Your questions about sodium, answered

How do I know if I am consuming the right amount?

The average adult in the United States consumes about 3,500 milligrams of sodium per day. And cutting back to 2,300 milligrams without making drastic dietary changes can be a challenge. It’s also difficult to know if you’re going over the limit at all, as no simple test can measure this. But it’s not all or nothing, said Dr. Hu. Any reduction in sodium should be helpful for most people.

In the United States, about 70 percent of the sodium people consume comes from processed foods and eating out, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The best way to reduce your sodium consumption is to eat less of these foods and prepare more meals at home, said Dr. Apple.

Vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and dairy products are all rich sources of potassium, and eating more of these foods can increase your potassium and likely decrease your sodium, too, said Dr. Hu.

You can experiment with adding flavor to your food by using more herbs and spices and less salt. Research suggests so spicy seasonings such as chili peppers And acids such as lemon juice and vinegar can improve the taste of salt, making a little bit last longer. And in taste testing of store-bought tomato souppeople said that a low-sodium version seasoned with garlic, celery, oregano, bay leaves and black pepper was just as tasty as a full-sodium version.

When purchasing packaged foods, Dr. Anderson that a good rule of thumb was to choose products that contain no more milligrams of sodium per serving than calories. This will help you stay under the daily limit of 2,300 milligrams. And keep in mind that certain canned foods, such as beans and vegetables, are often high in sodium; By draining and rinsing them you can reduce the load.

Keep it in mind, said Dr. O’Donnell, that your overall diet is more important than any one ingredient. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, he added, and it prioritizes plenty of foods that are rich in potassium and don’t contain too much sodium.