Sodium levels are high in many convenience foods, salty snacks, and processed meats. Indians enjoy sodium chloride, popularly known as table salt, and consume far too much of it. If you have high blood pressure, replacing these items with lower sodium options may be useful.
Table salt, also known chemically as sodium chloride, is 40% sodium. It is estimated that at least half of all hypertensive persons have blood pressure that is impacted by sodium consumption, indicating that they are salt-sensitive. Furthermore, your chance of salt sensitivity increases with age.
The sodium Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is 2,300 mg or about 1 teaspoon of salt. Nonetheless, the average daily sodium intake in the United States is 3,400 mg, which is far beyond the recommended maximum limit.
This is caused primarily by packaged and restaurant items, rather than by overusing your salt shaker. Sodium is used to flavor foods as well as in various food preservatives and additives.
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Here are ten foods that are rich in salt and should be strictly avoided
1. Ready-to-Eat Soup
Canned, packaged, and restaurant-prepared soups are frequently high in salt, while some canned types provide reduced-sodium options. The sodium is mostly from salt, although some soups also have sodium-rich flavor additions such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). Per 1-cup (245-gram) serving, canned soup contains 700 mg of salt or 30% of the RDI. Source
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2. Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is an excellent source of calcium and a great amount of protein, but it’s also heavy in salt. A 1/2-cup (113-gram) portion of cottage cheese contains 350 mg of sodium, which accounts for 15% of the RDI. The salt in cottage cheese not only improves the flavor but also adds texture and acts as a preservative. As a result, low-sodium variants are uncommon. Source
3. Vegetable juice
Drinking vegetable juice is a convenient way to get your vegetables, but if you don’t check nutrition labels, you could also be drinking a lot of sodium. A serving of 8 ounces (240 mL) of vegetable juice may contain 405 mg of salt or 17% of the RDI. Fortunately, several manufacturers offer low-sodium alternatives, which are limited to no more than 140 mg of sodium per serving under FDA guidelines. Source
4. Pizza
Many of the ingredients, such as cheese, sauce, dough, and processed meat, contain high levels of sodium, which quickly pile up when combined. A large, 140-gram piece of frozen pizza has 765 mg of salt, or 33% of the RDI. A restaurant-prepared slice of the same size contains considerably more sodium, averaging 957 mg, or 41% of the RDI. (1) (2)
If you consume more than one slice, the salt soon accumulates. Instead, restrict yourself to one slice and fill up on lower-sodium items like a leafy green salad with low-sodium dressing.
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5. Pickles
A single 1-ounce (28-gram) dill pickle spear — the kind that may come with a deli sandwich — contains around 241 mg of sodium or 10% of the RDI. The sodium in entire pickles accumulates faster. A medium dill pickle contains 561 mg of sodium, which is 24% of the RDI. Keep pickle amounts limited if you’re on a sodium-restricted diet. Source
6. Sauces
Sauces can be used to flavor foods while cooking or at the table, but salt also contributes to the flavor. A 1-tablespoon (15-ml) serving of soy sauce contains 1,024 mg of sodium or 44% of the RDI. Barbecue sauce is also fairly salty, with 2 teaspoons (30 ml) containing 395 mg of sodium, or 17% of the RDI. (1) (2)
To keep sodium levels low, look for reduced-sodium versions of various sauces, such as soy sauce, or make your own.
7. Biscuits
Even when not slathered in sauce, this morning’s favorite is high in salt. Biscuits made from frozen or refrigerated dough may be extremely high in sodium, so save them for special occasions.
In a nationwide study in India, one packaged dough biscuit had 528 mg of sodium, or 23% of the RDI. Nonetheless, some included up to 840 mg of salt per serving or 36% of the RDI. Source
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8. Macaroni and cheese
This popular comfort food has a lot of sodium, owing to the salty cheese sauce. According to a recent study, producers have reduced the salt content of macaroni and cheese by 10% on average. Source
According to current research, a 2.5-ounce (70-gram) serving of the dry mix used to make a 1-cup (189-gram) dish of macaroni and cheese has 475 mg of salt or 20% of the RDI. If you want to have macaroni and cheese on occasion, select a whole-grain kind and dilute the dish with vegetables like broccoli or spinach.
9. Frozen meals
Many frozen meals are heavy in salt, with some containing more than half of your recommended sodium allowance per serving. Check the label of each variety, as salt levels can vary greatly within a product line.
The FDA has set a limit of 600 mg of sodium for a frozen meal to be considered healthful. When shopping for frozen meals, you can consider this number as a realistic sodium limit. Even so, cooking your meals is healthier. Source
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10. Baked beans
Unlike regular canned beans, you can’t rinse baked beans with water to remove part of the salt because you’d also be removing the tasty sauce. A 1/2-cup (127-gram) portion of baked beans with sauce contains 524 mg of sodium, which accounts for 23% of the RDI.
Although homemade baked beans do not contain less sodium, you can tweak them to lessen the amount of salt added.
Many people consume significantly more sodium than the maximum daily allowance of 2,300 mg. Furthermore, the chance of having salt-sensitive high blood pressure rises with age. To reduce sodium, avoid processed, packaged, and restaurant foods, as they contain a lot of salt that you may not be aware of.
Some manufacturers are gradually lowering the sodium content of certain packaged meals, but progress is modest. Regardless, many of these meals are harmful in the first place. It is always preferable to eat complete, unprocessed meals.
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