Sodium

Sodium is an essential nutrient. It helps to maintain blood volume, regulate the balance of water in the cells, and transmit nerve impulses. However, Americans generally consume more sodium than needed. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum intake of 2,400 mg of sodium per day. That's the amount in about 1 tsp. of salt.

In the United States, nearly one in three adults has elevated blood pressure. Sodium intake is only one of the factors known to affect blood pressure, and not everyone is sodium-sensitive. If your physician has suggested lowering salt intake, here are some suggestions:

  • Cook without salt or with only small amounts of added salt.
  • Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and lemon juice.
  • Add little or no salt to food at the table.
  • Limit your intake of salty foods such as potato chips, pretzels, salted nuts and popcorn, condiments (soy sauce, steak sauce, garlic salt), pickled foods, cured meats, cheeses, and canned foods.
  • Read food labels carefully to determine the amounts of sodium.
  • Use lower sodium products, when available, to replace those with higher sodium content.

Many foods contain sodium naturally, and it is often added to foods during preparation or processing in the form of salt. Sodium is common in seasoning salts (1620 1850 mg per teaspoon), monosodium glutamate (MSG, 492 mg per teaspoon), soy sauce (343 mg per teaspoon), and meat tenderizer (1750 mg per teaspoon) and is often found in drinking water, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. Remember that a substantial amount of the sodium you eat may be "hidden" either occurring naturally in foods or as part of a preservative or flavoring agent that has been added.

To avoid too much sodium when dining out:

  1. Choose entrées with lower sodium levels, as noted in the HealthyDiningFinder nutrition charts, and
  2. Request no added salt whenever possible.

The sodium content for dishes featured on this website reflects three sources: (1) the sodium that occurs naturally in foods that are part of the recipe, (2) sodium in the form of salt that is contained in a prepared sauce, marinade or other recipe in which the salt cannot be reduced for an individual portion (for example, soups, which are typically made in advance in large quantities), and (3) salt and other high-sodium ingredients such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc., that are added by the chef after the order is placed and may be reduced or eliminated upon request.

Additionally, some chefs cook with salt "to taste," which means that they may add a pinch of salt here and there throughout the preparation. If you want to minimize the amount of sodium consumed, it's important to specify very clearly that you want "no added salt" when you place your order.