7 Summer Salt Swaps for a Healthy Heart

(Say That Ten Times Fast!)

Over the years, many clients have told me that summer is a tough time to keep sodium in check. Road trip meals, backyard barbecues, and picnic sandwiches can add up faster than ice cream melts on a hot day.

But you don’t need to deprive yourself to hit recommended levels. A few strategic swaps can make a big difference.

But first, a few sodium FAQ’s:

What’s the difference between salt and sodium?

Salt is sodium chloride, so sodium is part of salt. Sodium is also in ingredients like baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Whatever the source, too much sodium can affect your health.

I don’t have hypertension – do I really need to worry about sodium?

Even if your blood pressure is normal now, too much sodium can increase it (and your risk of heart disease) over time. So while you definitely don’t need to cut it out completely, keeping an eye on sodium is still an important prevention strategy.

How do I know if I get too much?

Estimating your sodium intake is easier than you might think—a rough estimate is all you need. Check package labels or Google foods without them.

(The images in this post should be easier to read if you turn your device on its side.)

Just make sure to adjust the portion size to match what you eat, as below:

What about restaurant food?

Many chains publish nutrition information online, although you might have to hunt a bit.

The company’s website should have the most up-to-date information.

These tables can be tricky to read, but they’re certainly enlightening!

How much is too much?

Hypertension Canada recommends staying under 2,000 mg a day for adults, to help prevent and manage high blood pressure. Other guidelines range from 1,500 to 2,300 mg. 

The exact number isn’t critical, as long as you’re in the ballpark. The sample menu below shows how easy it is to hit over 4,000 mg of sodium in a summer day.

Can you get too little sodium?

Yes, we actually need sodium! Health Canada’s sets the “adequate intake” at 1,500 mg per day. Consistently getting much less than that doesn’t help and can be problematic. The food won’t win any flavour awards either!

Am I supposed to calculate this every day?

Definitely not! But doing it once or twice will probably reassure you that you’re doing fine. If not, you’ll get a good sense of which foods are harbouring excess sodium.

After that, just aim for about 500 mg per meal. A quick glance at the information on food packages and restaurant websites will help you with that.

The 7 salt swaps

With that as our foundation, here are seven easy ways to cut back on sodium, not summer fun:

1. Sandwich → grain salad – Surprisingly, the #1 sodium source in Canadian diets is bakery products! Think bread, muffins, bagels, tortillas, etc. A typical slice of bread has 150-200 mg of sodium. It can add up fast!

   Instead, try a salad with quinoa, barley, farro, or pasta, cooked without salt. Toss in good extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, arugula, roasted peppers, crunchy nuts, or whatever you love.

2. Turkey → tuna – When you do go for a sandwich, turkey probably sounds like a healthy choice, until you see the sodium content. (Assuming it’s deli turkey meat. If you roasted the bird yourself, go for it!)

   There are plenty of alternatives to processed meat, which has been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Try tuna, salmon, egg salad, or even leftover roast or rotisserie chicken instead.

3. BBQ smokies → chicken thighs – Smokies are popular, but yikes, the sodium! Even with a bit of BBQ sauce, chicken thighs, drumsticks, or breasts will have less than half the sodium.
4. Breton crackers → Low-Sodium Triscuits – With toppings like cheese or hummus, you’ll barely notice that Triscuits have less than a third of the sodium (and double the fibre) thanks to whole grain wheat. (Breton crackers use white flour. If it doesn’t say “whole,” it isn’t.)
5. Footlong sub → 6-inch sub – Road trips are part of summer, and you can’t always pack all your food. Ordering smaller entrées is one strategy for cutting sodium. Pair with heart-friendly packable snacks like yogurt, cheese, fruit, veggies, and nuts to keep you satisfied on the go.
6. Store-bought → homemade salad dressing – Most homemade dressing is lower in sodium – even if you add a little salt. Use a tangy vinegar, DIjon mustard, garlic, and other seasonings to make it flavourful and fresh.
7. Eat out → Eat in – I saved the biggest sodium swap for last. Restaurant food is especially high. For example, a plate of spaghetti and meatballs at East Side Mario’s packs 1,900 mg – almost a full day’s worth!

   Make it at home, even with frozen store-bought meatballs and bottled sauce, and it’ll be less than half that. Even semi-homemade wins big.

The goal isn’t to avoid salty foods entirely – sometimes that’s nearly impossible! Just do your best to balance them out. Grabbed a ham sandwich at a meeting? Consider a simple homemade dinner like roasted cherry tomato chicken pasta instead of ordering in.

Summer weekend sodium makeover

This summer sodium makeover will give you a sense of the impact you can make with just a few substitutions.

In the lower sodium version you’ll still see some not-so-salt-free foods, to give you a sense of the flexibility you have. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

If you cut back on the big ones: Bakery products, processed and restaurant food, you’ll have room for a bit of cheese, salt, or chocolate chip cookies.

Note: Italicized menu items are the sodium-reducing swaps.

Isn’t that neat? The differences from just a few key substitutions are huge. You could go lower on the right, but you don’t have to.

The Sweet Spot approach is about finding the right balance for you between heart health, enjoyment, and whatever else you need in the moment, like convenience or sustainability. Keep what you love, swap out the rest.

What do you think?

What are your favourite ways to trim sodium but still enjoy your food? This matters! If it’s not satisfying, you won’t do it for long.

Pop over to the Facebook group and join the conversation for more ideas.