How to Reduce Salt for Heart Health

Researchers have associated a high sodium diet with a greater chance of stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure. If you eat a lot of salt, start making changes today to improve your heart health. Read the information below to learn how to reduce your salt intake.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Avoid buying canned foods, which tend to be very high in salt. Instead, buy fresh or frozen vegetables. Choose fresh meats instead of canned or processed varieties.
2. Take some extra steps if you must buy canned foods. After removing the food from the can, rinse it under running water for a couple of minutes. This helps reduce the salt content. You can also look for low sodium, reduced sodium or no salt added versions when buying canned products.
3. Avoid adding salt to your food at the dinner table.
4. Change the way you cook. If a recipe calls for salt, use an assortment of spices and herbs instead. You will still get a wonderful flavor without the heart risks associated with salt.
5. Stay away from highly processed foods. Like canned foods, these tend to have high sodium content. Examples include frozen pizzas, frozen dinners, canned soups, broth and salad dressings.
6. Learn to read food labels. When you are buying groceries, check the sodium content of everything you buy. Purchase foods with a lower sodium content in order to improve your heart health.
7. Watch what you eat when you go out for dinner. Many popular fast food and restaurant dishes are loaded with salt. Scan the menu for low sodium options. Avoid food items with names that include the words pickled, marinated, bacon, gravy, soy sauce, broth or salted. And go easy on the condiments.