Publication Number 348-907, posted July 1997
How you choose and prepare foods affects the amount of sodium in your diet. Check the box that best answers these questions:
| How often do you - | Less than Once a Week | 1 or 2 Times a Week | 3 to 5 Times a Week | Almost Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eat cured or processed meats such as ham, bacon, sausage, frankfurters, and other luncheon meats? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
| Choose canned vegetables or frozen vegetables with sauce? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
| Use commercially prepared meals, main dishes, or canned or dehydrated soups? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
| Eat processed cheese? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
| Eat salted nuts, popcorn, pretzels, corn chips, or potato chips? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
| Add salt to cooking water for vegetables, rice, or pasta? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
| Add salt, salt-based seasoning mixes, salad dressings, soy sauce, or steak sauce to foods during preparation or at the table? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
| Salt before tasting your food? | ________ | _______ | ________ | ________ |
How did you do?
The more checks you have in the last two columns, the higher your diet is likely to be in sodium. To cut back on sodium, choose lower sodium foods more often and balance higher sodium foods with those that are lower. For example, if you serve ham for dinner, plan to serve fresh or frozen vegetables cooked without added salt.
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