It may be a no-brainer that most kids’ cereals have more sugar than adults’, but wow – 85 percent more?! That’s what a new study from Yale University finds. It also shows kids’ cereals have 65 percent less fiber and 60 percent more sodium than those made for adults. Last year, Consumer Reports found some popular children’s cereals have as much sugar as a glazed donut.

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My favorite go-to is lemon pepper – it’s so versatile. I use it on chicken, fish, and veggies. What spices do you use instead of salt?

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We’ve talked about how there’s hidden sodium in foods you wouldn’t think to check. Now a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) finds mega amounts of salt in foods you might think of as salty… but probably not quite this bad. 

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 when CSPI researchers looked at 17 restaurant chains, they found 85 out of 102 meals had more than a day’s worth of sodium. Some had more than four days’ worth, including these:

• Red Lobster Admirals’ Feast with Caesar Salad, Creamy Lobster Topped Mashed Potato, Cheddar Bay Biscuit, and a Lemonade: 7,106 mg

• Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Fajitas (with tortillas and condiments) and a Dr Pepper: 6,916 mg

• Chili’s Honey-Chipotle Ribs with Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Seasonal Vegetables, and a Dr Pepper: 6,440 mg

• Olive Garden Tour of Italy (lasagna) with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and a Coca-Cola: 6,176 mg

• Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and Raspberry Lemonade: 5,735 mg

And what about children’s meals at chain restaurants?

They’re over the top, as well. The Institute of Medicine says children aged 4-8 should have no more than 1,200 mg of sodium per day. These meals have one or two days’ worth of sodium:

• Red Lobster Chicken Fingers, Biscuit, Fries, Raspberry Lemonade: 2,430 mg

• Chili’s Country Fried Chicken Crispers with Rice and 1% milk: 2,385 mg

• KFC Popcorn Chicken with Macaroni and Cheese, Teddy Grahams, and 2% milk: 2,005 mg

• Jack in the Box Chicken Strips Grilled, Buffalo Sauce, Fries, and 1 % milk: 1,980 mg

• Olive Garden Chicken Fingers, Fries, and Raspberry Lemonade: 1,835 mg

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.

Anyone out there ever had any of these salt-laden meals?

[Photo Credit: CSPI)

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Last summer, New York City was the first city in the country to go trans-fat-free. Then it posted calories on menus. Now, NYC’s health department is taking on salt. City officials are meeting with food makers and restaurants to talk about cutting down the amount of salt in common foods like soup, pasta sauce, salad dressing and bread. About three-fourths of the salt Americans eat comes from prepared and processed food, not from the salt shaker, and New York officials want the food industry to help cut back.

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Do you know how much sodium you have a day? A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds two-thirds of Americans should limit the salt in their diet, but very few of them do. Dietary guidelines recommend most adults have a maximum of 2,300 mg of sodium per day. But you should have no more than 1,500 mg a day if you are African American, have high blood pressure, or if you’re age 40 or older.

Go here to see hidden sodium in foods you wouldn’t think to check.

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This is one place you don’t want to see any of your favorite foods. Every year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) comes up with its list of the Top Ten Worst Foods and I always look forward to it. Once in awhile I find out I’ve enjoyed one of the “worsts” (and stop immediately!). But this year, I’m happy to report I have not indulged in anything on CSPI’s list for 2009.

1. Pepperidge Farm Roasted White Meat Chicken Premium Pot Pie – There are 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat in this baby. Oh wait – that’s just for half a pie. The whole thing has 1020 calories and 18 grams of saturated fat.

2. Romano’s Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce – This dish will set you back a staggering 2,430 calories and nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat (57 grams) plus 5,290 milligrams of sodium – more calories and saturated fat than two Macaroni Grill Tuscan Rib-Eye steak dinners.

3. Progresso Traditional, Vegetable Classics, and Rich & Hearty soups – Half a can averages more than half of a person’s daily quota of salt. Instead, CSPI says try Progresso’s Health Favorites reduced-sodium soups with up to 50 percent less salt.

4. Dove Ice Cream – A half cup has about 300 calories and an average of 11 grams of saturated fat – that’s half-a-day’s worth of the bad stuff.

5. The Cheesecake Factory Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cake – It’s layers of chocolate cake, brownie, toasted coconut pecan filling, and chocolate chip coconut cheesecake. CSPI found each five-inch-high slice weighs three-fourths of a pound and has 1,380 calories, 32 teaspoons of sugar, 33 grams of saturated fat and 5 grams of trans fat. Yikes!

6. Smoothie King’s Grape Expectations II – It’s one of Smoothie King’s “Snack Rights” with 550 calories in the 20-ounce size and 1,100 calories in the 40-ouncer. Proof that not all smoothies are good for you.

7. Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Popcorn Snack Size Bags – Just one snack-size bag has 11 grams of bad fat, 7 of which are trans fats. Instead, CSPI says choose Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop or Smart Balance Smart ’N Healthy – both are made with no partially hydrogenated oils.

8. The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream has 450 calories and 13 grams of bad fat – more like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a cup. But you can lose all the bad fat and all but 170 calories if you order a tall (12 oz.) with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.

9. Chipotle Chicken Burrito – With rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa, you get 1,040 calories and 16-1/2 grams of saturated fat – the same as three Subway Steak and Cheese 6-inch Subs. Plus the burrito comes with 2,500 milligrams of sodium! Ordering it without cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat to 3-1/2 grams, but you still end up with 810 calories and 2,300 milligrams of sodium. Ay Caramba!

10. Cold Stone Creamery’s Gotta Have It Founder’s Favorite – 12-ounces of ice cream, pecans, brownie pieces, fudge, and caramel adds up to a whopping 1,600 calories and 42 grams of saturated fat. That’s about the same as five single-scoop ice cream cones.

Any surprises? And tell me… have you had any of these?

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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?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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The push to expose trans fats in foods eventually led to the artery-clogging ingredient quickly fading from the nation’s food supply. Is salt next? There are early signs it could be. More food companies are starting to cut salt from soups, breads, chips, even baby food.

Personally, I’m glad to hear it! Sodium is one of the many things I always check on the nutrition label, and often am amazed as to how much I find.

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Burger King is cutting the amount of sodium in its kids meals. The fast food chain says it will now limit sodium to 600 milligrams or less in kids meals advertised to children under 12 years old. BK is also promoting menu combinations with less than 650 calories for adults.

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The Facts:
About 25-percent or less of sodium comes from food preparation or salt added at the table. Most sodium comes from processed foods. It’s added to help preserve, add flavor, improve the texture, bind ingredients, and control the speed of fermentation (in foods like cheese, bread dough, and sauerkraut).

Source: American Dietetic Association

Me, I’ve never been much of an add-salt-to-food kind of gal. In fact, I’m quite the opposite – I’ve been known to pick salt off pretzels. How about you? Do you usually add salt to your food… or eat it as is?

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