Most of us think that fat is the enemy of heart health, but did you know that sodium - yes, salt - can be seriously harmful to your health? A recent USA Today article by Heather Terwilliger, “Salt intake brings new levels of alarm” (Feb 10, 2008), emphasizes just how dangerous salt can be.

At Let’s Dish!, we use low- or reduced-sodium products as a standard when the recipe calls for a sodium-laden ingredient (chicken or vegetable base, soy sauce and more). And, of course, we provide the nutrition facts for every meal on our menu, so you can make your own decisions. When you dish, you can monitor and modify the salt in your recipe, but it’s clear that we should all think twice about using that salt shaker at home.

All this talk of salt reminded me that our AHA nutritionist, Catherine Joiner, knows better. In today’s post, Catherine weighs in on sodium and how you can reduce your salt intake. Along with healthy Let’s Dish! dinners, you can lower your sodium with her fun, low-sodium recipe.

A Word on Sodium

Everyone keeps telling you to leave that salt shaker alone, but why? Increased sodium intake can contribute to high blood pressure by causing fluid retention, which in turn increases blood volume. The higher the volume, the greater the pressure. Modest reductions in sodium can have a significant impact on your blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke and heart attack by up to 30-40%.

So, how much should you get? The Dietary Reference Intake for sodium is 1500-2400 mg for healthy adults. If you already have high blood pressure or are at risk for developing high blood pressure, the recommended intake is 1500 mg…that’s a tad bit more than 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I recommend trying to stick to about 2000 mg per day.

The problem is most of the sodium in our diet comes from packaged and processed foods, i.e., canned soups, canned vegetables, breakfast meats (even the turkey and chicken versions!), luncheon meats, frozen dinners, seasoning mixes (taco seasoning, gravy mix, stir fry mix, etc), and the list goes on. If it’s been processed, it more than likely contains a significant amount of sodium. (If you are scratching your head right now and thinking, “That’s funny, they don’t taste that salty,” that may be a sign that you need to cut back a bit. Unfortunately, we have become so accustomed to the taste of salt that we don’t even know what food actually tastes like.)

Here are some simple ways that you can cut back on sodium:

• Choose fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, and meats. If you have to get canned vegetables, look for “No Added Salt” on the label. As a last resort, you can drain, rinse, and cook the canned vegetables in fresh water.
• Choose salt-free snack foods such as unsalted nuts, crackers, pretzels, or popcorn.
• Look for words like “Low Sodium,” “Sodium Free,” or “Reduced Sodium” to clue you in on better products.
• Become familiar with the Nutrition Facts panel. Identify the serving size at the top of the label and then scroll down to the sodium. The amount of sodium listed on the label is the amount that you are taking in if you eat the serving size listed. Keep in mind that if you eat more than the serving size, you are getting more sodium.
• Put your salt shaker away. Using salt while cooking or at the table adds up pretty quickly.
• Experiment with salt-free seasonings such as any fresh or dried herb/spice, garlic, onions, peppers, vinegars, lemon or lime juice, or any salt-free seasoning blend. You may want to keep some peanut butter & jelly on hand just in case the experimenting goes bad! For some ideas of where to start, check out the seasoning suggestions on the American Heart Association’s website.
• Anything with salt in the name still counts as salt (garlic salt, onion salt, etc)!
• Yes, kosher salt and sea salt are sodium based, so they contribute to fluid retention the same way as table salt.

Don’t try to change everything at once. Take it one step at a time…small changes can make a big difference. Your first step may be putting the salt shaker away, or maybe it’s finally giving up those canned soups. Whatever it is, continue to aim for that goal of 2000 mg. Don’t get discouraged. If you mess up one day, just get right back to it the next!

For a quick, kid-friendly meal, try this low-sodium taco seasoning made with one pound of lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey:

2 teaspoons minced onions
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon paprika or crushed red pepper (for a spicier mix)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon oregano

Add the taco meat to whole grain tortillas and use low fat products to dress it up. Enjoy!

Catherine Joiner
Cardiac Clinical Dietician

Catherine Joiner, a registered dietician and volunteer for the American Heart Association, joined the Food for Thought blogging team as a guest writer as Let’s Dish! focuses on heart health in February. If you’d like to ask Catherine a question, please email us or add a comment to any one of her posts.