Eating out on a Low Sodium Diet- Tips

If you're trying to control your blood pressure or follow a low-sodium diet for other health reasons, aiming to eat 1,500 mg of sodium per day is recommended. But do you know where sodium is hiding in the foods you eat?

Take a closer look at food labels and nutrition data for restaurant meals, and you'll find that processed foods, canned soups, deli meats, chips and crackers, and menu items like hamburgers, French fries, and other fried foods all contain high levels of sodium.

For example, a French dip sandwich made with prime rib and peppercorn sauce at a popular fast-food chain contains 3,600 mg of sodium. And a one-cup serving of canned tomato soup contains about 960 mg of sodium, more than half the amount of sodium recommended in a single day.

So how do you eat out and keep sodium levels under control? Here are some tips for eating out on a low-sodium diet:

Avoid certain restaurants. Fast food restaurants, pizza joints, and Asian restaurants all serve foods made with sodium, cooked with added salt, or fried/sautéed in high-sodium sauces. Whenever possible, ask the cook to prepare a low-sodium entrée. Go to a locally owned restaurant rather than a chain; you'll be more likely to have someone make you a meal to order. Be sure to ask for the meal to be prepared with very little salt and no MSG.

Take your sauce on the side. Many sauces are loaded with sodium, so take the sauce on the side, taste it, and use it sparingly. Do the same for salad dressings, and ask for a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Use the salt shaker sparingly. Taste the meal, and then if absolutely necessary, sprinkle on a little salt. Ask for lime wedges or freshly ground pepper for a flavor boost.

Talk to other people on the same low-sodium diet. Here's a blog from a woman who has done a lot of research on eating out on a low-sodium diet, just so that you know where to go!
http://www.ihelpc.com/best-restaurants-for-low-sodium/

The best way to limit the amount of sodium in your diet is to eat fresh, healthy meals. Meals made with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, eggs, lean meats and fish, nuts and seeds and legumes without added preservatives is the best way to eat healthy and keep sodium levels in check.

And that's exactly what we had in mind when we created the MagicKitchen.com menu of Complete Low Sodium Meals. You'll find a complete selection of healthy, tasty, low-sodium meals for breakfast lunch and dinner. Many of our Low Sodium Meals contain less than 400 mg per serving without sacrificing taste and flavor. Stock up on low-sodium meals from MagicKitchen.com, and you'll look forward to trying to decide what to eat.