Hidden Salt: It Is Not Just On Your Chips

Potato chips and and other salty snacks have always gotten a bad rap for their high salt content.  However, potato chips are not the bad actors anymore.  There are many other foods that have significantly more sodium than potato chips.

Surprisingly, some foods that don’t taste salty can still be high in sodium, which is why using taste alone is not an accurate way to judge a food’s sodium content.  For example, while some foods that are high in sodium like pickles and soy sauce taste salty, there are also many foods (like cereals and breads) that contain sodium but don’t taste salty.  FDA

One cup of Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal has 350 milligrams (mg) sodium.  One Lender's Plain Whole Grain Bagel has 490 mg sodium.  And one slice of Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Devils Food Cake has 380 mg sodium.

The average American eats 3,400 mg sodium a day.  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg a day and moving toward an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. Heart

2,300 mg of sodium is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of salt.  Cardiosmart

The human body cannot live without some sodium.  Sodium is essential for nerve and muscle function and is involved in the regulation of fluids in the body.  Sodium also plays a role in the body's control of blood pressure and volume.  Manoa

While some sodium is good, too much sodium is bad for you.  According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, diets higher in sodium are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure.  FDA

Sodium attracts water which can increase the volume of blood which increases your blood pressure. High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is a condition in which blood pressure remains elevated over time.  Hypertension makes the heart work too hard, and the high force of the blood flow can harm arteries and organs (such as the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes). Uncontrolled high blood pressure can raise the risk of heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. In addition, blood pressure generally rises as you get older, so limiting your sodium intake becomes even more important each year.  FDA

1 in 3 Americans will develop high blood pressure in their lifetime.  LiveScience

Many processed foods have a lot more sodium than potato chips.  For example frozen meals, canned soup, pasta sauce, and seasoned rice have significant amounts of sodium.  Cottage cheese and condiments such as soy sauce also have a lot of sodium.

Pizza has a lot of sodium.  For example one slice of Veggie Lover's Pizza from Pizza Hut has 760 mg sodium.

Campbell's Slow Kettle Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup has 1,420 mg sodium in one serving!  This amount is almost equal to the target daily amount.

The original Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup has a lower amount of sodium but it is still very high at 890 mg per serving.  

Don't let "healthy" versions of processed foods fool you.  Lean Cuisine Fiesta Grilled Chicken frozen meal has 590 mg sodium in 1 serving.

Lays Potato Chips have 340 mg of sodium in 30 chips (2 servings).  See the table below for sodium comparisons to other popular foods.

Description	Sodium (mg)
American Heart Association Limit	2,300
American Heart Association Target	1,500
Kettle Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup ( 1 serv.)	1,420
Rage Traditional Spaghetti Sauce (1 cup)	960
Stouffer’s Manicotti Cheese (1 serv.)	950
Soy Sauce (1 tablespoon)	880
Pizza Hut Veggie Lover’s Pizza Slice (1 slice)	760
Daisy Low Fat Cottage Cheese (1 cup)	700
Far East Garlic and Herb Rice (1 serv.)	600
Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken (1 serv.)	590
Lays Potato Chips (30 chips)	340

With our current food production we have to be diligent in monitoring our sodium intake.  Look for products with less than 140 mg per serving, which is considered to be low in sodium.

If we consume fresh, whole and natural foods, sodium intake can be reduced quite easily. Avoiding added salt, soy sauce or other salty condiments will also help reduce total sodium intake.  LiveScience