{"id":743,"date":"2017-12-19T13:50:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-19T04:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/blog\/?p=743"},"modified":"2024-07-15T10:56:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T01:26:27","slug":"eating-low-sodium-part-two-tracking-your-daily-sodium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2017\/12\/eating-low-sodium-part-two-tracking-your-daily-sodium\/","title":{"rendered":"Eating Low Sodium Part Two \u2013 Tracking Your Daily Sodium"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have been advised to go on a low salt diet and are reluctant to forgo salty favourites, tracking your daily intake may be the way to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this second part of our low-salt series for people with liver disease, we look at modifying diet to stay within the recommended daily sodium intake*<\/a>, and we discuss the pros and cons so you can see if this is a realistic option for you. (Click here to read Part One – No Added Salt Diet<\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Tracking your sodium daily sodium intake<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Changing your diet, for any reason, can be hard. We often hear from people advised to reduce their salt, just how hard it can be. Following a \u201cNo Added Salt\u201d diet sounds like a simple and straightforward way to go about it but many people become discouraged by the inflexibility of this approach and simply give up. Tracking daily sodium might be a good alternative as it allows you to eat a wider variety of foods and to keep some saltier favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it takes quite a lot of effort at the beginning, tracking becomes easier over time. You may find that you only need to track for a short while until you become familiar with the sodium levels of the foods you eat regularly. Many of us eat the same foods regularly and this makes tracking easier. Once you have tracked a week or a month you can repeat daily menus as needed and only track when you are eating something out of your daily routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Combining tracking with the No Added Salt Diet can also make things easier.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Combining tracking with the No Added Salt Diet can also make things easier. You can eat the \u201cno added salt\u201d way most of the time but learn how to track your sodium intake so that you can have more flexibility on special occasions, such as eating out or on holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, if you prefer to track most of the time you could, once in a while, make a daily meal plan of no added salt foods you like and forget about tracking for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits and costs of tracking your daily sodium intake<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Benefits<\/td>Costs<\/td><\/tr>
Flexibility with the types of food you are able to eat<\/td>Must track everything that you eat<\/td><\/tr>
More options for eating out than on the \u201cno added salt diet\u201d<\/td>It can be difficult to know exactly how much sodium there is in food that you buy out<\/td><\/tr>
There are more pre-prepared foods available that are low-salt compared to \u201cno added salt\u201d<\/td>Your overall diet may not be as healthy as it might be on the no added salt diet<\/td><\/tr>
It can truly answer the question \u201cwhat can I eat\u201d for you<\/td>You may find out that there are some favourite foods that are too salty to continue eating<\/td><\/tr>
Your investment pays off over time with less need to track as you build up a list of known foods and meals<\/td>You will need to plan ahead or choose no salt foods once you have reached your daily threshold<\/td><\/tr>
 <\/td>Tracking may not be suitable for those who have experienced an eating disorder.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ways to track<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of options for tracking your sodium intake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n