Foods High in Sodium | The Salty Six

The American Heart Association recommends a daily intake of 1,500 mgs of sodium or less per day. The average American consumes more than twice that due in large part to processed foods. Sodium is added, often in large quantities, to processed foods as a preservative to extend shelf life and to add flavor. While this excess sodium might give our favorite foods the flavors we’ve become accustomed to, too much sodium can be bad for your heart and your overall health.

Often called the Salty Six, these are six popular foods we love to eat that are loaded with sodium.

Foods High in Sodium – The Salty Six

Cold Cuts & Cured Meats

Processed meat like cold cuts and cured meats can contain as much as 400% more sodium than unprocessed meats. Look for lower sodium or no salt added cold cut options instead.

Bread & Rolls

Some varieties of store-bought sandwich bread can contain more than 200 mgs of sodium PER SLICE.

Sandwiches

A sandwich with two slices of bread AND cold cuts could easily exceed your daily sodium allowance.

Poultry

Even fresh chicken you buy in the grocery store can contain too much salt because of sodium-filled solutions sometimes injected into the poultry to preserve it, improve color and taste. Read your labels for all natural poultry and avoid breaded chicken products, like chicken nuggets.

Soup 

Canned soups can serve as a convenient meal, but beware. The American Heart Association reports one cup of canned soup can contain more than 900 mgs of sodium. Thankfully, there are many lower sodium varieties available but it’s always best to make your own if you can.

Pizza

Next time you order a slice or a whole pie, load yours up with more veggies than meat or cheese. One slice of pizza can contain more than 1000 mgs of sodium.

Watch the web story HERE.

You can get my tips for reducing sodium in your diet here.

 If you need help monitoring your sodium intake, don’t forget to sign up to get my Free Weekly Sodium Tracker here.

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