in excess. People tend to consume more salt than they think because salt is in every canned or packaged food, used in all restaurants, fast food, and often in bottled drinks, “explained a specialist in Nutrition.
While sodium (which comes from salt) is an essential nutrient, it can harm our health when consumed in excess.
A recent study even suggested that high sodium intake can lead to a higher death rate.
While a lot of the effort comes down to getting used to the taste of food with reduced salt intake, here are four tips to keep in mind and reduce effectively:
- Read Nutrition Facts Labels
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises people to follow the reference amounts provided by the daily values to make sure they stay within limits. The Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day.
The FDA also urged people to pay attention to the serving size listed on the labels. The nutrition information on the title often applies to just one serving.
- Make a habit of preparing food.
Even when they don’t taste salty, high sodium levels are often found in processed snacks, packaged foods, and takeout.
These include:
- Canned soups
- Pizza.
- Pan.
- Chips.
- Instant meals.
- Popcorn.
- And more.
By cooking food from scratch, you can limit the salt you add during preparation. It is also easier to reduce the portion size of foods containing salt.
And if it helps you resist the temptation, you might consider ditching the salt shaker on the table.
- Use alternatives to add flavor.
UK Registered Dietitian Annemarie Aburrow recommended several herbs and spices that can serve as natural salt alternatives.
Additionally, citrus fruits can also be a great way to add some flavor to your food. Next time, squeeze lemon juice over salads and roasted vegetables; you might even find it tastier than salt.
- Make requests when you go out to dinner.
In fast food stores, it helps to skip or reduce the intake of French fries, ketchup, pickles, French fries, soy sauce, etc. But restaurant meals can contain excessive sodium in your diet, so a simple request when ordering may be enough to cut down on salt.
