High-Sodium Foods to Avoid: Tips for Reducing Salt in Your Diet

High-Sodium Foods to Avoid: Tips for Reducing Salt in Your Diet

Sodium is a mineral naturally found in several foods we consume. Our regular table salt is also a naturally occurring ingredient widely used in cooking and seasoning. Too much sodium can harm our body, leading to hypertension and strokes. Therefore, to stay healthy, you must avoid foods high in sodium. Read on to know about foods high in sodium to avoid.

Sodium is a mineral naturally found in several foods we consume. Our regular table salt is also a naturally occurring ingredient widely used in cooking and seasoning. Too much sodium can harm our body, leading to hypertension and strokes. Therefore, to stay healthy, you must avoid foods high in sodium. Read on to know about foods high in sodium to avoid.

Say ‘No’ to These High-Sodium Foods

To stay fit and healthy, you must avoid excess sodium in your diet. Here are some of the foods high in sodium to avoid:

• Processed Meats

Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats are significantly high in sodium. One standard-sized hot dog could contain 700 mg of sodium, while a regular ham deli could have nearly 250 mg of sodium.

• Canned Soups

Packaged and canned soups are loaded with sodium. However, the quantity of sodium in packaged soup depends on the soup type and the brand it belongs to. The average amount of sodium per can of soup is around 410 milligrams. But there are soup brands that far exceed this average amount.

• Sauces

Sauces, ketchup, and condiments may contain high amounts of sodium. A single tablespoon of soy sauce may contain up to 1000 mg of sodium, while a single tablespoon of BBQ sauce may contain 450 mg of sodium on average.

• Frozen Foods

These are also foods high in sodium to avoid. They may aptly be called mini sodium bombs. One single serving of lasagna may have nearly 900 mg of sodium, while a single pizza slice may contain 700 mg of sodium.

• Packaged Vegetable Juices

If you think you are doing a favour to your body by consuming packaged vegetable juices, you are wrong. These juices are high in sodium and can do more harm to you than good. Approximately 240 ml of packaged vegetable juice may contain as much as 405 mg of sodium.

• Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a high-sodium food to avoid. Regardless of the brand, the average sodium content of half a cup of cottage cheese is 300-400 mg.

• Instant Pudding Mixes

Will you ever believe that your delicious, sweet, and creamy pudding could contain sodium? But it does. Additives containing sodium used in instant pudding mixes can make your puddings stealthily salty. Approximately 25 grams of instant vanilla pudding mix may contain 350 mg of sodium.