Savvy Food Tips to Reduce Salt Intake

 

According to the National Kidney Foundation too much sodium is bad for your health, increase your blood pressure, and make your kidneys work harder. It can also increase the risk for a heart attack or stroke.

The FDA Dietary Guidelines for Sodium consumption for adults is no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, and the American Heart Association states an "ideal" amount of sodium intake is no more than 1,500 mg per day. 

Keep in mind these amounts are top limits, especially if you're sensitive to the effects of sodium or have high blood pressure. 

If you aren't sure how much salt is healthy to ingest, listen to your body and talk to your health care provider for guidance. This post is offered for entertainment and educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

If you need or want to reduce salt intake, you don’t have to make lots of changes at once. 

This post is chock full of tips about how to season foods with flavorful herbs and spices, eat less salt, and improve wellness. There are links to delicious low salt recipes, and food prep ideas too.

Savvy Food Tips to Reduce Sodium Intake          

• Ask your grocer if they have a low sodium shopping list available or a special section in the supermarket for low sodium items. This is one way to be a more savvy shopper.
• Read the nutrition facts label on those foods that have them. Check the amount of sodium in foods per serving and compare different options.
• Choose products with a sodium score of a 5% Daily Value (DV) or less. A sodium content of 20% DV or more is very unhealthy.
• Despite what many people think, most dietary sodium (over 70%) comes from eating packaged and prepared foods—not from table salt added to food when cooking or eating.
• Processed meats, poultry, and seafood – like deli meats, sausages, sardines, and tuna are high sodium items. Substitute low salt plant-based proteins including legumes, peas, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, and dark leafy greens instead.
• Want to give recipes a Latin American twist? Make  homemade salt-free adobo seasoning  from Desiree, the creator of Rican Vegan. I use this seasoning to sprinkle on entrées before cooking. This is one fun way to spice up your food without having to use salt.
• For a salt-free homemade Italian seasoning blend experiment making this recipe from Brandi at the Vegan 8.
• Sprinkle on hot red pepper flakes or use Tabasco or other low salt hot pepper sauce to give your food a spicy kick. 
• Ready-made salad dressings usually contain an unhealthy amount of sodium. One of my favorite salt free salad dressings is Creamy, Vegan White Bean, Garlic, and Ginger Salad Dressing. It's delicious, easy to make, and so nutritious.

• If you decide to buy a premade salad dressing, only get one that is labeled low sodium, salt free, or no salt added.
• Instant foods like flavored rice or noodles, and ready-made pasta, pizza, canned soup, and canned chili are high sodium products. 
• To save time, make Instant Pot Acorn Squash and Apple Soup for Fall. Yummy recipe and photo comes from food blogger Judee Algazi.

• Want a nourishing, inexpensive, protein rich dish that is full of flavor? My recipe for Hearty Red Lentil Dal incorporates tasty Indian style spices, and the only added salt comes from low sodium vegetable broth. The recipe is so adaptable; it can be made as a stew or soup.

• Create your own dishes in a slow cooker. For example, try this simple recipe for Vegan Mushroom and Barley Stew with Turmeric and Garlic. Recipe and photo are from Jen deHaan.

• Bake, steam, and roast foods from scratch. Add a drop or two of olive oil after cooking, blend in freshly ground black pepper, and finish it off with a few drops of lemon or orange juice to perk up the taste. 
• Eat unsalted nuts and unsalted trail mix instead of salted ones.
• Store bought pretzels, popcorn, pre-packaged breads and rolls, and chips are loaded with salt. Say no to them and make your own, or at the very least, get low salt varieties.
• Be creative with snack foods. Make baked sweet potato fries, and select crunchy unsweetened cereal, homemade bread, carrot sticks, peas, or a crisp apple smeared with almond butter.
• Buy vegetables that are fresh, frozen, or fresh from your home garden. Choose to serve frozen vegetables that are made without added salt or sauce.  
• Canned foods like veggies or beans may have high sodium, so find those with the least amount of sodium. The same goes for olives, pickles, and the like. Rinse canned or bottled foods before cooking. This will wash away some of the salt.
• Use condiments including ketchup that is unsalted or lower in sodium.
• Take the salt shaker off your table and in its place use a shaker of oregano.
• Refrain from adding salt to water when you cook pasta, rice, corn on the cob, or potatoes.
• Substitute tasty herbs and spices to flavor your food instead of reaching for salt. Favorite spices of mine are ginger, turmeric, garlic, and no-salt Italian seasoning blend. 
• When you are eating in a restaurant, ask for nutrition information before you order. Only then, select a verified low sodium meal or "no salt added meal." Split a meal with a friend, family member, or take home half for a second meal.
• When you're ordering takeout food to eat at the office or home, request unsalted main courses and vegetables. If veggies are already premade, get fruit as a side item instead.
• Keep takeout, restaurant meals, and fast food as an occasional treat. 💗

No matter how much sodium you have eaten in the past, it's possible to make healthier choices in the present and future. 

Please let me know your personal tips and ideas about reducing salt intake in the comments section below.

In what ways have you measured and regulated the amount of salt you use? Has your method been successful? Please explain.

What new ideas appeal to you? Share that too.

Please don't put links in comments, as they won't be published that way.

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Job Board Specialty Diversity and Employment Inclusion Joyce Trinder

Diverse and inclusive workplaces have the potential to be innovative, efficient, productive, and successful. 

Diversity in the workplace refers to those companies and businesses that intentionally employ people with a range of characteristics, such as gender, religion, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, and other attributes.

With that in mind, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joyce Trinder, one of the founders and CEO of Native American Jobs (NAJ). 

This family owned business was the first job board of its kind online. It remains the most accessible one for jobs today.

NativeAmericanJobs.com lives up to its mission to help employers and career minded individuals from diverse, indigenous, and minority cultures find jobs in places where a multi-faceted workforce is important to all. 

Read more below to discover why NAJ and its leader, Joyce Trinder are special.

Editor's note: Although Nancy Andres has known Joyce Trinder for several years, Nancy did not realize the fascinating back story of Joyce's company or reasons why her operation runs so well. 

The interview questions are Nancy's and answers are quotes from Joyce Trinder, with minimal editing for clarity.   👌

Interview: Joyce Trinder

Nancy Andres: When and where did you start Native America Jobs and what was your motivation?

Joyce Trinder: Native American Jobs was started in 2000 in Klamath Falls Oregon. My husband, who is Native American, and I couldn’t get jobs. We decided there had to be a better way to find work. So we started NAJ. 

NAJ was the first Native American online job board in the U.S.A. I did all the postings myself for the first 6 years. 

We went from 2 pages of job listings to a redesigned site with jobs from all the states on it. 

Today, companies have the option of getting a simple listing or  becoming a featured employer with their company profile, and links for all open positions. 

Adds start for as little as $75 for 15 days for employers, with no fee for those who are seeking employment.

Nancy: Does your organization serve a broad range of people who are looking for and posting jobs?

Logo for Native American Jobs

Joyce: Yes. Our job board started out with listings for Tribal entities. I learned very quickly that lots of companies find it beneficial to include diverse employees. There is greater job satisfaction and productivity at companies were employees are valued. 

That’s why we market to Colleges, Tribal Entities, Non-Profits, Food Banks, and a lot of Blue collar companies as well. 

For example, Stanford University, Puyallup Tribal Health Authority, and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute list their job openings with us.

Nancy: How did you get into this industry?

Joyce: I used to work for Boeing Airplane Company in Washington State in Human Resources or Personnel, a name that department used to called. 

I have always enjoyed helping others. I think NativeAmericanJobs.com is my calling, and I'm grateful this September starts our 21st year in business.

Nancy: What problem  does NAJ solve for customers?

Joyce: We help employers reach out to diverse job seekers for their open positions, as well as help job seekers find the job of their dreams.

Nancy: Do you think you bring a special skill, a knack for detail, customer care, reliability, and ease of interacting that is unique or distinctive?

Joyce: Yes I do. NAJ is all about Customer Service. We consider our Employers and Job Seekers as family. We aim to serve, treat others with respect and dignity… and go the extra mile to help them. We do our best to answer each call. Should we not have an answer, we will get one, and get back to the person who asked that question as quickly as possible.

Nancy: Is the NAJ website, job board, and customer service department user friendly? Is help readily available when needed?

Joyce: Yes it is. I made sure our website is easy to navigate, especially so those who search for work after hours can find what they are looking for. 

Native American Jobs has a Customer Service Department open from 8-5 PM EST. Please call 888-491-8833 ex 1389 for help.

Our agents are kind, caring, and receptive to peoples’ needs and questions. If you need to speak to me, please call 253-350-4114.

Nancy: In what ways has the company evolved since you started it?

Joyce: I did all the website maintenance until 2006. After much research I chose a reliable company to do the data management in the background. We have been working with them for 15 years now.  

They keep technology for NAJ up to date, and offer new tools to the Job Board on a regular basis.

Nancy: What are the big issues in the employment industry, and what’s your opinion on them?

Joyce: A lot of competition, other companies over-charging for posting jobs, traffic to the job board by Job Seekers fluctuates a lot. 

When COVID hit, our traffic dropped way off, and we took a terrible hit. Fortunately, in the recent months of 2021, we have rebounded with more traffic from Job Seekers and many  listings from Businesses seeking applicants for their open positions.

Nancy: What does the company plan to do next?

Joyce: We are rolling out new tools on the job board to make it easier for Employers to advertise. We are gearing up to offer free tools for Job Seekers to utilize as well. My IT team is on the lookout for ways to improve what we offer, and help people who use our site.

Nancy: What motivates you to give your best?

Joyce: I had a very rough life growing up and learned early on I had to depend on myself to take care of me and my children. My aunt taught me how to survive mentally as well as financially, how to save money for emergencies, and to be able to take care of us under any circumstance.

As an adult, I had been unemployed at times. When the kids were small I was on Public Assistance. I needed help as a single mom to pay my bills, buy groceries, and put gas in the car. I worked 3 jobs to take care of us the best I could. 

I like to help people to be the best they can be, and find that Dream Job they are working so hard to get.

I feel blessed to be able to provide resources to Job Seekers and Employers that will help them be successful and move forward in their lives.

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