This post was written by VT Dietetic students Kelsie Jacobs, Rachel Magri, Tyler Epperson, Suzanne Bowser, and Stephanie Bruner.

Help set your children up for a healthy lifestyle by encouraging lots of physical activity and healthy eating. Lowering sodium reduces the risk of high blood pressure, even in children. Many people are not aware of how much salt is in the foods they eat every day. You can find out how much sodium is in your favorite foods by checking the Nutrition Facts label. Following these tips for cutting back on sodium are part of eating smart. It’s easier than you think to make small changes to reduce sodium.

Here are a few tips from VT Dietetic students to make quick and easy changes…

This frozen meal contains over one-third of recommended daily sodium. (Photo Credit: Rachel Magri)

“Because the total amount of salt recommended for a full day is 2300 mg, I always check nutrition facts labels for sodium. I am often surprised at the difference between two foods, and always choose the one which is lower in sodium. This is especially true for bread and lunch meat that I usually eat” ~ Tyler

“Whenever I use canned goods, I rinse the contents before adding them to the recipe. Rinsing removes extra salt added during canning. This helps me to control the salt in the meals I serve to my family.” ~ Suzanne

“Recipes often call for more salt than is needed. When I follow a recipe, I do not add the listed salt. After cooking, if the meal needs salt, I will add just a little to taste. I also like to keep the salt shaker off of the table to avoid the temptation of adding more. This is especially true when I use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken in my recipes, which has a lot of sodium already.” ~ Stephanie

“I enjoy experimenting with adding a variety of spices and herbs to my meals, especially my homemade soups and chili. The spices add new and exciting flavors to my recipes, and I can often leave out the salt without compromising the taste.” ~ Rachel

“I realize that most of the food I buy pre-made have a lot of salt in it so I cook some of my family’s favorites from scratch like mac ’n’ cheese and pizza. I also use more fresh meat and frozen vegetables instead of processed meats and canned vegetables. This allows me to have control over how much salt goes into my food.” ~ Kelsie

What other tips would you add?