Tips on Reducing Salt Intake

Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, a research nutritionist at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, offers the following tips for those who want to reduce salt intake:

• Take stock of the sources of salt in your diet, such as restaurant meals, salt-based condiments, and convenience foods. Some of these are really loaded with salt.
• Read the labels when shopping. Look for lower sodium in cereals, crackers, pasta sauces, canned vegetables, or any foods with low-salt options.
• If you think your meals are high in sodium, balance them by adding high-potassium foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Ask about salt added to food, especially at restaurants. Most restaurant chefs will omit salt when requested.
• If you need to salt while cooking, add the salt at the end; you will need to add much less. The longer the food cooks, the more the salty flavor is muted and at the end, the final taste is on the top layer.

More on the complete overview of salt intake at A Pinch of Controversy Shakes Up Dietary Salt

Tags: Dietary Salt, salt intake, salt, American Dietetic Association