Articles
Sodium: How to tame your salt habit
Sodium: How much do you need?
Sodium: Essential in small amounts
Sodium: How much is too much?
Sodium: What are the major dietary sources?
Tips for cutting back on sodium
Sodium: Be a savvy shopper
Know the label lingo
Content
What happens to sodium in the body?
How much sodium is too much?
What foods have sodium?
How do I cut back on sodium?
Check the label
Learn the lingo
Use salt substitutes wisely
Go low and take it slow
Learn the lingo
The supermarket is full of foods labeled reduced sodium or light in sodium. But don't assume that means they're low in sodium. For example, a can of chicken noodle soup that claims to have 25% less sodium still has a whopping 524 mg in 1 cup. It's only lower in sodium compared with regular chicken noodle soup, which has more than 790 mg of sodium in a cup.
Here's a rundown on common sodium claims and what they really mean:
- Sodium-free or salt-free. Each serving in this product contains less than 5 mg of sodium.
- Very low sodium. Each serving contains 35 mg of sodium or less.
- Low sodium. Each serving contains 140 mg of sodium or less.
- Reduced or less sodium. The product contains at least 25% less sodium than the regular version.
- Lite or light in sodium. The sodium content has been reduced by at least 50% from the regular version.
- Unsalted or no salt added. No salt is added during processing of a food that normally contains salt. However, some foods with these labels may still be high in sodium because some of the ingredients may be high in sodium.
