I’m always checking labels for hidden sodium and going easy on it – the stuff makes me hold water like a water balloon! So, I was happy to see the study about how more foods are ditching extra salt... only to learn a new report from Consumer Reports (CR) finds plenty of salt in foods you wouldn’t think to check.
CR analyzed 37 foods to check their sodium levels. Among the surprises:
- Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists – four strands have 200 milligrams; four strands of Twizzlers Strawberry Licorice have 115 mg.
- Raisin-bran cereals – Kellogg’s has 350 mg per cup; Post, 300 mg; Total, 230 mg.
- Jell-O Instant Pudding & Pie Filling Mix – the chocolate flavor contains 420 mg per serving; lemon, 310 mg; chocolate fudge, 380 mg.
- Prego Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce – this has an American Heart Association logo on the label which means saturated fat and cholesterol are restricted, but not that it’s low in sodium. This sauce has 430 mg per half-cup.
- Aunt Jemima Original Pancake and Waffle Mix – prepared as directed, the pancakes have about 200 mg of sodium each.
Dietary guidelines recommend healthy adults get no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. To control high blood pressure, you should aim for no more than 1,500 mg. But the average American takes in 2,900 to 4,300 mg – yikes!
Remember, a high-sodium diet can increase your risk of high blood pressure and might also raise the risk of asthma, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and stomach cancer.
How to understand sodium labels
The more you know, the better. This glossary can help you to decipher sodium-related claims, which are regulated by the federal government:
- Sodium free (or zero sodium, no sodium, without sodium, free of sodium, trivial source of sodium) – Fewer than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving.
- Very low in sodium – No more than 35 mg per serving.
- Low in sodium – No more than 140 mg per serving.
- Light in sodium – At least 50 percent less sodium per serving than a full-sodium version.
- Reduced sodium (or lower sodium, less sodium) – At least 25 percent less sodium per serving than a full-sodium version of the same food.
- Unsalted (or no salt added, without added salt) – No salt was added during processing. If the food is not sodium-free, the label must say, “Not a sodium-free food.”
- Healthy – For an individual food, no more than 480 mg of sodium per serving. For a meal (like a frozen dinner), no more than 600 mg.
Between hidden sodium, hidden sugar, and everything else – you really have to be careful out there and arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible!
So, did any of the CR “surprises” surprise you? Do you watch the amount of salt in your diet?
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Thanks for the list of foods with excess sodium…great to be aware of it. Soups also contain quite a bit of sodium. I have a rule that I never order soup in a restaurant because of that.
excellent info. Excessive salt raises my blood pressure, so I watch. I try to get low salt alternatives and add more (or salt substitute) myself if needed.
thanks
Thanks for the useful information on excess sodium. You’re right, it’s surprising that pudding and pancakes are on the list. I guess we really have to be more informed and watchful about what we buy.
Call me crazy (actually I’m eccentric), but I put effort into decreasing the salt in my diet. I may dilute things or soak the salt out.
Interesting side note, but I never used a salt block with my horse, even though it was recommended at first. He’s going on 105 in human years! (he’s almost 35)
We do try to watch the sodium around here. I even rinse canned beans before I use them to was away the sodium. My daughter has turned into the Salt Nazi recently though, so she definitely keeps us on track: “How much did you use?” “How much is in that?” “Who left the salt out?” “Can we not buy salt?” And so it goes…
Did you know? …..
Sodium: Vitamin C looks enough like sodium to be taken from the intestines into the body just like the sodium from your food. Because we need a lot of sodium, the transport channels for sodium are very large and Vitamin C can “ride along” with sodium through this open channel into your bloodstream. That’s one reason we attach our Vitamin C to sodium as Sodium-L-Ascorbate: to maximize absorption with minimum effort.
Why sodium?
Now, sodium has a really bad reputation because many of us put too much salt (sodium chloride) on our food. But, the fruits and vegetables we eat are naturally very high in sodium. Our blood is naturally high in sodium. In fact, the sodium content of our blood is about 32 times greater than the potassium level in our blood. It is comparable to the sodium content in sea water.
healthymoms – thanks for the interesting info!
Too funny, Caroline! And good for her for keeping you on track.
Dr. J – I know nothing about horses, but it sounds like you know what you’re doing…
You’re welcome, Henry! And yes, the more we know, the better we’ll do with all those labels.
I was recently diagnosed with Meneire’s and have to eat a 1500mg low sodium diet. It is unbelievable where the salt is hiding! Check out your bread it usually has almost 400mg in 2 slices of whole wheat not to mention those oversized bagels that everyone eats, and pizza is crazy!
kd – Yes, you must know all the hiding places by now, It’s amazing, isn’t it?