Nutrition
4 lower-salt food swaps
August 13, 2010Trying to keep your sodium intake in check? Try these four lower-salt food swaps on your next trip to the grocery store
Shake the salt
Even if you don’t add salt to food, you may still be eating more than the recommended daily limit for sodium-between 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams. According to Statistics Canada, those who add salt to meals eat about 3,400 milligrams of sodium daily, and those who don’t still get 2,900 milligrams. (One teaspoon [5 mL] of salt has 2,325 milligrams.) Why? Sodium is added to many processed foods. So we scoured the grocery store comparing Nutrition Labels to find lower-sodium options.
Shake the salt
Even if you don’t add salt to food, you may still be eating more than the recommended daily limit for sodium-between 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams. According to Statistics Canada, those who add salt to meals eat about 3,400 milligrams of sodium daily, and those who don’t still get 2,900 milligrams. (One teaspoon [5 mL] of salt has 2,325 milligrams.) Why? Sodium is added to many processed foods. So we scoured the grocery store comparing Nutrition Labels to find lower-sodium options.
Almonds
Instead of: Planters Double Fired Dry Roasted Almonds seem like a healthy snack. It is almonds, after all. But a 1/3-cup (75-mL) serving has 160 mg of sodium (and 320 calories, due to added ingredients).
Try: Planters Natural Almonds boast only one ingredient: almonds. With no added salt, this is a treat with 0 mg sodium per 1/3 -cup (75-mL) serving. Plus, no added stuff means only 270 calories.
Rice
Instead of: Uncle Ben’s Bistro Express Oriental Style contains no artificial preservatives, but with 740 mg of sodium per 1/2-cup (125-mL) serving, you can make a healthier side dish choice.
Try: Uncle Ben’s Bistro Express Long Grain & Wild-Roasted Garlic still offers you a flavourful rice dish, and it has less than one third of the sodium at 220 mg per 1/2-cup (125-mL) serving.
Cereal
Instead of: Post Shreddies are a great way to start your day off right, but check this out: There are 310 mg of sodium per 1-cup (250-mL) serving.
Try: Post The Original Shredded Wheat Spoon Size has no sodium at all for a similar size serving of cereal.
Pop
Instead of: Sugar-Free Fresca may have no sugar, but it has 60 mg of sodium in a 1-cup (250-mL) serving. That’s not a lot, but every bit counts.
Try: Diet Coke has about half the amount of sodium, at 35 mg in a 1-cup (250-mL) serving.
Related:
• 4 lower-sugar food swaps
• 4 lower-fat food swaps
• Quiz: How much sodium is in your food?
