When we think about ways to live a healthy lifestyle with a great diet there are some obvious things that we can put our finger on as things to avoid. Clearly any medical professional, and probably anyone with common sense, will know that if you want to improve your diet there are certain things you should avoid. Most people, when asked about this, would give answers such as fat and sugar as those things that are very bad for us and that we should attempt to keep out of our diets if possible. But these are not the only things that can cause a problem. In fact there is one that often slips on the radar despite the obvious problems it can cause for our health. In this instance we are talking about the menace of salt.
Salt is a strong part of just about every food. We think of it as a food enhancer. But we now are seeing rather worrying levels of salt consumption. For example, it is known that the average person in the U.S. consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium (the principal component of salt) daily. This might not seem like a lot become it becomes very alarming when you realise the fact that the American Heart Association’s recommended limit is 1,500 milligrams a day. So in effect most people are now eating more than double the recommended level of salt that they should be.
Given that salt is linked to all sorts of problems, especially with your heart and the clogging of the arteries, it’s clear that something needs to be done about this over eating of salt. Do you have this problem? If you are someone who likes to put salt on your food or eats lots of processed meals it is highly likely that you’re getting too much salt in your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Isn’t it about time you did something about it? So here are some great meals that you can eat that have very low levels of salt in them.
For breakfast, how about trying banana nut oatmeal? This hearty dish combines oatmeal with banana, mixed nuts and a little sprinkling of cinnamon for delicious flavour. This is great as a filling and nutritious breakfast and has the added advantage that it is almost entirely free from salt. This comfort food is a great way to start the day. You could also try having granola or smoothies for your morning meal.
How about lunch then? Well salads are always a great choice, be sure to get plenty of healthy mixed leaves with a variety of other salad vegetables such as peppers, beetroot, cucumber and carrot. Be sure not to use store-bought dressings as these can often catch you out with alarming high levels of fat and (you guessed it) salt. Homemade soups are a great way to go too. There are plenty of healthy options that you can go for including leek and potato and carrot and coriander – deliciously flavoursome without having to add lots of salt.
For dinner you can make use of healthy and filling components such as pasta and then combine it with a delicious sauce using herbs and spices for flavour rather than salt. Herb-roasted turkey or pan-fried steak are another fine choice that impart lots of flavour without having to add any salt to the recipe. The key thing to do is to avoid packaged meals and when you are cooking using herbs and spices to flavour the food rather than salt. This will keep you on the path to healthiness.
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