Shop For Low-Sodium Food Products
If you think you consume excess salt, take control of your salt intake by shopping for salt-reduced or low-sodium products. If in doubt about the salt content of a product, check the packaging, using your recommended daily intake (see above) as a guide.
Reduce The Salt In Canned Foods
Canned vegetables and meats often include a lot of salt. To reduce the salt levels in such foods, rinse the contents off with water before eating. If the contents include sauces or gravies, consider preparing a similar dish yourself rather than choosing the processed variety.
Prepare Food Yourself
The best way to control the salt-content in your food is to prepare it yourself using fresh ingredients. The same goes for snacking - eat fresh foods rather than salty processed snack foods. Not only will this reduce the salt in your diet but it'll have all sorts of other benefits such as increased energy levels.
When cooking, sample your food before adding salt, then add just enough for your taste, or if possible none at all. Try not salting the water when cooking vegetables and pasta.
If you have trouble getting used to reduced saltiness in your cooking, try gradually reducing the amount over time. Habits and tastes can take a while to change.
Eating Out
And if you're eating out, try to control the amount of salt in your meal by asking for no salt to be added in the kitchen. You can also request that dressings and sauces to be delivered on the side so that you can control how much you use.
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