High Sodium Foods: Are You Getting Too Much Salt?

Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride and is a necessary food in our diet. We eat more daily salt than is necessary. Our daily salt intake should be in the range of 1500 to 2300 milligrams. However, many of us are eating much more salt. We list several foods that have very high salt content and should be avoided.

 

Avoid These High Salt Content Foods

Frozen Dinners

They’re quick. They’re easy. And they’re loaded with sodium. A 5-ounce frozen turkey and gravy dinner packs 1,255 milligrams.

Ready To Eat Cereals

Many brands have up to 210 milligrams of sodium in each cup.

Vegetable Juices

They help you get the 2 to 2.5 cups of veggies you need a day. But they can have a lot of sodium. One cup of vegetable juice cocktail has a whopping 615 milligrams.

Canned Vegetables

They contain high levels of  preservatives, sauces, or seasonings that add significant extra sodium.

Packaged Deli Meats

One look at the sodium content in packaged meats will shock you. For example, two slices of dry salami made of beef or pork can have 362 milligrams of sodium. Run away!

Soup

It’s a warm comfort food on a cold day, but watch out. It can be loaded with salt. A cup of canned chicken noodle soup can have 831 milligrams of sodium. Instead, buy the low sodium versions, they are delicious.

Marinade and Jellys

Some of your favorites may be super salty. One tablespoon of teriyaki sauce can have 879 milligrams of sodium. The same amount of soy sauce may have up to 1,005 milligrams.

Spaghetti Sauce

Half a cup may have 577 milligrams of sodium, and that’s barely enough to coat a helping of pasta. Instead, eat the low sodium alternatives on the market.

Nuts

Rethink eating large amounts of salty peanuts. An ounce of most dry-roasted brands have 116 milligrams of sodium. Nuts are healthy, eat them in moderation.

Salty Snacks

They’re hard to resist, but they may have a lot of sodium. Potato chips have 136 milligrams per ounce, cheese puffs 263 milligrams per ounce, and pretzels 352 milligrams per ounce. So, eat these also in moderation.

Prepackaged Foods

Rice, potatoes, and pasta in their natural forms are low in salt. But if you buy the commercial convenient “all-in-one” box and add the flavor packet, you will end up eating more than half of your daily allowance of sodium in just one serving. Make it yourself, it’s worth it.

Condiments

These are a big source of salt.

• Ketchup (1 tablespoon) = 154 milligrams
• Sweet relish (1 tablespoon) =  122 milligrams
• Capers (1 tablespoon) = 202 milligrams (drained)

 

Conclusion

Salt is a very important mineral in our diet. Be smart, eat it in moderation.