Low sodium recipes to fight high blood pressure

(Photo: ABC7)

For many sufferers, high blood pressure symptoms can be mild or even nonexistent early on, but ABC7 is on your side with what foods to watch out for.

Jessica{ }Goldman-Foung was your typical American eater until nine years ago when she faced kidney failure.

“I grew up on the salt-shaker and processed foods,” she said.

To stay healthy,{ }Goldman-Foung would need to follow a low-sodium diet.

“I think what shocks most people is when they start turning around the packaged goods and they start looking at the labels,” she said.

Experts say Americans are over salted.

Nearly three-quarters of the sodium we consume comes from process, pre-packages foods.

Salt contributes to high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.

“We're not tasting tomato soup with a dash of salt, we're tasting salt with a dash of tomato soup,”{ }Goldman-Foung said.

Breakfast is the meal we use to start our day, but{ }Goldman-Foung says it’s also the meal with a lot of hidden sodium.

“The bagel its self surprisingly can cost you 500 milligrams of sodium or more,” she said.

The FDA recommends the average person consume no more than 2300 milligrams of sodium a day, which adds up to a tablespoon of salt.

But people with high blood pressure, African-Americans and older adults, should limits intake to 1500 milligrams a day.

That means adding cream cheese or cured meat to a bagel would almost put you at your daily limit.

“Instead of that bagel you can use rice crackers, you can use corn tortillas which have a very low amount of sodium, 0-15 milligrams per tortilla,”{ }Goldman-Foung said.

According to nutrition labels, most oatmeal can cost you about 300 milligrams of sodium for just one cup and once you add milk that number increases.

“They actually make instant oatmeal in packages with zero sodium in it so just turn those boxes around and look at the nutrition label,”{ }Goldman-Foung said.

She also warns to be careful about cereal as most label call for a serving size of a cup, but the average American eats a bowl-full.

Goldman-Foung says look for granola or rice-based cereal with zero or low milligrams of salt, then add coconut milk and fresh fruit.

“With all of these options, you really get to customize your breakfast to your taste,” she said.

For more low sodium recipes, visit{ }