UPDATE 6/23/2024: While specific information isn’t available yet, Panera has reformulated a few of its soups, created a lower-calorie salad and reduced the amount of sauce on its sandwiches after consumers’ reactions to calorie counts were posted directly on menus in New York City and California. By the end of the year, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce new regulations that require any U.S. chain restaurant with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts for every item on its menu.
I am a huge Panera fan. I love their soups and salads and lattes and the like. Over the course of the last five years or so I’ve had my healthy Panera standbys that I knew tasted good and weren’t too high in calories or fat. However, once the new daily sodium recommendations were released, I knew it was time to go back to the Panera nutritionals and see how they stacked up. Below are the results of my research according to the guidance and expertise of registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield, who recommends that all meals should contain less than 500 calories and less than 500 milligrams of sodium.
Since the announcement of the new 2024 dietary guidelines for Americans, culinary experts and dietitians have been working to help their clients adjust their diets to reflect the new guidelines. One of these suggestions includes eating less sodium.
Registered dietitian Michelle Dudash, RD is working to help Americans do just that. Here are a few tips straight from her kitchen to help cut down your salt intake, which promotes overall heart health and may even help you slim down.
Hold the salt: Instead of adding salt throughout the preparation process, only add it at the end of cooking when it’s needed. This method requires less salt, while still reaching your taste buds upon first bite.
Think fresh: Use good quality, fresh and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, which results in maximum flavor and leaves little need for added salt.
Win a copy of The Salt Solution!* Simply leave a comment below telling us the flavorful way you cut salt out of your diet.
Winner “Linda G” Selected 4/1/11
Sodium is necessary to many bodily functions, but most Americans eat two to three times more than the recommended daily allowance. Unless you suffer from low blood pressure, your weight loss plan would probably benefit from a reduction in salt. The Salt Solution by Heather K. Jones is a six week plan that will help you reset your taste buds. By lowering your sodium, you can also lose weight and boost your metabolism.
The program begins with a two week cleanse, which removes all artificial ingredients from your diet. The next four weeks increases your caloric intake somewhat, and you will eat four 300 calorie meals each day. The book will also help you understand how sodium affects the body, so that you can continue to eat a low sodium diet after the six week program is over.
What is the difference between sea salt and table salt? You may have wondered this last time you were at the grocery store and noticed shelf after shelf of gourmet seasoning salts.
While table salt and sea salt have the same basic nutritional value, sea salt is typically marketed as a natural, healthier alternative. While there is no real health benefit to choosing sea salt over table salt, there are differences in taste and texture that some home cooks prefer.
According to The Spice House in Chicago, IL, salt is a mineral, not a spice. It has become an important player in the culinary game since it does not lose its flavor over time, as is typical of some herbs and spices.
Your mouth waters and your mind wanders. You’re eating a deliciously balanced plate of grilled chicken and green beans with a whole grain roll but something is missing. You know what it is: you left the salt shaker in the kitchen. The question is, do you go and get it? Cutting salt out of your diet can be a difficult process, especially when you experience salt cravings. Cravings are a complicated phenomenon and can arise for a multitude of reasons. Understanding your salt cravings and developing strategies to combat them is one of the keys to a well-executed diet plan.
Why do we crave salt? First of all, it’s important to remember that salt is of vital importance to the proper functioning of the body. There was a point in time when salt was among the most valuable objects in the world. A salt craving can sometimes be a signal that you’re mildly dehydrated. If you have a glass of water before indulging in your salt craving, you may find that you’re simply thirsty. In most cases, cravings are experienced because a person is accustomed to a heavily salted diet. In these situations, the cure is a matter of adjusting to the taste of foods with less salt. Consider consulting a physician if your craving is accompanied by excessive thirst, dry mouth or dizziness. Sometimes a salt craving can indicate severe dehydration, complex electrolyte imbalances, Addison’s disease or certain adrenal diseases.
The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans have finally been released and although they are a month late, and really not much different from the 2005 version, they address some vital concerns, including heart disease. The late release of the new guidelines serves as a strong foundation for this year’s American Heart Month. With an emphasis on reduced sodium intake as a key recommendation, the Dietary Guidelines acknowledge the importance of heart health among Americans.
On average, the typical American diet includes 3,800 mg of sodium a day. That’s a far jump from the recommended 2,300 mg and an even further jump from the reduced intake of 1,500 mg for “persons who are 51 and older and those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease.” Although it would do good for everyone to lean towards the more modest number of 1,500 mg, it’s essential for about half of the population. There are many ways you can reduce the amount of sodium in your diet:
Well, they came a month late, but the much anticipated 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have finally been released. The USDA and Department of Health and Human Services work together every five years to update the Dietary Guidelines to reflect changing and new research. The new guidelines aren’t drastically different than years before, but do reflect an urgency to address the growing obesity epidemic.
A few highlights from the new guidelines include a push to reduce daily sodium intake, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and cut added sugars, especially those in sugary drinks.
Learn more in this video recapping the new guidelines:
The average American consumes around 3,400 mg of sodium per day. The new Guidelines recommend reducing that number to 1,500 mg, or 1 teaspoon, of sodium, especially for those who are 51 and older, African American, or have hypertension, diabetes, and/or chronic kidney disease. Many believe that focusing on slashing salt in our diets will in turn also cut our saturated fat intake.
Below is a list of the top ten foods that you shouldn’t eat, especially if you exercise consistently every day.
Each food below is known to hinder the results of exercise. Most of the foods below will make you feel sluggish, fat, and will reduce your overall energy levels throughout the course of your exercise routines. Food for thought!
Tune in this Wednesday, November 24 to The Doctors when the lid is blown off of America’s silent killer – salt.
On the show, you will learn how to take action and join the nationwide movement to Halt the Salt. Plus, The Doctors will reveal what store bought foods contain the greatest amounts of sodium and you will also learn which of your favorite foods contain too much salt on restaurant menus. (more…)
In the latest push to get New Yorkers to eat better, city Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking on salt. The mayor previously launched several visceral attacks on sodas and other sugary beverages. Now, he’s urging city residents to cut down on their intake of sodium. The new campaign targets frozen dinners and canned soups, and features images of these foods surrounded by heaps of salt. The images are accompanied by messages like “Excessive can lead to heart attack and stroke.”
Excess salt in one’s diet can potentially lead to a number of serious health conditions, like high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions. WPIX reports that 23,000 deaths are caused by cardiovascular-related conditions in New York City alone.
Many Americans are on low sodium diets and more of us should jump on that bandwagon. Sodium is a necessary component of life. It helps transmit nerve impulses, balance bodily fluids and influence muscular movement. On the flip side, too much sodium can cause severe complications. Among the many concerns are:
Reaching your sodium threshold is easier to do than one might think. According to the Mayo Clinic, one teaspoon of salt contains nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily intake for healthy adults (with many people needing even less.) It’s not particularly easy to cut back on salt, either. Salt is an acquired taste and although you can retrain your taste buds to enjoy food with out it, it takes a long time to do so. (more…)
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