CDC Report Releases the TOP 10 SODIUM SOURCES in our Diet

Trying to cut out salt from your diet? Looks like it’s getting even harder to do so with so much ‘hidden salt’ in our food supply chain. From processed and packaged foods to breads and pastas, sodium is everywhere. The CDC reports that almost half of all sodium consumption comes from 10 types of food.

 

 

Do you know how much salt you are eating every day? Is sodium a concern for you? Do you have high blood pressure or bloating? Perhaps you are suffering from various cardiovascular diseases and hypertension? Do you even know what the recommended sodium intake per day is?

 

A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that 9 out of 10 Americans consume more sodium than they should. And the daily recommended sodium consumption is only 3,300 milligrams per day. However, the Institute of Medicine in the US just lowered that recommendation to only 2,300 milligrams per day and perhaps going as low as 1,500 milligrams per day if you are over the age of 51 or are at risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension or other chronic illnesses.

 

 

The first step in battling our sodium consumption levels is by being aware of where salt or sodium come from in our daily diet. Not surprisingly, sodium is found in everything. From juice to breads and from breakfast cereal to meat, salt is in every single part of our food chain. In addition, there are so many misconceptions about sodium.

The American Heart Association just recently did a survey and found that most Americans believed that sea salt had lower sodium levels than regular table salt. This is NOT the case as the sodium content in the two types of the most commonly used salts are identical.

The CDC also recently found out that about 65% of our sodium consumption comes from food that is bought from a supermarket or grocery store. The other 35% usually comes from restaurants meals (or eating out).

 

What’s even scarier is that 44% of all sodium consumption in the United States actually comes from 10 main foods that include (from most to least):

1. Breads and rolls
2. Lunch meats (luncheon meats)
3. Pizza
4. Poultry
5. Soup
6. Sandwiches and burgers
7. All types of cheese
8. All types of pasta
9. Meat dishes
10. Snack foods

 

 

Just Add Good Stuff recommends a whole foods plant based diet that includes fresh and organic vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, seeds and whole foods that do not contain high levels of sodium. We also recommend staying away from most processed and packaged foods wherever possible. Always read labels as sodium content is required to be on labeling by law.