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Cutting the
salt!
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 Cut the salt!
Why stay away from salt?
Eating too much salt causes high blood pressure (hypertension).
It also increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Westchester County, New
York and the U.S. About 500 deaths each year can be attributed to
excessive salt intake.
If I’m not adding salt to my food, where does the salt come from?
Most of the salt we eat comes from packaged, processed store-bought food
and restaurant meals – especially fast food. A quarter-pound
cheeseburger with fries has 1,350 mg of salt, or 60 percent of your
daily allotment. A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich has 1,250 mg of
sodium, or more than half your daily recommended limit.
Don’t eat fast food? Many other foods contain a surprising amount of
salt. A half-cup of cottage cheese has 400 mg of sodium, or 17 percent
of your daily total. Four slices of turkey breast have 1,360 mg of
sodium, or 60 percent of your daily limit.
How can I cut back on salt but keep my foods flavorful?
To cut down on your salt consumption, eat more fresh and home-cooked
food, less fast food and fewer processed or prepared foods.
When cooking, add herbs and spices to boost flavor instead of sprinkling
on salt.
Read food labels when you’re shopping. Sodium can be listed as salt,
sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrate or nitrite
and sodium benzoate. Choose labels and foods with the lowest % Daily
Value per serving. Try to avoid foods with 20% or more sodium per
serving.
How much salt is okay?
Most people should consume less than one teaspoon or 2,300 mg of sodium
a day.
People with hypertension, African-Americans and middle-aged or older
adults should consume less than 2/3 teaspoon a day, or less than 1,500
mg of sodium.
 Cut
The Salt! (NYCDOH Health Bulletin)
Limit
your salt by reading food labels in 3 easy steps (NYCDOH)
American
Heart Association sodium recommendations (AHA)
Salt
Myths (FSA)
How
salt affects your body (FSA)
Sodium
and Salt (FSA)
Download
How to look out for salt when your
shopping scale
(FSA)
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