American adults have too
much sodium in their diet! Currently, the average intake of sodium
is 3,466 milligrams —more than twice what it needs to be.
New dietary guide-lines
will slash the recommended daily amount of sodium to 1,500
milligrams or less, a reduction of over 800 milligrams. Behind this
change is medical research that continues to show there is far too
much sodium in the average diet.
Most of the sodium in
foods comes from processed foods and restaurant items, not from the
individual’s use of the salt shaker at mealtime.
You can get a head start
on reducing your sodium intake if you carefully evaluate what you
buy.
Researchers have found that most of the sodium in foods came from
five categories of foods.
Grain mixtures
(including items such as pasta, pizza and burritos), frozen meals
and soups, on average, contribute about 530 milligrams per day of
sodium. You need to shop around for the best choices.
2. Breads add about 354 milligrams daily. Two
slices of Wonder Bread, for example, have 300 milligrams of sodium.
3. Meat, poultry and fish mixtures add 286
milligrams per day. It’s not the meat; it’s what we put on the meat,
including injections or marinates.
4. Ham, bacon, sausages and lunch meats
contribute 423 milligrams per day. Eat less of these foods.
5. Cakes, cookies and crackers contribute 229
milligrams per day. It’s no surprise that crackers add sodium to the
diet, but some may be surprised that cookies and cakes are also a
part of
the picture.
While reducing your sodium isn’t easy,
with smart choices, you can really improve your overall diet quality
and your health.
