Bill is a 45-year-old bachelor who eats a grab-and-go breakfast, eats all of his lunches out, and has takeout or "something easy
" for dinner. Bill's doctor is concerned that his blood pressure is progressively rising with every office visit and has advised him to "cut out the salt" to lower his sodium intake. Bill rarely uses salt from a salt shaker and is unsure what else he can do to lower his sodium intake. Where does the sodium come from then?
Dietary sodium only comes from 25% of the table salt we add to our food. The other 75% comes from the process food such as take-out that we, and Bill, eat.
Explanation:
This is because sodium is added to preserve the freshness of the process, enhance the thickness of the products and to cover up any bitter aftertaste, if present, and enhance the flavour of the food. Therefore, in order for Bill to decrease his sodium intake he needs to cut back on the packaged food he eats daily. A better alternative would be to eat more fresh fruits, vegetables and salads. He should also avoid using condiments when he does get take-out as these are heavy in sodium. Instead, Bill can carry with him his own salt-free sauces. Products such as milk and coffee are also low in sodium. If he wants to be more conscious about the food choices he makes, he can also ask for the nutrition menu when he eats out so that he can determine exactly how much sodium he is consuming.
