5 Ways I found to reduce my sodium intake

You'd be surprised by the number of foods that contain sodium and you didn't even know about it. Chocolate has salt, store-bought cookies are packed with sodium, sodas, pastries, canned foods and just about anything that you can get already prepared has more sodium than you'd have imagined. Remember: If it has a lot of preservatives, it has a lot of sodium. 

What I did is to make a point of cooking my own meals. If I wanted a quiche, I'd prepare my own pastry, if I wanted to eat bread, I'd make it myself and I started going for whole foods instead. 

Frozen foods are also a good idea to replace cans, as they are unsalted and fresher.  

When you are having a salad, use vinegar, olive oil, lots of veggies to make it taste better. In my experience, arugula is great to mask the lack of salt, and nuts are a good addition too, I absolutely love the crush and the nutty flavor. Consider adding a bit of pepper as well, it gives satiety and it adds to the overall taste of your greens. 

One of the things I discovered when I started cutting down on salt, is that if I wanted to sautee some vegetables and I added a bit of sugar and pepper, the veggies started to caramelize and I suddenly didn't miss adding any salt. 

While it is ok to eat store-bought mayo, mustard, ketchup, or any other dressing once in a while, you cannot make a habit out of it. They are not only packed with salt, sugar, and preservatives but they are also full of sodium. 

I like to use guacamole, hummus, aquafaba mayo, or any other dip I prepare instead. 

Before I was diagnosed, I didn't eat any oils, butter or anything that I thought added calories to my meal, the only thing I used was salt. When that was no longer an option, I started using butter and olive oil to sautee or caramelize my veggies. Roasting or grilling your veggies is also a good option, it adds taste and they are very healthy. In fact, the first month I did away with salt, I lost 10 kilos, with no effort whatsoever, just eating food that I cooked.

Even if you don't have to reduce your salt intake, it is a good idea to try these tips.