"The majority of sodium in our diets comes from prepared foods," not the saltshaker, says Schwartz.
Prepared foods ranging from restaurant takeout to supermarket entrees and readymade sauces, to convenience store snacks, all carry a huge salt footprint. Sometimes it can come in surprising places, including menu choices that seem healthy at first glance.
If you aren't sure how much sodium your favourite coffee shop's chicken sandwich contains, visit their website to find out.
A better idea? Cook from scratch.
Real food = less salt
"Sodium occurs naturally, but fruits and vegetables, whole grains, meat and fish all have less than 100 mg of sodium per serving," says Schwartz.
Even if you add a dash of salt during cooking and at the table, chances are, your home cooked meal will still have less sodium than a convenience-food version.
Further, says Schwartz: "Salt really is an acquired taste, so over time, you can just decrease the amount you use for cooking."
When using packaged ingredients, look for reduced-sodium versions, but keep in mind that if the original's sodium level was sky-high, "lower sodium" doesn't necessarily mean "low sodium."
"Regular soy sauce has about 1,000 mg of sodium per serving, and lower-sodium versions have about 600 mg. Whenever you look at the Nutrition Facts box and see over 400 mg of sodium per serving, that's getting high," says Schwartz. So use it with a light touch, if at all.
For canned tomatoes and other veggies, look for salt-free versions. You can also lower the sodium content of canned tuna or salmon by pouring out can juices and giving the fish a quick rinse under running water, says Schwartz.
Speak out about salt
Serious about cutting back on salt, for the good of your family's health – as well as the fit of your clothes? E-mail or call the 1-800 numbers on your favourite grocery products and share your thoughts about sodium.
Tell manufacturers you read nutrition labels and love the fact their new sauce has only 250 mg sodium per serving. Or ask them why they don't have a low-sodium version of their très-yum chicken noodle soup.
"Consumers are the ones who determine how much sodium is in our foods because we vote with our purchases," says Schwartz. "We can see positive changes in our food supply – consumers can make that happen!"
Better health and better fitting jeans – if that's not win-win, we don't know what is!
Page 2 of 2 – What diseases are you putting yourself at risk for by consuming to much sodium? Find the answers on page 1.
