Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Spring 2021

Find recipes to support your new, lower salt intake at grundycountyhospital.org . Standard U.S. Postage PAID Grundy County Memorial Hospital 201 E. J Ave. Grundy Center, IA 50638 2021 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in LIVE WELL comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. By Crystal Petersen, RDN, LD Sodium is a mineral found in many foods. Health care providers often use the words sodium and salt inter- changeably. You need some sodium, but too much can be bad for your health and lead to hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Your daily intake of dietary sodium can be limited with these tips: Rethink. Consider your eating habits. Do you automatically salt your meal because the saltshaker is handy or reach for a sports beverage instead of water? Concentrate on what you put in your grocery cart: Choose the no-salt-added variety of vegetables, soups and sauces. Choose fewer processed foods. A lot of the salt we eat is from foods that come in boxes, cans or packages. Compare labels and choose the lower sodium version of crackers, bread and cereal. Replace. Try a spring cleaning of your pantry, refrigerator and freezer! Chicken, beef and pork that is naturally low in sodium may be purchased from the meat counter instead of processed meat and cold cuts that are high in sodium. Purchased dressings may contain a lot of salt, so choose simple oil and vinegar. Instead of adding salt to recipes, experiment with spices, fresh herbs, lemon juice, lime juice and vin- egars. Try using a sodium-free season- ing blend for cooking. Buy condiments that are labeled salt-free or low sodium . Reduce. Enjoy your favorite high- sodium foods in lesser amounts. If you really enjoy deep-dish pizza, make it part of a balanced meal by pairing one slice of pizza with a garden salad and fresh fruit. Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and salt-free nuts to enjoy as snacks while reducing your reliance on pack- aged or processed snack foods, like gra- nola bars, cookies, chips and crackers. Label lingo Sodium-free or salt-free foods contain less than 5mg of sodium per serving. Very low sodium foods contain 35mg of sodium or less per serving. Low sodium foods contain 140mg of sodium or less. Adam Scherling Administrator Keely Harken Communication & Foundation ProgramManager Kelly Jans Community Outreach Specialist Crystal Petersen Wellness Program Manager LIVE WELL is published as a community service for the residents of the service area of Grundy County Memorial Hospital, 201 East J Ave., Grundy Center, IA 50638, grundycountyhospital.org , 319-824-5421 How much sodium should I have anyway? According to health experts, nearly everyone benefits from lower sodium intake. The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that we consume less than 2,300 mil- ligrams (mg) of sodium per day as part of a healthy eating pat- tern. One teaspoon of table salt contains 2,325mg of sodium. Salt: Rethink, replace and reduce for better health NUT R I T I ON CORNE R