Salt: the worst culprits for high sodium content
Surreptitious salts
Sodium comes in many guises on ingredients lists, with names such as sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate. It's in the foods we eat every day, from fast-food and sit-down restaurant dishes to many prepared foods we consume at home.
The worst offenders are processed foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, canned soups and frozen entrées. Processed foods account for a whopping 77 per cent of average daily sodium intake.
Even foods that seem healthy can be full of salt. In the Canadian Community Health Survey, soups accounted for 7.4 per cent of the total amount of sodium Canadians slurped up in a day. For example, one popular canned chicken and pasta soup contains 1,000 milligrams of salt for a one-cup serving, while another ready-to-serve lentil soup by the same company has just 480 milligrams of sodium per cup. Some companies have introduced sodium-reduced lines.
Sneaky snacks and meals
Frozen entrées can also pack a mighty sodium punch, so don't look at just fat and fibre on the nutrition facts box. Some labelled low-fat or low-calorie imply that they're healthier options, but one entrée we looked at contained almost 1,200 milligrams of salt per serving.
When you read labels, check that the portion size listed is the amount you're going to eat -- you may need to double the sodium counts if you plan to eat the whole package. Seasoned products, even fresh, uncooked foods such as marinated meats, may be loaded with sodium, so do a label check before you put them in your cart.
Opt for low-sodium options
Lower-sodium products are popping up on store shelves. For example, while regular soy sauce supplies more than 1,000 milligrams per tablespoon, the sodium-reduced variety has 40 per cent less. It's not exactly low in sodium, but it's a better choice.
When eating out, just one dish can meet or exceed your recommended daily sodium intake. Have soup and a sandwich at a popular doughnut shop and you'll pack in more than 2,500 milligrams of sodium -- you've blown your salt quota for the day.
Click to continue for a list of sodium-packed foods that might surprise you...
Page 2 of 3
