Cut Back on Salt in Your Diet

Salty diets may be partly to blame for high blood pressure. On average, North Americans consume 3,400 to 4,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium (one of salt's main components) a day. The recommended daily intake is much lower -- 2,300 mg per day at most and much less for many of us.

Processed foods, which supply 75 to 80 percent of the salt, may be the prime culprit in our excessive salt consumption. Even those foods we do not traditionally think of as salty, such as bread, cereal, and canned beans, may push us well past recommended levels.

Here are some tips that can help you reduce the salt in your diet:

• Know your daily recommendations: When shopping, look for foods that have less than 10 percent of your daily sodium allowance per serving. For example, if you are allowed 1,500 mg daily, chose a food with no more than 150 mg of sodium per serving. And remember, food labels are based on a 2,300-mg per day sodium diet, but the daily recommendation for older adults, blacks, and people with hypertension is much lower (no more than 1,500 mg per day) so be ready to calculate according to your personal recommended allowance.
• Rinse canned foods: Rinsing canned tuna, vegetables, and other foods can help wash away salt. For example, a half cup of canned beans contains about 350 to 500 mg of sodium. Draining and rinsing beans will cut that by about one third. Other options: Look for low-sodium beans (and rinse those, too) or use dry beans, which have negligible sodium.
• Eat in (or speak up when dining out): A recent report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (US) found that a single meal at a chain restaurant can have three to five days' worth of sodium for people trying to limit salt intake. Ask the chef not to use salt or MSG (a salty food additive) and request sauces on the side.
• Choose fresh foods when possible: Food processing almost always boosts sodium. For example, a medium plain baked potato contains about 20 mg of sodium, while a medium serving of french fries has about 10 times that.
• When buying packaged foods, read labels to compare the sodium content of different brands. Remember that reduced-fat foods, such as low-fat cheese, often have more sodium than the regular versions.