How Much Sodium Is Filling Your Plate?

How Much Sodium Is Filling Your Plate?

By Para Mehta, RD/Healthfulfilling.com

As we go about our busy daily schedules, eating healthfully might be on the
agenda but there is a lot to keep track of. Do you know how much sodium
you are consuming during a typical meal? How about during a day? The
results can be frightening, especially because many of the foods we so
easily include on a daily basis have high sodium contents.

In March 2009, a report indicated that the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) found that people were taking in on the average about
3436 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. Other health organizations cite
that average intake can be up to 4000-4300 milligrams (mg). The current
guidelines recommend no more than 2300 mg per day. Here are some
reasons and ways to get sodium savvy and take worthwhile steps to protect
our health.

Lowering sodium intake may help prevent high blood pressure. This
is the most important reason to make sure not to consume excess sodium
on a daily basis, to avoid inviting high blood pressure as a health problem.
High blood pressure can be a precursor to other diseases like heart
disease and stroke. Health organizations and health professionals are
encouraging lower intakes of sodium.

Keep in mind, just about everything we eat has sodium. Frustrating
and true. Pretty much everything we casually eat and nosh on has sodium—
breads, spreads, meats, cheeses, baked goods, snack foods. This is why
we need to start counting total mg per day. Some foods have less, some
have notably too much.

Foods notorious for high sodium contents. Here are some that should
be avoided as much as possible.

Processed foods-includes frozen foods such as dinners, meals and
snacks, packaged foods, snack foods, some bakery foods, canned soups,
canned vegetables, packaged mixes, instant boxed meals, processed
cheese
Meats-hot dogs, chicken franks, turkey franks, sausages, cured meats, deli
cold cuts, canned meats, etc.
Pickles, olives
Condiments-Ketchup, salad dressings, condiments, prepared sauces, soy
sauce, gravies

If just about every food we eat has sodium, and many have high
contents, what’s left to eat? This is when counting is important. You may
have noticed that on the high sodium list of foods above, many of them tend
to be used quite often—deli meats, sandwich meats, processed and
packaged cheeses, etc. Here are some examples of foods that might be
used often and an approximate amount of sodium contents. Note that
depending on brands and varieties, sodium contents might be more or less.

American cheese, 1 slice 250-280 mg
Mozzarella cheese, 1 ounce 150 mg
Cheddar cheese   1 ounce 180 mg
Low Fat Cottage cheese   1/2 cup   450-500 mg
Turkey Frank, 1 link 380-400 mg
Veggie Frank, 1 link 430-500 mg
Chicken deli slice, 1 slice 200-250 mg
1 T (tablespoon) ketchup 190-200mg
1 T salsa   100-150 mg
Olives, ripe, canned 5 large 192 mg
1 cup instant macaroni and cheese 450-500mg
Canned soup 1 cup 600-1200 mg
Potato chips (about 15-18 chips) 150-180mg
Crackers/Snacks   150-250 mg per serving
Low calorie salad dressing, 1 T 150-175 mg
Frozen meals, dinners, snacks anywhere between 250-1000+ mg per
serving
Bottled Pasta sauce   1/2 cup   500-600mg
Tomato Juice, 12 oz can 800-900 mg
Bacon, cured 1 slice 140 mg
Canadian-style bacon, cured 2 slices 719 mg
Ham, lean, regular, canned, roasted 3 ounces 908 mg
Sausage, pork 1 link or patty 100-110 mg
Sausage, beef and pork 100-110 mg

Given this brief list above, it can be surprising how much sodium can be
racked up at this rate. It’s no wonder that so many Americans are
consuming too much sodium. There is no way out but to count your daily
milligrams and keep it at or under the recommended 2300 mg a day. If
there are foods on the above list that you regularly use, such as sandwich
meats and cheeses, use less portions, lower sodium varieties or use fresh
lean meats. Cook from scratch whenever you can and don’t use processed
items. The more natural the food, the less sodium it should have.

2300 mg per day might be too much for some. For healthy Americans,
2300 mg of sodium per day should not be exceeded according to the newly
released 2010 Dietary Guidelines. However, the American Heart
Association recommends less than 1500 mg a day.

Read labels to find sodium content. All foods labels list sodium
contents. Check serving sizes to find out how much sodium is in each
serving. Look at the % daily value column for sodium. If the % daily value
is 5 percent or less, that is a lower sodium food. If it is 15 to 20 percent or
higher, it should be limited as it is high in sodium. % daily value basically
tells you what percentage of the nutrient you are getting from the serving in
comparison to the daily recommended amount. So if it is 5 percent for
sodium, it means one serving is meeting 5 percent of your total sodium
amount for the day. However, it is based on 2300 mg per day, not 1500 mg
per day. If you are trying to stay under 1500 mg you will have to count your
total to make sure.

Don’t forget about the salt. Salt that we add or sprinkle on food will also
add sodium, because salt is sodium chloride (NaCl). Beware, only 1
teaspoon of salt has 2300 mg of sodium—yes the whole day’s worth for
many. The good news if you put a teaspoon of salt on your plate of food, you
most definitely won’t find it edible. When you’re cooking up a pot of
something and add 1-2 teaspoons of salt, it is for the whole dish, which will
be split in to portions for everyone. It still needs to be counted toward your
daily total. For example, for a pot of stew that you added 2 teaspoons of
salt, divide 4600 mg by the number of portions of stew, and then count it
according to the actual amount of portion(s) you ate.

That goes for medications, too. Some medications also have sodium.
Check with your physician and pharmacist about sodium contents of over
the counter and prescriptions.

Keep thinking fresh and natural. Try your best to eat foods that are fresh
and as natural as possible, such as produce, fresh lean meats and proteins,
whole grains. These foods are rich in nutrients and provide great health
value.

Zest it up with herbs and spices. Mince the garlic, slice the peppers,
chop the onions to add in savory flair to your foods. Entice your dishes with
hints of oregano, basil, rosemary, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder,
turmeric, thyme, cumin powder, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and any herb
or spices your taste buds call for!

Consult with your physician. Based on your individual health, ask your
physician how much daily sodium you should be at, whether it be less than
2300 or less than 1500. Speak to him about the recommendations from the
American Heart Association.

Check your blood pressure. Get your blood pressure checked at your
doctors office or public health department. You can use the automated
machines at the store to check it periodically as well. Write down your
numbers and keep it for your records.

On an everyday basis, it can get tedious to keep a constant check on
sodium, so try doing it for about 3 days and write down your average
intakes. Find out how you need to decrease the amounts, and write that
down as well. Keep that list of foods on the refrigerator with the total amount
of sodium milligrams at the bottom which is like a visual guide for
continuous reference. Remind yourself of the best benefit which is being
preventive and being aware of your daily sodium intake, hopefully resulting
in a healthy blood pressure as well.

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Updated 2/2011