Six tips to reduce salt in your diet

Good Afternoon,

I hope that you have a wonderful last weekend of the summer! I gave a workshop at Lakeshore Place retirement residence in Burlington on Wednesday all about nutrition. We talked about how nutritional requirements for vitamins like B6, B12 and Vitamin D change as you age, how important drinking enough water is and how to reduce the amount of salt in your diet.

Sodium Intake Recommendations:

• 1,300 mg for adults age 51 to 70.
• 1,200 mg for seniors over 70

Current average sodium intake for most people is about 3,400 mg per day.

Much of the sodium that we eat comes from prepared foods such as store bought soups, bread, crackers and salted snacks.

Try this 6 tips to help to reduce salt in your diet:

1. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts.
3. Stick to unsalted nuts and avoiding salty snacks like chips and pretzels.
4. Opt for fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses and low-fat yogurt.
5. Select unsalted, fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.
6. Season your foods with herbs and spices instead of salt.

Good Luck!

Erin Billowits
Vintage Fitness

In Home personal training for people over 50 in the Greater Toronto Area