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Too much salt isn’t good for anyone. When you have high blood pressure, it’s even more important to watch your salt. Salt has sodium, a mineral the body needs only in small amounts. Too much sodium can raise your blood pressure.
Most of us get much more sodium than we need. Most people should have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. That’s about one teaspoon. Your doctor may want you to have less.
Sodium is in salt. It’s also in many other foods we eat every day. Here are some tips for cutting sodium from your diet:
- Throw out your salt shaker. Stop using salt when cooking, baking, or eating. Many foods already have salt. To stay within healthy limits, don’t add more.
- Use pepper and salt-free spice blends to give food flavor. Watch out for packaged spice blends. Many have a lot of salt or MSG (monosodium glutamate, a source of sodium). Try adding flavored vinegars, lemon or lime juice, garlic, and fresh or dried herbs. Also try jam or jelly, honey, or homemade (NOT store-bought) salsa, made with fresh tomatoes.
- Avoid processed foods. Many of the foods you buy are loaded with sodium. Prepared or processed foods from the supermarket are some of the main sources. You might expect potato chips, pretzels, and corn chips to have lots of salt. But some canned soups have almost half of your daily sodium allowance in just one serving!
- Read food labels to see how much sodium is in each serving. Ask your doctor about your daily sodium allowance. Don’t go by what it says on the label. This is the allowance for an average, healthy adult.
- Keep track of your sodium. List the amount in each item you eat (if known). You may be stunned to see how quickly it adds up!
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