When asked if one’s diet is high in salt or sodium, many people usually reply, “No, I never use the salt shaker.” Most people do not realize that 75% of the salt they eat comes from processed foods and meals eaten away from home while only 15-25% comes from the salt shaker.1Take the quiz:To find out if your diet is higher in salt than you may think, check how many servings of the following foods with added salt you eat in a week.___ Bacon or breakfast sausage___ Bread products___ Canned broth or bouillon cubes___ Canned fish and chicken___ Canned soups and vegetables___ Cheeses, especially fat-free cheeses___ Chips, dips, popcorn, salted nuts___ Condiments such as mustard, ketchup, soy sauce___ Cookies, baked goods___ Cottage cheese___ Crackers___ Crackers and dry cereals___ Deli meats___ Entrees or side dishes made from a box (e.g. skillet meals, macaroni & cheese, stuffing, rice)___ Frozen prepared meals___ Hot dogs___ Imitation seafood, veggie burgers___ Pasta sauce___ Peanut butter (with salt)___ Pickles, relish, canned olives___ Salad dressing___ Side dish or entrée from a can___ Breakfast in a restaurant___ Lunch in a restaurant___ Dinner in a restaurant___ TotalHow many servings of these low-sodium foods do you eat in a week?___ Baked potato or sweet potato___ Barley cooked without added salt___ Bread products with little or no added salt (preferably whole grain)___ Fresh fruit___ Fresh vegetables or frozen plain vegetables___ Fresh-cooked chicken___ Fresh-cooked fish___ Fresh-cooked lean meat___ Home-cooked beans or chili (with very little added salt)___ Natural peanut butter with no added salt___ No-added-salt canned goods___ No-added-salt condiments (e.g. ketchup)___ Nonfat dairy products (e.g. skim milk, lowfat light yogurt, fat-free sourcream)___ Nuts (salt free)___ Oatmeal, cream of wheat, shredded wheat, puffed cereals (made without salt, not instant)___ Pasta – cooked without added salt (whole grain is preferable)___ Rice or brown rice cooked with no added salt (not from a mix!)___ Salt-free or low-salt crackers and chips___ Tossed salad with only oil & vinegar___ TotalTally the scoreDo the items in number one exceed the number of items in number 2? Using this test will help you see the items you need to reduce in your diet versus the items you need to increase. Whole foods in their natural form are always your best bet. For example, a fresh, roasted chicken is always a better choice than deli chicken breast or other deli meats. If you find low-sodium food unpalatable, it is acceptable to use a little Accent®. It is lower in sodium and the sodium in this product has much less effect on blood pressure than salt.210 tips to decrease your sodium intake:1) Eat salt-free cereal for breakfast: cooked (not instant) oatmeal, cream of wheat, Wheatena®, Shredded Wheat® and puffed cereals2) Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables during the day.3) Dress your salad with oil andvinegar4) Limit the amount of bread/rolls/buns/bagels you eat to no more than a couple slices per day or use low-sodium bread. Brown rice, oatmeal, barley and whole grain pasta should make up the bulk of your grain foods.5) Limit the amount of prepared foods you eat. This includes frozen, canned and boxed meals. Develop easy, fast recipes that are made from whole, unprocessed ingredients.6) Limit the number of meals you eat away from home. When you do eat out, request that the kitchen prepare your food without added salt and put the sauce to the side.7) Use no-added-salt versions of condiments. Ketchup and mustard do come in no-added-salt versions.8) Purchase no-added-salt versions of canned foods, peanut butter, tuna and pasta sauce.9) Limit the amount of cheese you consume; use small amounts of sharp-flavored cheese such as cheddar or grated Parmesan.10) Eat fresh meat, poultry and fish instead of processed, canned, smoked or cured versions.1. Lancet 1987;1(8530):426-92. www.foodandhealth.com