Savour the Flavour – Without the Sodium!

Tips for a Healthy, Low Sodium Diet

Presented by: Insert name

 

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Presentation Outline

• Overview of Canada’s Food Guide

• Key facts about sodium

• Tips for eating less sodium:• At home• At the grocery store• When eating out

• What’s your sodium IQ?

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Canada’s Food Guide

Want to make healthy choices?

Follow the Guide!

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How much do you need each day?

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Make the most of each food group

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Make the most of each food group

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Why is everyone talking about sodium?

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So what is sodium?

Fact: Sodium is found in salt.

• All types of salt are high in sodium.

• Kosher salt, sea salt, fleur de sel, gourmet salt and smoked salt all have about the same amount of sodium as table salt. They are not healthier choices.

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How much do we eat?

Fact: We eat too much sodium.

• We all need some sodium, but most of us eat about 3400 mg per day. This is more than double the amount of sodium we need.

• Healthy adults need only 1500 mg of sodium per day. Healthy children need only 1000-1500 mg of sodium per day.

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What’s wrong with eating too much sodium?

Fact: Eating too much sodium can be harmful to our health.

• Eating too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease.

• It may also increase you risk of osteoporosis, stomach cancer and increased severity of asthma.

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Where is the Sodium?

Fact: Most of the foods we eat contain too much sodium.

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Want to Eat Less Sodium?

Try these Tips!

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Tips for Vegetables and Fruit• Try fresh vegetables and fruit for snack instead of packaged snacks.• Rinse canned vegetables to wash away the sodium.• Flavour food with herbs and spices instead of salt, celery salt, garlic salt or onion salt.

At Home

Tips for Grain Products• Cook pasta in unsalted water. • Cook rice, barley and quinoa in water or “no salt added” broth instead of salty broth.• Try unsalted margarine or unsalted butter.

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Tips for Milk and Alternatives•Try yogurt instead of cottage cheese.•Replace mayonnaise, sour cream or heavy cream with yogurt in recipes.

At Home

Tips for Meat and Alternatives•Flavour fish, tofu or meat with lemon or pepper instead of adding salt, sauces or gravy.•Taste your food before adding salt.

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At the Grocery Store

Tips for Vegetables and Fruit•Buy fresh or frozen vegetables. •Look for canned vegetables that are low in sodium.•Choose low sodium vegetables juice and tomato juice.

Tips for Grain Products•Choose breads, breakfast cereals and bakery products that are lowest in sodium.•Try a variety of grains such as barley, quinoa and rice which are naturally sodium free.

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At the Grocery Store

Tips for Milk and Alternatives•Enjoy lower fat unflavoured milk or fortified soy beverages. •Compare Nutrition Facts tables. Buy the products with the lowest amount of sodium.

Tips for Meat and Alternatives•Buy unseasoned meat, poultry, fish, seafood and tofu.•Choose unsalted nuts.•Buy low sodium canned beans or try dried beans, peas, and lentils.

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At the Grocery Store

Know what’s generally high in sodium:

Most processed foods found in the grocery store are high in sodium. These include:•canned, packaged or pre-made sauces, dips, gravies, condiments and dressings•canned soups•deli and luncheon meats•frozen meals•pizza•processed cheese and cheese spreads•ready-to-eat foods (like those found at the take-out counter)•snack foods (such as chips and salted nuts)

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At the Grocery Store

Use the Nutrition Facts table to compare and choose foods…

• Nutrition Facts tables are on pre-packaged foods.

• The calories and nutrients listed are for the amount of food found at the top of the Nutrition Facts table.

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Use the Nutrition Facts table to…

• Choose products more easily.

• Compare two products to make better food choices for you and your family.

• Learn about the nutrition information of the foods you eat.

• Better manage special diets.

• Increase or decrease your intake of any nutrient.

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Just follow the 3 steps:

1)LOOK at the amount of food

2)READ the % DV

3)CHOOSE

The % Daily Value is easy to use…

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What to LOOK for

1) LOOK at the amount of food

Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of food.

Compare this to the amount you

actually eat.

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What to READ

2) READ the % DV

It helps you see if a specific amount of food has a little or a lot of a nutrient.

5% DV or less is a little.

15% DV or more is a lot.

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How do you CHOOSE?

3) CHOOSE

Make a better choice for you. Here are some nutrients you may want…

MORE of…•Fibre•Vitamin A•Calcium•Iron

LESS of…•Sodium•Fat•Saturated and trans fats

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Dare to Compare

Cracker A Cracker B

… cracker A would be a better choice as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Remember: 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot.

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For more hints on finding products with less sodium, look at the nutrient claims on the front of packages:

Free - none or hardly any of this nutrient- an example is “sodium free”

No Salt Added

- no salt was added during processing- contains very little sodium

Low - a small amount- an example is “low sodium”

Reduced- at least 25% less of the nutrient

compared with a similar product- an example is “reduced sodium”

What about claims?

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Eating Out

Tips for Vegetables and Fruit•Ask for salad dressings “on the side”, and use only small amounts.•Choose stir-fry vegetables with garlic instead of stir-fry vegetables in oyster sauce.

Tips for Grain Products•Order smaller portions or share with someone.•Choose roti or chapatti instead of naan or parantha.

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Eating Out

Tips for Milk and Alternatives•When ordering pizza, ask for half the cheese.

Tips for Meat and Alternatives•Choose a grilled or roasted chicken sandwich. instead of chicken wings or chicken fingers•Ask for your meal to be cooked without salt.

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Let your taste buds enjoy the flavour of food with less sodium!

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What’s your sodium IQ? Quiz

1. True or False?Sodium is found in salt and may also be part of food additives and preservatives.

2. True or False?Most of the sodium in the foods we eat is from the salt we add to our food during cooking and at the table.

3. True or False?By weight, kosher salt, sea salt, fleur de sel, gourmet salt and smoked salt contain less sodium than table salt.

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4. Most Canadians eat ________ sodium each day. a. Too little

b. Too much

c. Just enough

5. Eating too much sodium can lead to: a. High blood pressure

b. Stroke

c. Heart disease

d. Kidney disease

e. All of the above

Sodium Quiz continued…

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6. The % Daily Value for this product is 36%. That means that it contains:

a. A little bit of sodium

b. Just enough sodium

c. A lot of sodium

d. Not enough sodium

7. True or False?

Frozen meals are good choices when you're trying to eat less sodium.

Sodium Quiz continued…

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8. True or False?Using herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends are ways to add flavour when cooking and eating food, without adding sodium.

9. Which food is high in sodium?a. Deli meat

b. Soy sauce

c. Canned soup

d. All of the above

10.Which has less sodium? a. A bowl of pasta and vegetables with olive oil and a

sprinkle of parmesan cheese

b. A bowl of pasta with canned spaghetti sauce

Sodium Quiz continued…

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0 – 3 = Sodium Sensible

So you learned something new today! Share your newfound knowledge with friends and family and encourage them to do the same. Slash the sodium in your diet to reduce your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. 

4 – 7 = Sodium Savvy

Everyday is a new day to make a change. Use what you know and what you learned to help reduce your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. It’s a battle against sodium and you are in control. Spread the word on sodium and encourage others to do the same.  

8 – 10 = Sodium Scholar

Knowledge is power! You are in control of reducing your risk of disease, so take action against high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease NOW by cutting back on the sodium in your diet. Spread the word on sodium and encourage others to do the same.

Sodium Quiz Results

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For More Information Visit Canada’s Food Guide Online:

www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

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Use nutrition information on food labels to help you make healthier food choices.

For more information, visit:www.healthycandians.gc.ca/sodium