2. What is Dietary Sodium?
Chemically known as Sodium Chloride, it
is a colorless crystalline compound which
occurs naturally in seawater and halite.
Commonly known as table salt.
3. Identify
• Table salt is not the biggest contributor of sodium intake
• Majority of sodium contributor is found in more than 75% of processed
foods and restaurant meals
• Bowl of cereal for breakfast = 250mg of sodium
• Cup of soup and one turkey sandwich for lunch = 2,200mg of sodium
• Slice of pizza and salad with light dressing = 710mg of sodium
• 250mg +2,200 + 710mg = 3,160mg of sodium
• The average American is recommended to eat less than 2,300mg of sodium a day.
4. Selection
• Read nutritional labels when buying food and picking food with “low sodium”
(140mg or less)(Daily Value 5% or less))
• Can and processed foods are high in sodium for the preservation of shelf life
• More fruit and vegetables
• Low-fat dairy
• Avoid ‘Snack Food’
• Ex. Chips, crackers and pretzels
6. Low Sodium Food
• Fruits and vegetables
• Frozen or dried fruit (unsweetened)
• Bread and grains
• Unsalted popcorn
• Dressing, oil and condiments
• Unsalted margarine and spreads with no trans fat
• Seasoning
• Sodium-free, light mayo and light salad dressing
7. Don’t be salty…
• Look for labels that read: ‘Low sodium’ ‘Reduced sodium’ or ‘No salt added’
• Select ‘fresh’ instead of ‘processed’
• 140mg of sodium or less and daily value (DV) is of 5% or less on nutritional
labels
• Alternating from chips and cookies to apples and unsalted snacks could lead
to a healthier you
8. References
• Centers for disease control. (2012). Get the facts: Sodium and the Dietary
Guidelines.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDie
tGoals/Sodium-Salt-or-Sodium-Chloride_UCM_303290_Article.jsp
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). Low sodium foods:
Shopping List. Retrieved from
http://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/health-conditions-and-
diseases/heart-health/low-sodium-foods-shopping-list
• U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2015). Dietary Sodium. Retrieved from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietarysodium.html
