In honor of American Heart Health Month, this week’s blog post has a few tips on how to revive poor eating habits and get them on a heart-healthy track. According to the American Heart Association, nine out of ten Americans consume too much sodium. On average, Americans consume more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium on a daily basis, which is well over the recommended amount of 1,500 milligrams. So, where does all the sodium come from? The majority of the sodium consumed by Americans is found in packaged store bought foods along with restaurant meals.Excess sodium consumption increases a person’s risk for high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke later on in life. In order to lower your risk of developing health problems like the ones previously mentioned, try to choose low-sodium options when possible.Here are some tips to help you keep your heart pumping:1. Choose low-sodium foods when shopping at the store by taking time to read the Nutrition Facts label.- Try to choose individual food items that have 200 milligrams of sodium or less.- Try to choose meal options that have 650 milligrams of sodium or less.2. Try to incorporate new spices and herbs when cooking like the one below:- All-Purpose Seasoning3. Take the salt shaker off the kitchen table.- If it is out of sight, it is less likely to be used.Try out a few of these heart-healthy recipes from eatFresh.org that will help get you in the spirit of Heart Health Month!Quick Stir-FryQuick and Easy QuinoaBBQ Turkey in Pepper Shells
