The typical American diet, consisting mainly of conveniently packaged, frozen, processed food, fast food, potato chips, sodas, energy drinks, “healthy” 100-calorie snacks and so forth, is a high sodium diet that affects the health and well being of all of us, regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic status.
Though we are not conditioned to view our diet as a potentially unhealthy high sodium diet the evidence equating our diet with a high sodium diet is neatly stacked on our supermarket shelves, and drilled into our psyche via well-planned advertising campaigns.
In fact, Americans consume such high levels of sodium that according to recent statistics from the Institute of Medicine,”Once Americans reach their 50s, the risk of developing high blood pressure over the remainder of their lives is estimated to be 90%, even for those with healthy blood pressures,before then.” Though adults are often well aware of the fact that they need to limit the amount of sodium in their diets, these disturbing statistics serve to highlight the long-term consequences of consuming a high sodium diet from birth.
The average, healthy adult should consume between 1,000 to 3,300 mg of sodium per day. By definition, a high sodium diet is one in which a healthy adult consumes between 4,000 to 6,000 mg of sodium per day. The Department of Health recommends around 600 mg of salt, per day, for a child aged seven to ten, 400 mg for those aged four to six and just 200 mg for those aged one to three.
Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of recent studies have concluded that the levels of hidden sodium in many of our children’s favorite foods are so high that they are being put in danger of suffering from high blood pressure and stroke far earlier in life than ever thought possible. Dr. Graham MacGregor, professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at St George’s Hospital in South London, explained these recent findings by saying, “Research just last year showed that children who eat higher salt diets have higher blood pressure. But, it’s not just heart attacks and strokes that are caused by a high salt diet. Too much salt is also linked with stomach cancer and osteoporosis and can aggravate the symptoms of childhood asthma.”
Research into the unchecked levels of high sodium have motivated health organizations such as the British watchdog group, Consensus Action on Salt and Health, to label some brands of baked beans, sausages, breaded chicken and noodles as potential health hazards because they contain virtually the entire daily limit of salt, for a six year old child, in a single serving. Other groups have gone as far as listing a wide array of “health foods” and products designed for babies/toddlers as high sodium health hazards.
How can you recognize high sodium foods that pose a potential health hazard?
First and foremost, read nutritional labels and learn to understand what the sodium-related terms, printed on food labels, mean. The following are some commonly found sodium-related terms and what they actually mean:
- Sodium-Free – Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
- Very Low-Sodium – 35 milligrams or less per serving
- Low-Sodium – 140 milligrams or less per serving
- Reduced Sodium – The product’s usual sodium level is reduced by 25 percent
- Unsalted, No Salt Added or Without Added Salt – These products are made without the salt that is normally used, but still contain the sodium that is a natural part of the food itself.
The following is a list of everyday foods which are notoriously high in sodium:
Many of you may be surprised to see certain food items listed here as potential health hazards, due to their high sodium contents. That is because a majority of these items are marketed as “healthy” options for children.
High Sodium Soup Mixes
There is nothing more comforting than a warm cup of soup on a cold afternoon. However, before you pop open your favorite can of chicken noodle soup consider this: the typical can of chicken noodle soup contains as much as 1106 mg of sodium, per serving, and most cans contain around 2.5 servings.
The Hormel Turkey Chili with Beans 15oz can, which packs 1250 mg of sodium per serving and contains more than one serving per can, is a prime example of a high sodium food item, marketed as a “healthy”, low-fat, high protein alternative.
However, the unhealthiest soup mix of all time, and the one with whom children are most familiar, is the infamous Cup of Ramen Noodles which contains 1434 mg of sodium per cup. This is the equivalent of 60% of the daily recommended sodium intake of a healthy adult and more than twice the daily recommended salt intake of a child.
Canned Vegetables
We love canned vegetables. Canned vegetables have earned a spot on our grocery stores’ shelves by mascaraing as a cheap, quick and handy substitute for fresh vegetables. However, what most people fail to realize is that most varieties of canned vegetables are boiled beyond recognition and packed full of sodium and other food preservatives in order to extend their shelf life as much as humanly possible. For example, the typical can of cream-style corn contains around 730 mg of sodium and can sit in your pantry, untouched, for well over a year. Of course, you can reduce the amount of sodium you consume by purchasing sodium-free versions of your favorite canned vegetables or spending a few extra minutes preparing the fresh version of your favorite vegetables.
Packaged/Fast/Frozen Foods
On average, American adults and children consume 77% of their daily recommended sodium via packaged/fast/frozen foods. For instance, one McDonald’s cheeseburger happy meal contains a dizzying 905 mg of sodium, per meal. Likewise, the average “healthy”, diet-friendly, 5-oz frozen turkey dinner can pack as much as 787 mg of sodium.
However, one of the worst high sodium offenders in this category of foods is the personal pan pizza which contains between 1250 to 1550 mg of sodium per pizza. But, what I find most infuriating is the fact that the chicken nugget, which is widely marketed as a “healthy”, kid-friendly, high protein food item contains almost one hundred times more sodium than a four to six year old child should consume in one day. 4 pieces of chicken nuggets, purchased from McDonald’s contain 400 mg of sodium. Even store bought chicken nuggets, such as the Morning Star brand chicken nuggets, contain approximately 400 to 600 mg of sodium, per serving.
Most frightening of all is the fact that most baby/toddler prepared meals can also be classified as high sodium foods. For example, Heinz Baby Food, which claims to bring “Our Best for your baby” manages to pack 470 mg of sodium into its prepared toddler meal: Vegetables & Beef Pasta Casserole. Even some brands of Gerber Baby Food, such as the Gerber Graduates Lil’ Entrees Complete Meals: Chicken and Pasta Wheel Pick Ups, pack as much as 400 mg of sodium into each 5.8 oz meal. In fact, Gerber recently earned The Canada Stroke Network’s “Salt Lick Award” for the high sodium content of its toddler prepared meals.
Lunch Meats
Lunch meats are popular because they are convenient and extremely affordable. Some varieties of lunch meats sell for around $2 a pack and contain about 8 slices of “meat”. That equals .25c per slice of “meat”. But, have you ever stopped to wonder how lunch meat manufacturers, such as Oscar Mayer, can afford to sell their products for such low prices and still make a profit? To answer this question we first need to determine how lunch meats are manufactured. The frightening reality is that these lunch meats consist of nothing more than a mixture of highly processed meat by-products held together by a mixture of fat, salt and water. For example, one slice of Oscar Mayer Bologna Turkey Ham contains 610 mg of sodium and 17g of fat.
Lunchables, which are heavily marketed towards young children, are a prime example of how these highly processed lunch meats are often disguised as “healthy”. The slogan behind Lunchables states, “Try wholesome and nutritious lunches for kids. Kids love lunchables! Try the new, more wholesome Lunchables that Moms can feel good about”. But, which mother will feel good about giving her child a lunch, such as the Oscar Mayer, Lunchables: Cracker Stackers – Turkey & American Cheese, which contains 830 mg of sodium and 19g of fat, per package?
Condiments
Condiments contain high levels of sodium. For example, one tbsp of ketchup can contain as much as 178 mg of sodium, one tbsp of sweet relish can contain as much as 121 mg of sodium and one tbsp of capers can contain as much as 255 mg of sodium. Of course, most of us consume more than just one tbsp of ketchup and other condiments with our french fries and hamburgers. The good news, however, is that low-sodium and sodium-free condiments are becoming increasingly more popular and widely available.
High Sodium Snacks
The list of high sodium snacks, neatly staked on our supermarket shelves, is too long to cover in this post. Therefore, I am going to focus mainly on potato chips and Cheetos.
Did you know that a typical six year old child can exceed his/her daily recommended serving of sodium by doing nothing more than consuming potato chips while watching TV? For example, one small bag of Frito Lay barbecue flavored potato chips, which is often packed in school vending machines and consumed by kids during lunch and recess, has 300 mg of sodium. Though low in fat, the baked variety of chips, which are heavily marketed as a healthier alternative to fried potato chips, are also high in sodium. For example, just 1oz of Frito Lay’s Baked Doritos tortilla chips nacho cheese flavor contains 220 mg of sodium. Of course, lets not forget about Cheetos, a favorite snack item amongst children, which has recently modified its heavily-child-focused marketing plan in an effort to win a wider audience. Their solution? The 100-calorie Cheetos pack which manages to pack 180 mg of sodium into each 3oz bag.
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