How will I know if I’m consuming the right amount?
The average adult in the United States consumes about 3,500 milligrams of sodium per day. And it can be challenging to cut back to 2,300 milligrams without making drastic dietary changes. It’s also difficult to know if you’re over the limit in the first place, since no simple test can measure this. But it’s not all or nothing, Dr. Hu said. Any reduction in sodium should be helpful for most people.
In the United States, about 70 percent of the sodium people consume comes from processed foods and dining out, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The best way to reduce your sodium consumption is to eat less of these foods and to cook more of your meals at home, Dr. Appel said.
Vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and dairy products are all rich sources of potassium, and eating more of these foods can boost your potassium while also probably reducing your sodium, Dr. Hu said.
You can experiment with adding flavor to your food by using more herbs and spices and less salt. Research suggests that spicy seasonings like chili peppers and acids like lemon juice and vinegar can enhance the taste of salt, making a little bit go a longer way. And in taste tests of store-bought tomato soup, people said that a low-sodium version seasoned with garlic, celery, oregano, bay leaves and black pepper was just as tasty as a full-sodium version.
When buying packaged foods, Dr. Anderson said that a good rule of thumb was to choose products with no more milligrams of sodium per serving than calories. This will help you stay below the 2,300 milligram daily limit. And be aware that certain canned foods, like beans and vegetables, are often high in sodium; draining and rinsing them can reduce the load.
Keep in mind, Dr. O’Donnell said, that your overall eating pattern is more important than any one ingredient. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, he added, and it prioritizes many foods that are rich in potassium and don’t contain too much sodium.
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