Tip of the Month - July
Coach Monika says…
We rush home from practice or travel to competition/games, and nutrition gets often placed on the ‘backseat’ because we ‘got to get to our destination.’ It is therefore easy to fall into the ‘cheater trap of eating on the go.’ However, dieticians and nutrition experts are very concerned about the ‘hidden’ sodium content in ‘fast food’ and our daily meals. Here are some important considerations: When eating out, ‘keep an eye’ on the Salt content
Some chain and ‘fast-food’ restaurant items can top 5,000 to 6,000 milligrams of sodium per serving – about four times the healthy daily limit
Downsize the portions by skipping the super-size or sharing a dish, or try to find the lower-sodium choices (many franchises have nutritional information on their websites)
Request that the dish be prepared with less salt
Healthy Eating, special Health Report from Harvard Medical School provides these five guidelines:
The body needs a little bit of salt every day for the contained sodium.
Too much sodium can boost blood pressure; stress the heart and blood vessels
The low-sodium Dietary Approach is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; is moderately high in nuts and low-fat dairy products; and low in red and processed meats
Choose unprocessed or minimally processed foods–Canned, processed, and frozen foods are often loaded with added salt
Read labels and choose lower-sodium products–When buying processed foods, choose items where the sodium content is less than or equal to the calories per serving
Know where ‘hidden sodium lurks’–Some of the highest-sodium foods common in the American diet include: pepperoni pizza, white bread, processed cheese, hot dogs, spaghetti with sauce, ham, ketchup, cooked rice, and flour tortillas. Make these items a small part of the meal plan
Use the ‘sodium budget’ wisely–Rather than spending the sodium allowance on salty snacks and heavily processed foods, use small amounts of salt to enhance the flavour of produce, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and other healthy ingredients
Train the ‘taste buds’–According to a study, people enjoy lower-sodium foods almost as much as food with the common sodium overload, which means that it is possible to shift one’s sense of taste to enjoy foods made with less sodium. Make these changes gradually and consistently, and over time you’ll find that you don’t miss the salt