Sodium
Sodium, which makes up 40% of salt, is necessary for life, but you don’t need very much . Research shows that a high-sodium diet is associated with elevated blood pressure . It is true that some people can shake that salt and not suffer from high blood pressure, while others are more sodium sensitive .
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommend limiting salt . If you’re hooked on salty foods, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can lose your taste for salt once you start to cut down . Most of our sodium comes not from the salt shaker but from processed foods .
However, you don’t want to be too heavy with the shaker . Try to break the automatic salting habit and take a bite before you reach for the shaker . If it needs salt, a light shake supplies only a small amount of sodium
Foods High in Sodium
- canned or dry soups, bouillon cubes
- pickles, olives
- processed meats like sausages, bacon, ham, bologna
- salted nuts, popcorn, pretzels, snack foods
- ketchup, soy sauce, barbecue sauce
- salted crackers
- convenience foods such as frozen dinners,
- dry mixes, canned foods
- fast foods such as hamburgers, fried chicken
Choosing fresh foods as much as possible will help to keep your sodium intake in check . Examine labels of convenience foods . If sodium appears near the beginning of the ingredient list or appears several times, the product is likely high in sodium