How to reduce the salt your teen eats

We all know that consuming too much sodium or salt is not good for our bodies.

According to the American Heart Association , the average American consumes 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day. That is 50 percent more than our recommended daily intake of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends only 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day.

Teenagers consume the most amount of sodium than any other age group, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes in adults. This means if teenagers continue to consume excessive amounts of sodium it could lead to major health problems in adulthood.

A lot of the extra sodium consumed by teenagers is due to the processed foods they eat. Processed foods often have higher levels of sodium. By just reducing a teenager’s sodium intake it can help them in the long run.

Eating foods that are less processed can reduce the sodium intake. So knowing what you are putting into your body and making home cooked foods can help with this problem.

Michelle Dudash is a registered dietician and shared some simple tasty foods we can make that are less in sodium but not less in flavor.

Roasted Chicken & Cherry Salad

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Serves: 2 main dish or 4 side salads
Sodium: 478 mg per serving

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried crushed basil leaves
1-1/2 tsp. honey

Salad

1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) rotisserie chicken breast, cut into bite-size cubes
2 Sargento® Reduced Sodium Mild Cheddar Cheese Snacks Sticks, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups fresh baby spinach, packed
1/4 cup tart dried cherries
1/2 celery rib, chopped
2 Tbsp. whole almonds, roasted without salt, chopped
4 turns freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Shake vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, basil, honey and olive oil vigorously 15 seconds in container with tight fitting lid. Set aside.
Place chicken on plate and microwave 1-2 minutes or until warm.
Place cheese, spinach, cherries, celery, almonds, black pepper and chicken in medium bowl.
Toss salad with 2 Tbsp. dressing. (Refrigerate remaining dressing for another use.) Serve immediately.

If you would like more recipes or information on cooking with less sodium,Michelle recommends checking out Sargento.com