Most people know not to sprinkle table salt on their food, but there are plenty of hidden sources of sodium in our diets. Sliced deli meats and hot dogs are high in sodium. One hot dog has up to 700 milligrams of sodium, while two slices of regular deli ham has nearly 250 milligrams. It is recommended to choose fresh meat or fish and try to make an extra portion for dinner and use the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Be sure to check the nutrition label on raw meats, though; sometimes they can be "stuffed" with a sodium solution to help retain moisture but still increase their salt content by up to five times.
Your breakfast cereal may be salty
Vegetable juice can become liquid salt mine
Canned soups and vegetables contain tons of salt — and they're still bland
To lower your sodium intake, buy fresh vegetables instead of canned vegetables, and be sure to rinse any canned vegetables before eating to remove excess sodium. A half cup of raw carrots contains only 45 milligrams of sodium, and a cup of green beans contains only 6 milligrams. You may also be able to find low-sodium versions of some canned foods or foods with no added salt.
Seasoning packets and condiments filled with salt
Also, be careful when pouring in the condiments. Tomato sauce contains about 150 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon, while soy sauce has nearly 1,000 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. You can also find low-sodium condiments like ketchup, mustard, and soy sauce.
Frozen foods may be unusually salty
All that excess salt causes your body to retain fluid, which not only makes you feel bloated but can also lead to high blood pressure. Look for low-sodium options, or better yet, cook in bulk from scratch and freeze the leftovers for days when you don’t feel like cooking.
Pasta sauce is a bit salty
Bread and tortillas filled with savory goodness
Your dairy products may be full of salt
Some seafood is high in sodium
Before you put anything in your shopping cart, follow these simple rules of thumb: The bottom line when it comes to hiding the source of sodium in food is to check labels and choose products with less than 140 milligrams per serving, and choose fresh, whole foods when possible.
