Sodium

You would be consuming a little under 2 teaspoons of sodium if you eat an in-a-bowl meal for lunch and then have a dinner of spaghetti with meatballs at a restaurant.

This is almost double the recommended quantity of sodium for healthy people, who should have no more than 2,400 mg. of sodium daily, which is approximately one heaping teaspoon of salt. However, the average American consumes over 4,000 mg. -- about two teaspoons of salt per day.

A recent study found that much of the sodium we ingest is hidden in common foods, such as spaghetti sauce or frozen dinners. Three-quarters of the 4,000 mg. of sodium that we seem to consume daily comes from processed food and restaurant meals, which is partially due to large serving sizes.

Canned soups typically contain 800 to 1,000 mg. of sodium, and pre-packaged, in-a-bowl meals have about 1,500 mg. That spaghetti with meatballs you were planning to have at your favorite restaurant would contain about 2,210 mg., which is about the amount you should have in the whole day!

Too much salt can mean high blood pressure. So, from now on when you shop at the grocery store, check the amount of sodium, as well as the number of calories, in the food you buy.

Resources:

Read this article, which reveals some hidden places where sodium lurks.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides quick facts about salt, handy tips for preparing low-sodium meals, and how to read nutritional labels.

Do you know how much salt you consume daily? This webpage lists the sodium content of many common foods.

November 8, 2003