Sodium in beef...?

Okay, so I've got this bag of ground lean beef and I'm planning to add it to my diet because it's rich in heme iron and zinc, two key nutrients in which I'm lacking. Problem is, I'm trying to watch my sodium intake and it's INSANELY high in sodium! 530 mg for only ONE ounce because it's got added salt. Argh! Normally I'd just buy the low-sodium type, but my mom won't buy "special" foods and it's REALLY hard to find lean low-sodium beef where I live.

I'm wondering, can I reduce its sodium intake by diluting it in water? You know, leave the beef in water so maybe it'll lose some of the salt in it... lol I know it sounds weird but maybe this can help a little bit.

Otherwise I'd have to be drinking crazy amounts of water to prevent bloating.

On another note, what are some alternative good/excellent sources of iron and zinc? And other than Total (which isn't sold where I live), are there any cereals that are well fortified with them?

(Please don't mention like spinach because the iron in it isn't so easily absorbable.)

oatmeal has a lot of iron.  Orange juice does. 

I've never heard of beef with that much added salt.  I get 2-3 pound chubs of hamburger and there's no salt in it. 

I don't eat meat, but I've not heard of adding salt to it either.  I've seen the meat processing plants where it goes from the cow into the grinder into the package with no added ingredients.  Weird - oh well. 

To answer your question, rinsing canned beans works to remove some of the salt, so maybe that would work for meat, too - it can't hurt.  However that will only remove any salt that is on the surface.  If it was injected with salt somehow, there probably won't be a very effective way to remove it. 

I've also never heard of raw meat containing salt.  Preserved meat, yes.  Ready-made burgers or 'seasoned' steaks, yes.... but not the raw material.  Where is it you live?

Original Post by gi-jane:

I've also never heard of raw meat containing salt.  Preserved meat, yes.  Ready-made burgers or 'seasoned' steaks, yes.... but not the raw material.  Where is it you live?

Raw Kosher meat is going to have salt in it, but I don't know if that's the type she bought.

spinach has a lot of iron :)

Original Post by jvs15:

spinach has a lot of iron :)

No it doesn't.

ok cc says it does...

Original Post by jvs15:

ok cc says it does...

Compared to a lot of things, yes it does. But it's misleading because most of the iron in spinach can't be fully absorbed.

thank you for clarifying