Your Health

What can you do to halt the salt?

Reducing salt in your diet takes some effort and planning. Here are some ways to shake the salt habit.

• When preparing foods, try to add little or no salt. You may not even miss it.
• Instead of flavouring food with salt, use alternatives such as pepper, various herbs or spices, garlic, vinegar, lemon and hot pepper sauce.
• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Try to avoid pre-packaged, convenience foods. Instead of eating processed lunchmeat, cook a larger roast or chicken and use that for sandwiches.
• Avoid dry or canned soup, and take a crack at making homemade soup flavoured with herbs or spices.
• Read nutrition labels to find out how much salt is in a serving of the product you are considering buying.
• Look for foods with claims such as "salt-free" (less than five mg of sodium per serving), "low in sodium" (140 mg of sodium or less per serving) or "reduced in sodium" (at least 25 per cent less than the regular product).
• Try to buy food with a health claim of low sodium and high in potassium. Low sodium and higher potassium is a factor in decreasing the risk of high blood pressure.
• Some restaurants offer nutrition information for their items in the restaurant or online. If not, ask questions about how much salt is used in the item you're thinking of ordering.

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	About Wave Wave is published six times a year by the Winnipeg Health Region in cooperation with the Winnipeg Free Press. It is available at newsstands, hospitals and clinics throughout Winnipeg, as well as McNally Robinson Books. Read the January / February 2010 issue of Wave