Most Americans are getting too much sodium in their diet.
Heres what the FDA is trying to do about it.
Virojt Changyencham/Getty Images
Salt.
Photo:Virojt Changyencham/Getty Images
It makes food taste good and is also used as a preservative.
Why is sodium being targeted?
Heart disease remains the No.
1 cause of death in both men and women.
Yet, many risk factors for heart disease are controllableincluding how much sodium you ingest.
Heres the thing, though.
According to the FDA, people usually dont notice a small reduction in sodium.
So consumers taste buds will more easily adjust if the reductions happen in small increments over time.
Phase II contains three-year sodium reduction targets for 163 food categories.
you’re free to make choices that include lower-sodium options right now.
you’ve got the option to make canned soups go further by adding fresh veggies to them.
Or try making your ownenergy ballsandsmoothiesso you know exactly whats going into them.
Youll be able to better control how much sodium is in your foodand might save a buck or two.
We have lots ofmeal plans and recipes that are lower in sodiumto help get you started.
If time is an issue concerning meal prep and cooking, weve got solutions for that, too.
Try one of ourlower-sodium dinner recipes that come together in just 30 minutestonight.
Convenience foods can save time in the kitchen but also need to be monitored for sodium content.
Getting creative withherbs and spicescan help your taste buds more quickly adjust to less salt in recipes, too.
And they come with health benefits when used regularly, including adding antioxidants to your dishes.
The initiative is voluntary, meaning that companies are not being forced to comply.
If this feels overwhelming, choose one of these areas to start with and add more over time.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Sodium reduction in the food supply.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Daily value on the nutrition and supplement facts labels.
