Sodium is an essential part of your nutrition, as it helps to transport nutrients, transmit nerve impulses and contract muscles like your heart. However, too much sodium, which is what makes up 40% of salt, can contribute to developing high blood pressure, especially if you are sodium-sensitive. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a limit of 2,300 mg of sodium per day, and your Jenny Craig Menu has been designed to align to this limit.

However, the average American consumes nearly 50% more than that! Here are some notoriously common salty foods to avoid and our suggestions for what you can eat instead.

Avoid These: Tacos/burritos

Tacos and burritos are versatile enough to have at any meal, but did you know that taco seasoning has 411 mg. of sodium? You can easily ease the salt down by making your own seasoning with spices like cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and oregano.

Enjoy These: Leave the cooking to us by having the Chicken Street Tacos or the Chicken Wrap with BBQ Sauce.

Avoid These: Fast food sandwich or burger

Not only are they unhealthy, fast food restaurants are notorious for adding extra salt into everything.

Enjoy These: Enjoy the fun of fast food minus the fat and sodium, by pairing a side salad with your Jenny Craig Salad Dressing and Jenny Craig’s own Classic Cheeseburger or Turkey Burger.

Avoid These: French fries/chips

Potatoes love salt, and French fries and chips right out of the fryer generally have tons of salt sprinkled on! In fact, French fries at some of the biggest fast food restaurants, have a sodium range anywhere from 700-980 per serving!

Enjoy These: Try roasting your own healthy version at home by running sliced sweet potato sprinkled with rosemary and a few drops of olive oil under the broiler. Even quicker: Enjoy our savory Cheese Curls or Ranch Snaps that are full of flavor, fiber and have a satisfying crunch.

Avoid This: Pizza

Salty toppings, like pepperoni, bacon or ham, can easily be mistaken as the culprit for high sodium. Cheese, too, has a lot of sodium, and the average slice of pizza may have up to 760 mg, which can add up quickly when you eat more.

Enjoy These: Enjoy our savory Pepperoni Pizza or Margherita Pizza for one of your meals. You can even bake them in the oven to make it deliciously crispy. 

Avoid This: Soup

A bowl of soup is a great start to a meal or a complete meal in itself, but be careful: One cup of canned soup contains anywhere from 100 to 940 mg of sodium.

Enjoy This: Keep an eye out for lower sodium options, like our Italian Style Wedding Soup that stays on the lower side of sodium and calories, but offers a great amount of protein and fiber.

Jenny Craig offers over 100 items, from breakfast to dessert, and all are nutritiously balanced to your health. Find out more about the Jenny Craig program by visiting a center near you or calling 866-706-4042.

[SOURCES]

Jenny Craig Nutrition Guide (PDF)

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/most-tempting-salty-foods#3

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/The-Salty-Six-Infographic_UCM_446591_SubHomePage.jsp

http://www.eatthis.com/best-and-worst-fast-food-french-fries-ranked 

http://www.jennycraig.com/site/learn/article/balanced-is-your-middle-name