Low sodium pasta I cooked.
Sitting at a doctor’s office, I read about low-sodium diets. My first thought was, “who needs that? I eat healthy.” In fact, I never salt my food.
Then I read some more.
One of my go to foods is cottage cheese. I wrote about cottage cheese trending HERE.
When I got home, I looked at the label on my Trader Joe’s low fat cottage cheese and discovered 330 mg of sodium! Our Greek yogurt has a fraction of that.
Who knew?
Did you know that most pasta has 0 grams of sodium, but canned sauces are loaded? I made my own sauce with canned diced tomatoes (you have to look at the labels there, too. Some cans are packed with sodium while some are zero.) I sauteed onion, garlic — added hamburger, the canned tomatoes and threw in a bunch of chopped basil. Yum!
Some of my old favorites are off my list:
Top Ramen and White Cheddar Cheetos. One package of Top Ramen has 1590 mg of sodium. My “Simply Cheetos White Cheddar” have close to 300 mg in a serving. Somehow I don’t believe their serving size is that big…
I tried this low sodium kick for two weeks. I didn’t stick to it 100%, but I checked labels and tried other choices. After two weeks, I thought I deserved a treat.
I love the hot wings they have at our grocery store. They have six different flavors in a serve yourself wing bar. I picked out my favorites and took a bite once I got home.
Wow. It tasted like poison! It’s amazing how quickly your palate can change.
I found this at the doctor’s office:
It turns out that a low-sodium diet isn’t necessary for everyone. It’s good for those who have high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease. Low sodium diets may reduce cancer risk and improve our diets because most high sodium foods are not that good for us.
FYI, I made delicious cauliflower soup with my inversion blender. Yes, it’s more work than popping in a Stouffer’s or boiling Top Ramen but I feel good and I’m enjoying cooking.
The point of this exercise was I had no idea how much sodium I was eating. I was clueless thinking I was super healthy because I love veggies and salads. But sodium is hidden away in the strangest places.
Click HERE for a website I found from the Mayo Clinic for tasty low-sodium recipes.
Were you aware that cottage cheese is filled with sodium?
Do you care about what you eat and if it’s healthy or not? Why or why not?
Beautiful post
Thank you!
I had no idea that cottage cheese was loaded with sodium! I try to eat healthy, though I add salt to everything because my blood pressure runs very low. It’s important to find the right balance with sodium because it’s in every cell and involved in all cellular activity, so too low can be worse than too high. Awareness and home cooking are probably the best approach! And homemade stuff generally tastes better than canned anyways. 😊
The cottage cheese discovery was upsetting because it was my common snack food. Everything ready to go at the grocery store is suspicious. You’re correct, home cooking is the way to go.
Oh…cheers to you for getting your immersion blender out! It’s nearly soup season here in the Midwest and I’m ready. Thanks for the reminders about sneaky sodium…even in cottage cheese? Wowza. Unexpected. But cheers to ME because I hate cottage cheese…but you know how you and I both feel about our Cheetos! They speak to us…but need to be occasional treats. xo, Elizabeth! 🥰
Yes, who knew about cottage cheese? That was one of my staples. About those Cheetos…right now they are a find memory. 😊
Me too, me too. But we can enjoy those snack-y memories! 🤣
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I tend to watch sugar much more than salt, but I do cook most things myself rather than ready made. I agree with you EA, it’s amazing when you see how much salt is found in foods- even things that you would wonder why the need for it! I figure that I’m doing okay as my labs come back in normal range, but I also know how easy it is for me to get sucked in to crap I don’t need so it just doesn’t come in the house to begin with 😉
It was a wake up call to me. I normally eat what I enjoy. So much is fresh veggies that I didn’t give sodium a thought. Now I know that most quick convenient foods I need to take a second look at.
Food labels are astounding and horrifying all at the same time. At least I know what sodium is, or carbs and how they are listed. Read some labels and you need a chemist alongside to decipher what everything is- which I know literally from nutrition classes means you don’t want any of that in your body. Of course we are all now forever PFAS chemicals anyway, along with micro plastics…Our bodies don’t know what to do with real food.
So true!
I never would have guessed that about cottage cheese! I am trying to eat more healthy as I am getting older. I want to be around for my kids and be in the best shape that I can be, but with that being said, I need to try harder. I don’t feel that I eat super bad, just not super good either. I eat more chicken and fish than red meat. Doing one thing right! I also am eating more salads than I used too. Trying more veggies. I have never been a big veggie person, that’s my downfall. Now sugar, I have no problem eating that. LOL! But I stopped drinking my latte’s as much and drinking more black tea now.
I didn’t know that about cottage cheese. I do know that other cheeses have a lot of salt. My dad had a heart attack when I was younger and so mom never cooked with salt. I definitely watch sugar and carbs more though.
I never cooked with salt either so I thought I was fine. Little did I know about cottage cheese and so many other foods I enjoy.
Were you aware that cottage cheese is filled with sodium? Yes, there used to be a low sodium version available, but I’m not sure if it’s around anymore.
Do you care about what you eat and if it’s healthy or not? Why or why not? I am very aware of what I eat, making certain it’s as healthy as it can be for me, but not obsessing over what I’m eating. I lean naturally toward a low-fat high fiber diet which keeps my tummy smiling.
Good for you! I looked for low sodium cottage cheese, but couldn’t find it. I think you’re correct, they don’t have it anymore.
I had no idea that cottage cheese had so much sodium. It’s good to watch out for extra sodium as it’s not good for us at all.
It was a shock to me too. Your 100 percent correct.
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Cheech. I’m not sure which is worse—sugar or salt. Neither one is our friend. I do know, though that we must have SOME salt in our diet, because it connects our brain neurons (or some such thing). Without it, we will slip off our rockers for a while, at least until we’re lightly salted again.
We definitely need some salt. But I was shocked at how much sodium I was having!
I refer to ramen as “death noodles” though I enjoy them. I read every label looking for sodium and added sugar. 4g = 1 teaspoon (roughly). My wife HATES taking me to the grocery store.
“ramen noodles offer almost no nutrition but many calories. To preserve ramen in its storage condition, it is preserved with tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ). It is a petroleum-based product that is hard to digest and is also found in pesticides and lacquers. It makes the noodles hard to digest, therefore allowing the body to be exposed to this chemical for a longer period of time than normal. It will also impede your body from taking in other nutrients. You may experience nausea and vomiting if exposed to it for too long.” Webmd.
It is on the Internet it must be true.
My kids loved Ramen long ago… think of all the college kids living on that stuff…
There is a local Ramen place I love and I have some quick enjoyable recipes for Ramen. What a bummer
I bet the ramen place where they make it is probably better. It’s the 17 cents a package ones that are crazy bad.
I lived on it during college, too. That and Kraft Mac and Cheese with canned tuna.
Oh my!
I didn’t know that 4 g equals one teaspoon. That’s crazy!
One serving of Heinz ketcup has 1 teaspoon of sugar. WTH? I really don’t like sugar on my hamburgers.
Wow! I’m learning facts today.
Ketchup is all added sugar, thus it is 100% preventable.
No wonder it’s so yummy on burgers 😊
The CDC has the following stats from 2018 about added sugar: “the average intake was 19 teaspoons for men and 15 teaspoons for women.” Sugar leads to premature aging, brain fog, tons of health issues.
That’s a ton of sugar!
I don’t worry about sodium because I rarely eat processed foods, no ramen, and we do need quite a bit of sodium in our daily diets to be healthy. When I was running I had to eat extra salty foods because I sweat so much.
I have a friend who is a cyclist and needs salt after her long rides. Good for you for not eating processed foods.
Such an interesting topic. I’ve been thinking about it because of what I’m instilling in my kids. The surprise one for me – the amount of salt in bread. But no, I had no idea about cottage cheese. So interesting! Thanks for some great ideas!
I didn’t know about salt in bread! It sure is eye opening to read labels. As a mother, you have extra incentive to keep a healthy household.
Right!
It is shocking how many processed foods have lots of sugar or salt or both in them (I had no idea about cottage cheese). I have very low blood pressure so salt isn’t a big concern but in general I try to eat a fairly healthy diet.
I thought I had a healthy diet, too. The last few times I’ve been to the doctor, blood pressure sky rocketed. That’s part of the reason why I tried this.
Make sure you get tested at the end of your appointment, not only at the beginning. Also, you might want to get a home tester. It’s amazing how your reading can change from situation to situation.
We have a blood pressure tester at home. I’m much better at home. A lot of it is appointment anxiety I think.
I think it will change: the verdict on healthy or not. For example: according to a few this week, coffee is not healthy yet in moderation coffee is very good for you. For me, it is all about the weight and staying a healthy weight. I ate very healthy or so I thought in the Middle East yet I seemed to gain weight with all the beans, and food, so who knows? I try to watch my weight.
I think it’s a balance because too much sodium can affect your kidneys. Too little is bad for you too. I quit worrying about my weight in my 20s. I was in a serious accident and couldn’t walk for six months. I gained a lot of weight and got obsessed with dieting. Once I stopped worrying, the weight went away. I think I was too focused on it.
I walk close to 3 miles a day with my school job, so I feel good and then there is swimming on the weekend. The less weight on my right hip, the less pains I feel my doc tells me. Pain can make you a little obsessed as a reminder.
Yes. I walk three miles each morning around our neighborhood. Extra weight can make knees and feet hurt too. My hip and pelvis were broken in my accident, so that’s where I feel pain too. Now with some arthritis in the broken bones.
EEh, arthritis hurts. I have a doc appt. early next year, so more xrays will be taken. I also wear different inserts as my right leg is a bit shorter.
Good luck to you in your upcoming doctor’s appointment.