High Sodium Foods You Should Be Aware Of

Sodium plays an important role in the body. It is important for nerve function, fluid balance, and muscle strength. The recommended sodium intake is less than 2,300 milligrams per day which is about 1 teaspoon.

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We are not aware that most of our salt intake is hidden in the foods we buy. Let’s get to know them one by one.

Frozen Dinners

Quick and easy to prepare but are loaded with sodium. A frozen turkey and gravy has about 787 milligrams of salt.

Ready-to-Eat Cereals

Looks safe but some brands of raisin bran have as much as 360 milligrams of salt per cup. Look for brands that are low in sodium, or mix half of your favorite cereal with puffed wheat or puffed rice because they are sodium free.

Vegetable Juices

Yes they sure are healthy, but not always the smartest choice when it comes to sodium content because a cup contains 720 milligrams of sodium. Look for brands that have a low-sodium version.

Canned Vegetables

They are great substitute for fresh but are loaded with sauces, seasonings, and preservatives that add extra sodium. Choose fresh vegetables as much as possible... Read more from: High Sodium Foods You Should Be Aware Of

How To Decode Food Labels

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The key to stocking nutritious foods in your kitchen is by knowing and understanding what’s in the foods you buy. Trying to decipher food labels is not easy so, we don’t know exactly what we are getting when we buy low-fat foods, juices, breads, or multigrain snacks.

Terms like “natural”, “fresh”, and “no additives” can be confusing, they all seem to mean the same thing. The secret behind reading food labels is knowing what you should look for.

The nutrition facts panel and the ingredients listing is the most reliable and important information on the label.

Calories

It’s what counts for weight control. Look for the number of calories per serving on the label. It is usually written in bolder or larger type to make calorie information easy to find.

Serving size and number of servings per container

There are products that most of us would consider a single-serve container, but manufacturers would label it as “two servings”. This would cause extreme confusion and worry that we might be getting twice the calories when in fact we’re not. This information is very critical to understanding everything else that’s written on the label... Read more from: How To Decode Food Labels