January 2009
What you can do
The government faces some pressure to limit the use of salt: The American Medical Association has urged the Food and Drug
Administration to help slash Americans' sodium consumption. According to the AMA, a 50 percent reduction in dietary sodium
could save 150,000 lives a year.
In fall 2007, the FDA held a hearing partly in response to a petition by the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest to regulate salt as a food additive, which would limit how much manufacturers could add to foods. At press time, the FDA was reviewing public comments and had not set a timetable for a decision. In the meantime, it's up to consumers to assess how much they're taking in. Follow these tips:
Read labels
And compare them to find low sodium choices. If you buy oatmeal, for example, choose Quaker Oats Quick 1 Minute (0 mg of sodium) over Quaker's instant packets, which have 80 mg in the original flavor, for example, and 270 mg in maple and brown sugar. For taste, add a little sugar or pure maple syrup (which has virtually no sodium, unlike some pancake syrups).
Look for no-salt-added condiments
And consider buying canned vegetables packed with less salt. Del Monte recently added a line of "50% less salt" canned vegetables and has a no-salt-added line. Avoid meats and poultry that have been marinated or injected with salty solutions. (Check the ingredients list and the nutrition facts.) As our supermarket trip showed, it's a good idea to check labels even on foods you don't think are salty.
Be a smart chef
Taste before adding salt. Use herbs and spices, salt-free seasoning blends, citrus juice or zest, and flavored vinegars instead of salt. When possible, eat fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low sodium choices. Use sodium-free broth as a base for homemade soup. Replace regular bouillon with a sodium-free product, such as Herb Ox Sodium-Free Instant Broth & Seasoning Chicken Bouillon (0 mg per 4-gram packet).
If you can't find low sodium canned foods, consider rinsing and draining higher-sodium foods to eliminate some salt. (For example, running water over canned tuna and salmon, canned vegetables, feta cheese, and capers can reduce the sodium by up to 30 percent.)
Eat one serving
Think you're being good by eating lower-sodium foods? Not if you eat too much. A cup of Progresso 50% Less Sodium Chicken Noodle soup, for example, has 470 mg of sodium, about half the amount in Progresso Traditional; but consume the whole can and you'll get almost 1,000 mg.
Avoid sodium heavyweights
Or limit them when possible. Among the highest-sodium products we've seen: soy sauce (1,160 mg per tablespoon), chicken bouillon (1,100 mg per packet), frozen dinners (930 mg per serving in Stouffer's Lasagna with Meat & Sauce; some have more), and Spam (790 mg per 2 ounces). Other heavyweights include cured meats such as bacon, ham, and hot dogs; sardines and smoked salmon; and brined foods, such as pickles and olives.
Eat at home
You can easily consume a day's worth of sodium in a single restaurant dish. When you eat out, ask for low-salt dishes and request sauce or dressing on the side. Some chain restaurants post nutrition information online; you can check for low sodium items before you go.
Check your meds
Some drugs contain sodium. Ask your doctor about yours if you're on a sodium-restricted diet.
Retrain your taste buds
Scale back the amount of salt used at the table and in cooking. Research shows that after three months, most people no longer miss salt.
In fall 2007, the FDA held a hearing partly in response to a petition by the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest to regulate salt as a food additive, which would limit how much manufacturers could add to foods. At press time, the FDA was reviewing public comments and had not set a timetable for a decision. In the meantime, it's up to consumers to assess how much they're taking in. Follow these tips:
Read labels
And compare them to find low sodium choices. If you buy oatmeal, for example, choose Quaker Oats Quick 1 Minute (0 mg of sodium) over Quaker's instant packets, which have 80 mg in the original flavor, for example, and 270 mg in maple and brown sugar. For taste, add a little sugar or pure maple syrup (which has virtually no sodium, unlike some pancake syrups).
Look for no-salt-added condiments
And consider buying canned vegetables packed with less salt. Del Monte recently added a line of "50% less salt" canned vegetables and has a no-salt-added line. Avoid meats and poultry that have been marinated or injected with salty solutions. (Check the ingredients list and the nutrition facts.) As our supermarket trip showed, it's a good idea to check labels even on foods you don't think are salty.
Be a smart chef
Taste before adding salt. Use herbs and spices, salt-free seasoning blends, citrus juice or zest, and flavored vinegars instead of salt. When possible, eat fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low sodium choices. Use sodium-free broth as a base for homemade soup. Replace regular bouillon with a sodium-free product, such as Herb Ox Sodium-Free Instant Broth & Seasoning Chicken Bouillon (0 mg per 4-gram packet).
If you can't find low sodium canned foods, consider rinsing and draining higher-sodium foods to eliminate some salt. (For example, running water over canned tuna and salmon, canned vegetables, feta cheese, and capers can reduce the sodium by up to 30 percent.)
Eat one serving
Think you're being good by eating lower-sodium foods? Not if you eat too much. A cup of Progresso 50% Less Sodium Chicken Noodle soup, for example, has 470 mg of sodium, about half the amount in Progresso Traditional; but consume the whole can and you'll get almost 1,000 mg.
Avoid sodium heavyweights
Or limit them when possible. Among the highest-sodium products we've seen: soy sauce (1,160 mg per tablespoon), chicken bouillon (1,100 mg per packet), frozen dinners (930 mg per serving in Stouffer's Lasagna with Meat & Sauce; some have more), and Spam (790 mg per 2 ounces). Other heavyweights include cured meats such as bacon, ham, and hot dogs; sardines and smoked salmon; and brined foods, such as pickles and olives.
Eat at home
You can easily consume a day's worth of sodium in a single restaurant dish. When you eat out, ask for low-salt dishes and request sauce or dressing on the side. Some chain restaurants post nutrition information online; you can check for low sodium items before you go.
Check your meds
Some drugs contain sodium. Ask your doctor about yours if you're on a sodium-restricted diet.
Retrain your taste buds
Scale back the amount of salt used at the table and in cooking. Research shows that after three months, most people no longer miss salt.
