The Facts About Salt

Sodium which is a component of salt is not bad in itself. We do need a certain amount for nerve and muscle functioning but too much of it is bad for your heart. Salt makes you retain water and that can raise your blood pressure driving up your risk of heart disease and stroke.

The American Heart Association recommends that all Americans aim to consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Some experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, think you can safely eat a maximum of 2,300 mg (the amount in 1 tsp salt) if you're healthy and under age 51. If you're older, are African-American or have high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease, everyone of those sources agrees that your daily cap should be 1,500 mg. But the truth is, most people exceed both of those numbers (the average person eats 3,400 mg per day), so reducing your intake is a really smart move.

I was never one that watched how much salt I ate. I liked things salty, especially my popcorn! My dad had some health problems and had to drastically cut his sodium intake. I started paying attention to how much sodium was in things in an effort to help my mom find things that he could eat. It was shocking to see how much sodium is in things, especially processed foods.  But even things like cottage cheese had a lot. It is hard to cut your sodium intake but using lots of fresh produce and taking the time to prepare healthy meals at home helps. We have also learned that there are a good number of sodium free seasonings out there and you can use lots of garlic, onions, and vinegars to add a lot of good flavor without all the sodium.

Keep an eye on how much salt you sprinkle on your food, that is the best place to start. But 77% of sodium comes from packaged foods and the number one source of sodium in our food is bread. It doesn't have a lot, just 150mg per slice, but we American eat so much of it that it really adds up. Other big offenders are canned soups, frozen meals and deli meats.

See you aren't able to always see or taste the sodium in foods, you need to check the labels. Aim for 500mg or less per serving and check different brands to look for low or no-sodium varieties of vegetables, beans and cottage cheese. And buying fresh definitely helps. The less an item is processed, the less sodium it has.

Source: Woman's Day

One-Pot Pilaf

One-Pot Pilaf

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp peeled, chopped fresh ginger
1 cup brown rice
2 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup fresh snow peas, trimmed
1 cup thinly sliced carrots, steamed
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 T lite soy sauce
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Spray medium sauce pan with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium heat. Add red pepper, garlic and ginger. Sauté 5 minutes.

Stir in rice.  Sauté 3 more minutes.  Add broth; bring to boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes.

Stir in snow peas, carrots, green onion, cilantro, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Cook 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings. Amount per serving: 109 calories; <1 22="" class="goog-spellcheck-word" fat="" g="" span="" style="background: yellow;" total="">carbs
; 3 g protein; 2 g dietary fiber, 228 mg sodium

Salt

Whether you are just trying to watch your intake of sodium to be healthier or you have to restrict eat because of health issues, cooking at home is always a great first step.  Everything you eat while eating out is loaded with sodium  But if you are cooking at home there are many simple things you can do to lower the salt and still make your food taste delicious.

Lowering your sodium intake reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.  The average American consumes 3,600 milligrams of sodium each day and 77 percent of that is from processed and restaurant foods. Home cooking accounts for five percent of the daily allotted 2,300 milligrams of sodium for healthy adults.  "Cooking puts you in control of the amount of salt and sodium in food, " says Cooking Light Nutrition Essential Advisory Panel Expert Heather Bauer, RD, CDN.

Bauer and Amy Myrdal Miller MS, RD, of the Culinary Institute of America Greystone (CIA), a premier culinary school., provide tips on how to manage salt and sodium while building flavor with other ingredients and techniques.  The result:  Your body--and your taste buds--can get by with less and never know the difference. 

1.  Use acids and fresh herbs as flavor accents.  Stock the pantry with flavor enhancers to boost taste without added sodium.  Acids like wine, citrus juices, or vinegars brighten flavors while fresh herbs enliven finished dishes.  Miller recommends trying a savory recipe with half the recommended salt, and filling in with other flavors.  "For homemade marinara sauce, add a splash of red wine as the sauce simmers and then sprinkle in some chopped fresh basil at the end," she says.  "The alcohol in the wine heightens the flavors of other ingredients, and the fresh basil adds freshness and great aroma.  These other ingredients contribute so much flavor that diners won't notice smaller amounts of salt."

2. Excite taste buds with spice blends and specialty salts.  At the CIA, chefs are revising seasoning strategies.  Use toasted spice blends, which offer flavor nuances.  The blend is ground, and chefs add a sprinkle during cooking.  If the mixture istn' too fiery or assertive, a final flourish of the blend with a dash of salt is added to round flavors.  Another option is to employ specialty salts.  A dash of flavored or specialty salts, like smoked sea salt or fleur de sel (a finishing salt from France), adds nuanced flavor and texture.  "Using these larger crystal salts at the end of cooking, or finishing with them, puts the salt flavor and great texture up front," says Miller.

3. Be picky about pantry staples. "most people know many canned foods can have a lot of sodium, but they're always surprised at where else it hides," says Bauer. "It's in breakfast cereals, in salad dressings, in jarred marinara sauce, and in breads, too." Compare brands and make the better choice.  "If one energy bar has 20 milligrams of sodium and another has 250 milligrams, choose the one with less sodium." Same goes for pantry staples like chicken brother, canned tomatoes or beans, pasta sauces, breads, and condiments.  Choosing lower-sodium versions of these foods lets you stretch your sodium budget further, so you can add salt to foods that really need it.

4. Let small amounts of salty and high-sodium ingredients shine.  Bauer admits many salt-free foods can be lacking in taste.  That's why she advises clients in her nutrition consulting practice to indulge in some higher-sodium ingredients, but to keep amounts small.  For example, just a little grated or finely shredded full-flavored cheese makes a powerfully tasty pizza or pasta topper without adding excessive sodium.