A main source of sodium is table salt. The average American eats five or more teaspoons of salt each day. This is about 20 times as much as the body needs. In fact, your body needs only 1/4 teaspoon of salt every day. Sodium is found naturally in foods, but a lot of it is added during processing and preparation. Many foods that do not taste salty may still be high in sodium. Large amounts of sodium can be hidden in canned, processed and convenience foods. And sodium can be found in many foods that are served at fast food restaurants.
Sodium controls fluid balance in our bodies and maintains blood volume and blood pressure. Eating too much sodium may raise blood pressure and cause fluid retention, which could lead to swelling of the legs and feet or other health issues.
When limiting sodium in your diet, a common target is to eat less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day.
Meat. Fresh beef, pork, poultry and seafood is generally very low in sodium, but lunch meats can have 400 mg or more per slice and even frozen meats are often soaked in a salt brine to retain moisture through the freezing process.
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Meats, Poultry, Fish, Legumes, Eggs and Nuts
- Smoked, cured, salted or canned meat, fish or poultry including bacon, cold cuts, ham, frankfurters, sausage, sardines, caviar and anchovies
- Frozen breaded meats and dinners, such as burritos and pizza
- Canned entrees, such as ravioli, spam and chili
- Salted nuts
- Beans canned with salt added
- Any fresh or frozen beef, lamb, pork, poultry and fish
- Eggs and egg substitutes
- Low-sodium peanut butter
- Dry peas and beans (not canned)
- Low-sodium canned fish
- Drained, water or oil packed canned fish or poultry
- Buttermilk
- Regular and processed cheese, cheese spreads and sauces
- Cottage cheese
- Milk, yogurt, ice cream and ice milk
- Low-sodium cheeses, cream cheese, ricotta cheese and mozzarella
General Guidelines for Cutting Down on Salt
- Eliminate salty foods from your diet and reduce the amount of salt used in cooking. Sea salt is no better than regular salt.
- Choose low sodium foods. Many salt-free or reduced salt products are available. When reading food labels, low sodium is defined as 140 mg of sodium per serving.
- Salt substitutes are sometimes made from potassium, so read the label. If you are on a low potassium diet, then check with your doctor before using those salt substitutes.
- Be creative and season your foods with spices, herbs, lemon, garlic, ginger, vinegar and pepper. Remove the salt shaker from the table.
- Read ingredient labels to identify foods high in sodium. Items with 400 mg or more of sodium are high in sodium. High sodium food additives include salt, brine, or other items that say sodium, such as monosodium glutamate.
- Eat more home-cooked meals. Foods cooked from scratch are naturally lower in sodium than most instant and boxed mixes.
- Dont use softened water for cooking and drinking since it contains added salt.
- Avoid medications which contain sodium such as Alka Seltzer and Bromo Seltzer.
- For more information; food composition books are available which tell how much sodium is in food. Online sources such as www.calorieking.com also list amounts.
15 Foods High In Sodium And What You Should Eat Instead
FAQ
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