Hidden salt

[brimoira]

Has any one else had a problem with the sodium count in foods.  I don't add salt, I don't use process foods, and no chips, and yet I'm always somewhere between  2500-3000.  Even my homemade roasted chicken come up with plenty of sodium.  Anybody know why?

[Odyssey13]

Hello and welcome to the forums @brimoira 

Prompted by your post, I did a bit of searching to see just what's going on. Unfortunately, due to the processes used, raw chicken is pumped with sodium! You can read more about it here - click and you can see how much sodium in the various chicken parts here - click to read

The only way to find out how much sodium you're getting would be to keep a log. By doing searches, you can find out the sodium in everything you're eating and make adjustments to reduce it.

Hope to see you around more often.

[MechEMom]

I would check the sodium content listed for the various foods you're entering, and see if they actually match what you purchase. While it's true that some brands of raw chicken are treated with a salt solution, there are other brands out there that are not, and fitbit nutrition may not be giving you an accurate calculation.

[Bill_k · Accepted solution]

Sodium content is my biggest pet peave in the food industry these days. I spend much time trying to make and find low sodium foods from making my own dill pickles and cauliflower to searching for low sodium chips and condiments. I don't see with all of the millions of people on hypertension medication why companies don't make more low sodium foods.

I know it's possible.

[brimoira]

That is true logging sodium, but it is already frustrating logging all the types of things I eat and making sure I burn more that I eat.  The fit bit is more fun than the old sites for logging but it is still time consuming. Not complaining, just stating a fact.

[Bill_k]

To tell you the truth i just add things up in my head now. Logging is too much work.As long as i'm close exact numbers don't matter to me.

[RobertScott0016]

Choose fresh fruit and vegetables, as well, since they are very low in sodium.

[SunsetRunner]

Unfortunately, this is a continued ploy by food manufacturers. If they can't make the food palatable as is, add salt. We are addicted to salt. My dad puts salt on ham. Lol The use of BP medications is over the top nowadays. Virtually every doctor I went to when my BP was elevated quickly whipped out the prescription pad and loaded me down with medications. I have yet to have a doctor that is well versed in nutrition or has suggested (non-medication) methods of lowering BP or cholesterol. I finally resigned myself to monitoring sodium intake and was shocked as to how easy it was to hit 3000+ mg a day. Now I set my limit at 1000 mg a day and it has not been a problem. (Hello Mrs. Dash)