Do you ever look at sodium on the food label? Until recently, many foods didn’t list sodium content on the label.  Thanks to new food labeling regulations effective in January 2005 there will be an increasing number of foods showing a complete compliment of nutrients including sodium on the food label.  Most people will readily recognize calories and fat in the nutrient breakdown but it’s also important to consider sodium content when choosing processed foods.  Sodium is added to foods as a flavour enhancer and as a preservative.  Unfortunately, there are no regulations on sodium additions to food.  Manufacturers can add as much as they see fit to maximize shelf life and flavour.  The people who are most obviously affected are those who have salt sensitive high blood pressure.  For the rest of us, the high sodium foods many give us an upset stomach or cause water retention.  It may play out as curious periods of weight gain or simply waking up one morning with swollen hands and tight rings.  Now that we have more detailed food labels it may be easier to discover high salt foods that are affecting you. Some of the most common high sodium culprits are canned soups, tomato sauces, cheese, pickles, frozen dinners, condiments and deli meats such as ham.   A year ago it was tough to find a variety of ham that divulged sodium content.   Now you can evaluate at least half of the varieties found in the grocery store. They will range from 850mg-1500mg of sodium per 100g.    The average adult needs no more than 2500mg of sodium daily from all food sources. Therefore if you have a small piece of ham the size of a deck of cards (100g/3oz) you can expect to ingest about half your daily intake of sodium. That’s not to say you shouldn’t eat ham, it’s more about how much you eat and what else you have during the day.  If you know you are going to have some high sodium foods, you can balance out by making lower sodium choices foods for the rest of your meals.  For example, instead of eating canned soup for lunch, you can make your own soup using a low sodium bouillon cube.  Alternatively you can add more water and share the can with someone else.   A typical small can of soup will run 2000-4000mg of sodium depending on how much you consume.  Check your food labels on soups and look for brands that have less than 750mg of sodium per cup (250ml).  There are a few dried soups (Presidents Choice) and boxed soups (Campbell’s butternut squash) that have managed to keep sodium down while still maintaining flavour.  Watch out for deli meats and pickles.  Many brands of sliced meat have 1200 mg of sodium per sandwich sized portion and then if you add a large dill pickle (800-1000mg sodium) at you are at your sodium quota for the day.  Once again, your food label is your best guide.  Take a moment to compare a few brands in the grocery store and you’ll be surprised what variation you will find. A simple switch in brand could have a dramatic impact on your daily sodium intake. 

If you are careful with your consumption of processed foods you are halfway there.  The salt you add at home is more obvious and easier to control.  One teaspoon of salt has 2000mg of sodium.  It sounds like a lot however it’s often spread out over many portions.  You can experiment with cutting back the salt in a recipe and simply add a bit more at the table if needed.  Everyone has a different preference for saltiness of food.  If you are a self proclaimed “salt-a-holic” try to cut back slowly.  Your taste buds will adapt and eventually smaller amounts of salt will produce the same flavour.   You can even try some great replacement spices such as the “Mrs Dash” blends which are very tasty and sodium free.   For most people, lowering sodium is not an urgent concern.   In fact if you lead a very active lifestyle and lose a lot of salt in your sweat, a few salty choices will balance out your losses. The bottom line is awareness.  If you read your labels and moderate your salt shaker habits you can head off any salty side effects before they become a problem.