Salt 101

Salt is sneaky and in almost all of our food. But this does not mean that salt is bad!

Salt is actually needed in the body in small amounts to help our nerves and muscles. Salt also has iodine added, which maintains strong teeth and bones and helps your brain stay strong.

Small amounts of salt in food helps flavor, strengthens breads, and enhances the golden color of bread crust. Most food companies add high amounts of salt to help their food not go bad too fast. 

Adults should consume 2,300 mg or less per day, which is only 1 teaspoon of salt.  

The ONIE Project put together some tips to easily help you limit your salt intake. 

Where to Look For Salt

Food Label!

Food labels show how much sodium is in one serving. But all those numbers can get confusing. The ONIE Project has come up with a perfect trick to help you limit your salt: 1 mg of sodium for 1 calorie. If the sodium number is larger than the calories for one serving you may want to look for a better option.

The ONIE Project recipes use the 1-for-1 certified ribbon to easily tell you what recipes are low in salt.

Easy Ways to Limit Salt

There are easy ways to help limit the amount of salt in foods before cooking or eating them.

1. Rinse Canned Foods – Before using canned beans or vegetables, drain and rinse them to help wash off any excess salt. 
2. Use Spices – Spices and other non-salt seasonings canices that help add flavor so there is no need for a lot of salt.
3. Buy Fresh – Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best as they have lots of flavor and no added salt! Frozen is another good option when fresh is not available. When buying frozen, look for items that are flash frozen and contain only vegetables listed in the ingredients. Watch out for added seasonings and sauces.
4. Choose Low-Sodium – When buying soups or broths/stocks, or anything canned, choose ones that are labeled low sodium, those will have less salt. An alternative to buying broths/stocks are making your own.  Check out our video on how to do this here! 

 Making small changes will have a lasting effect on your overall health!