A tip of the hat to the Sneaky Mama — she’s got lots of great tips for sneaking healthy stuff into your favorite recipes!
I’m thinking today about sneaking something OUT of my favorite foods: salt. Cutting your added salt intake by half can make a big difference in your risk of stroke, heart disease, and heart failure. According to a study from Shiraz University in Iran, just six weeks of reducing your salt intake can lower your systolic blood pressure by eight percent. That cuts your stroke risk by a third and your heart disease risk by a quarter.
I like those odds!
Actually cutting your added salt intake can be the tricky part. One great tip I’ve read is to fill only half your salt shaker with salt — fill the other half with pepper or another spice you like. The same number of shakes gets you half the salt plus a flavor boost from whatever spices you’ve chosen!
Here are some other tips for cutting back on added sodium in your diet:
- Swap the salted snacks for unsalted versions — things like potato chips and nuts.
- Look for reduced sodium versions of your favorite foods.
- Making a pre-packaged or kit meal? Try using half the provided seasoning (a lot of salt could be hiding in that little packet).
- Taste everything BEFORE you add salt — you may not need extra salt at all. I don’t even keep a salt shaker on the table most of the time. Out of sight, out of mind.
- Experiment with other spices in your cooking. Salt isn’t the only flavor out there!
- Serving canned soups? Try diluting the soup with tomato juice or plain old water. You’ll get less salt in a single serving that way.
The bottom line is that you don’t have to make a radical change to your diet in order to see some added health benefits. Just a few small changes — like restraining yourself from using the salt shaker — can add up to a huge difference.