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22 Foods Rich In Sodium And Alternative Healthier Options
Sodium is an essential mineral which plays a vital role in maintaining the fluid balance in the body. Sodium helps contract and relax the muscles and aids in nerve transmission.
Sodium works with other minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium to balance the water levels in the cells of the body. However, excess sodium can be harmful as it can raise high blood pressure leading to heart disease and stroke.
Table salt, chemically known as sodium chloride contains the highest amount of sodium with 100 g containing 38758 mg sodium. Sodium is added to foods for flavouring and used as a food preservative. It's important to know the foods which are high in sodium so that you can consume them in less quantities.
1. Cottage cheese
Cottage
cheese
is
rich
in
calcium,
phosphorus,
sodium,
vitamin
B12
and
folate.
The
salt
present
in
cottage
cheese
adds
flavour,
texture
and
acts
as
a
preservative.
A
study
published
in
the
Journal
of
the
American
Dietetic
Association
showed
that
rinsing
cottage
cheese
under
running
water
for
3
minutes
reduced
sodium
by
63%
[1].
100
g
of
cottage
cheese
contains
364
mg
sodium.
2. Vegetable juice
Drinking vegetable juice is a good way to meet your daily dietary requirements. However, drinking commercially sold vegetable juices have an adverse effect on your health because they contain a lot of sodium.
3. Canned soup
Soups
which
are
canned,
packaged
and
prepared
in
restaurants
contain
excess
sodium
for
preserving
it.
And
these
soups
also
contain
monosodium
glutamate
(MSG),
another
additive
that
poses
several
health
risks.
100
g
of
canned
chicken
and
rice
soup
contains
181
mg
sodium
and
100
g
of
canned
tomato
soup
contains
377
mg
sodium.
4. Shrimp
Packaged, plain, frozen shrimp has sodium which is used as a preservative. To retain the moisture in shrimps, sodium tripolyphosphate is added and the sodium content is 318 mg. So, try consuming fresh-caught shrimps as they contain less sodium.
5. Canned vegetables
Canned vegetables are packed with sodium. A study found that draining and rinsing canned vegetables can lower the sodium content. During the study, canned veggies such as canned corn, peas and green beans were rinsed with 3.5 litres of lukewarm water and allowed to drain for 2 minutes, as a result, the sodium content was reduced effectively [3].
6. Pickles
Pickles contain a lot of sodium, for example - 100 g beef pickle contains 973 mg sodium, 100 g cauliflower pickle contains 186 mg sodium, 100 g mustard pickle contains 527 mg sodium, and mixed pickles contain 855 mg sodium.
7. Processed cheese
Processed cheese has a high sodium content as compared to natural cheese because processed cheese contains emulsifying salts like sodium phosphate, which makes it so smooth and consistent.
8. Sauces
Sauces such as soy sauce, tomato sauce and barbecue sauce are high in sodium. 100 g of soy sauce contains 5493 mg sodium, 100 g of tomato sauce contains 459 mg sodium, and 100 g of barbecue sauce contains 1027 mg sodium.
9. Canned tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are high in sodium as compared to whole tomatoes. 100 g of crushed canned tomatoes contains 186 mg sodium and 100 g of raw tomatoes contains 42 mg sodium.
10. Pizza
The
pizza
that
you
eat
almost
every
day
is
packed
with
sodium
due
to
the
presence
of
cheese,
sauce,
processed
meat
and
dough.
All
of
these
combined
increases
the
sodium
content
in
pizza.
100
g
of
pizza
contains
424
mg
sodium.
11. Canned meat
Canned meats, poultry and seafood have a lot of sodium as compared to fresh meat, poultry and seafood. 100 g of canned chicken meat contains 482 mg sodium, 100 g canned meat contains 1071 mg sodium and 100 g of canned shrimps contains 870 mg sodium. So, try incorporating fresh meat, poultry and seafood in your diet.
12. Sandwich
The
store-bought
sandwiches
that
you
consume
contain
a
good
amount
of
sodium.
It
is
due
to
the
ingredients
used,
such
as
white
bread,
processed
meat,
cheese
and
condiments
that
contribute
to
a
significant
amount
of
sodium.
100
g
of
pork
sandwich
contains
441
mg
sodium
100
g
of
grilled
cheese
sandwich
contains
804
mg
sodium
100
g
of
egg
salad
sandwich
contains
397
mg
sodium
13. Broth
Broths, specially packaged broths are high in salt. Broths are used to flavour meat or as a base for soups and stews. 100 g of chicken broth contains 358 mg sodium and vegetable broth contains 350 mg sodium.
14. Biscuit
The biscuits that you eat as a snack to curb hunger is high in sodium too. So, limit the consumption of biscuits because 100 g of biscuits contains 560 mg sodium.
15. Salad dressing
Most
store-bought
salad
dressing
packs
contain
a
lot
of
sodium,
sugar,
saturated
fat,
artificial
flavours
and
artificial
colours.
Instead,
go
for
healthy
salad
dressings
such
as
honey,
lemon
juice
and
extra
virgin
olive
oil.
100
g
of
salad
dressing
contains
733
mg
sodium
16. Salami
Salami
contains
salt,
preservatives
and
additives,
this
makes
it
a
food
rich
in
sodium.
Instead
of
salami,
go
for
healthier
options
like
sliced,
fresh
meat.
100
g
of
salami
contains
1156
mg
sodium.
17. Pretzels
Pretzels
are
baked
pastries
made
from
dough.
Before
baking
they
are
sprinkled
with
large
grains
of
salt
as
a
preservative
to
help
them
stay
fresh.
100
g
of
pretzels
contains
1266
mg
sodium
18. Baked beans
Baked
beans
contain
high
amounts
of
sodium.
It
is
made
by
parboiling
white
beans
and
then
baking
them
at
a
low
temperature
for
a
long
period
of
time
in
some
sauce.
100
g
of
baked
beans
contains
422
mg
sodium.
19. Sausages
Sausages
are
high
in
sodium
due
to
the
presence
of
salt,
preservatives
and
flavour
enhancers.
It
is
made
from
ground
meat
like
pork,
beef
or
chicken.
100
g
of
pork
or
beef
sausage
contains
848
mg
sodium
20. Hot dogs
Hot
dogs
are
made
of
processed
meat
and
are
loaded
with
sodium
and
saturated
fat
which
make
them
an
unhealthy
food
choice.
100
g
of
sodium
contains
1090
mg
sodium.
21. Ham
Ham is loaded with salt, which is added to cure and flavour the meat. 100 g of ham contains 1203 mg sodium.
22. Instant pudding mix
Instant pudding mix also contains high amounts of salt and sodium-containing additives like tetrasodium pyrophosphate and disodium phosphate. 100 g of instant pudding mix contains 1409 mg sodium.
Other foods high in sodium are macaroni and cheese, yeast bread, burritos, tacos, ready-to-eat cereal, cakes and pies.
Common FAQs
What happens if you eat too much sodium?
Having excess sodium leads to high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and stomach cancer.
What foods are low in sodium?
Foods low in sodium are fresh fruits, dried fruits and fresh vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, and brown bread.
How do you flush out sodium?
Drinking plenty of water will help flush out excess sodium from the body.
What should I do if I ate too much sodium?
Hydrate your body, eat potassium-rich foods, do exercises that make you sweat, and eat healthy foods.
How much sodium do I need?
The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day for adults with high blood pressure. The ideal limit of sodium is no more than 2,300 mg per day.
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