It’s that time of the week again, and this week we’re going to tackle sodium. There are many misconceptions and challenges to face when it comes to this week’s topic. But, with a little bit of work and further knowledge on the topic, you’ll be ready to lower your sodium intake and start living healthier.

I’ll admit that I’ve never been one to add salt to my food. The elementary school I attended never placed salt shakers on the table. Eating unsalted foods day after day trained my taste buds to do without. I thought my sodium intake had to be well-below average. Unfortunately, I’ve always been a fan of processed foods. A quick look at the nutrition label of many processed foods will show you that sometimes they contain your daily allowance of sodium in one serving. This leads me to another misconception many people believe about sodium. Many companies have now released products that contain lower amounts of sodium. That’s great, right? Wrong. A close inspection of the nutrition label will show you that the products still contain too much sodium. For example, products that used to have over 1,200 mg may now contain 800 mg, which is still too much.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was giving up processed foods. To this day, I still purchase some processed foods. After all, who can resist the convenience of many of these products? If you also live a fast-paced lifestyle, you may have processed foods in your kitchen too. What can you do to give up these foods and reduce your sodium intake? First of all, look for fresh or frozen products that are easy to prepare. A great example is frozen vegetables. If you want quick meals, look no farther than your slow cooker. Last, but not least, stay away from condiments! Remember that the average person should eat between 1,500 to 2,400 mg of sodium per day. Also don’t forget that some sodium is essential for healthy living.

What are you waiting for? Grab your shopping tote and restock your pantry with low-sodium foods.