Here are 5 foods you didn’t know were full of salt that might shock you, and a dietitian’s thoughts on each.
Did you know that most of the salt in the food that you eat, doesn’t come from your salt shaker?
About ¾ of the salt that Australians eat, comes from it being added during the manufacturing process of foods. In Australia it’s recommended that we only consume up to 2000mg of sodium per day (about 5,000mg of salt). Which is easier to exceed than you might think – and regularly doing so could lead to high blood pressure- a risk factor for heart disease. So, here are 5 foods that are shockingly high in salt and a dietitian's thoughts on each.
1. Bread
Bread is typically made with wheat grain (flour), water, salt & yeast. Many supermarket packaged breads have a higher salt content than fresh bread from a bakery. Some supermarket packaged bread products can contain between 200-880mg of sodium per 100g of bread! Considering we might eat up to 4 slices per day, that can contribute significantly to a whole day’s recommendation.
Our thoughts; it’s absolutely a-ok to eat bread! Carbs are good for us and grainy bread can be a great source of fibre! Just keep a look out for a lower sodium option where possible in the nutrition information panel on the back of the pack. Opt for <200mg per 100g.
2. Processed meat
This might be a no brainer, but it trips some people up. Processed meats contain high levels of sodium to give them flavour and sometimes prolong shelf life. Think ham, salami, sausages, hot dogs or other deli meat.
Our thoughts; as yummy as they are, these foods are definitely on the fun foods list. Maybe not an everyday item. Instead, you could opt for fresh meats like chicken or turkey breast on your sambos which are much lower in sodium or try a veggie packed option to change things up!
3. Cheese
The amount of sodium in cheese varies hugely across the varieties but it’s a food that’s particularly high in sodium. Typically, the harder the cheese, the more sodium it contains – hello parmesan!
Our thoughts: opt for lower sodium varieties of your typical shredded or slices cheese. Or substitute with lower sodium varieties such as ricotta or cream cheese.
4. Ready to eat meals
Many ready to eat foods contain high amounts of sodium, again for flavour and shelf life. As tasty as they are, it’s fairly uncommon to find a ready-made meal that’s not highly processed or high in sodium.
Our thoughts; in an ideal world, we’d be looking to make meals from scratch but we know that’s not always possible. So, if you’re opting for ready-made, try and pick options with <500mg of sodium/serve. You could even pump up the veg content with a little side salad to boost variety too!
5. Sauces & condiments
Things like salad dressings, jarred pasta sauces, ketchups & powdered flavourings can contain very high levels of sodium. A recent comparison study found that some powdered flavourings contained up to half a family’s recommended daily salt intake in one serve alone!
Our thoughts; Here at Alg Seaweed, we believe adding flavour to cooking is an absolute must! But you shouldn’t have to compromise on flavour because so many supermarket condiments are full of salt! That’s why we developed our range of seaweed seasonings including our 63% less sodium Alg Seaweed Salt. Infused with seaweed, which packs a punch in umami flavour without the high sodium situation! It also has naturally occurring iodine from the seaweed as opposed to commercially added iodine in regular table salt! So, it’s a win-win on the health front!
We hope you’ve learnt something from this list 5 foods that are shockingly high in salt. Want to add a whole heap of flavour without the sodium kick? See our entire range of seaweed seasonings here and get inspired by our recipe library here!