Salt is almost in everything you eat. Healthcare professionals have found that our sodium intake is out of control. According to the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans are consuming as much as 3,600mg of the stuff a day — more than double the recommended intake of 1,500mg max. And surprise, surprise: all that salt is not doing any justice on your looks.
High sodium consumption leads to heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity, we are basically “OD-ing” on salt dehydrates. Take a look at these sneaky traps.
California Roll
The damage: 450mg in 3 pieces
Compared to: Two and a half bags of Lay’s Potato chips: 450mg
With all those omega-3s, sushi falls under the healthy column … if you stick to sashimi and leave out the soy sauce. One ounce of imitation crab packs a whopping 238mg. Include the salted seaweed wrap and the fact is that just one single tablespoon of soy sauce adds 1,000 mg of sodium and Just the one single tablespoon of soy sauce alone takes you over your daily sodium intake before you even get to eat your entire roll!
Bagels
The damage: 490mg per bagel
Compared to: One order of cheesy nachos at famous Taco Bell: 470mg
Bagels might be on your “do not eat” list because of the refined carbohydrates (which- yes, your body processes as p-u-r-e sugar), but they’re sodium monsters as well. A report recently printed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that bread and rolls are actually the number-one source of sodium in the American diet while more obvious monsters like chips and pretzels actually come in tenth on the list.
Cottage Cheese
The damage: 360 mg in a 1/2 cup
Compared to: 4 Chicken McNuggets: 360mg
Just when you thought cottage cheese was on your side this whole time. Most dieters in search of (muscle building) protein are better off with Greek yogurt or organic yogurt, which has less than 100 mg of salt for the same serving size, and double the protein content.
Bloody Mary
The damage: 461 mg in 10 fluid ounces … and that’s just the mix
Compared to: 20 Ritz crackers: 420 mg
You may think that this drink will be like a saving grace after all night out on the town, but its high salt content will dehydrate and damage you more than it will revive you. Don’t let the celery stalk confuse you. A few shakes of Tabasco sauce has over 179 mg in one ounce, which can mean you’re sinking 640mg in sodium before you even dig into your veggie omelet.
Cheese
The damage: 368mg per slice of cheese (American) or 428mg in one ounce of grated parmesan
Compared to: Two bags of BBQ potato chips: 426mg
Does that mean that you give up cheese for good? Absolutely not, instead, try switching to different types of cheese. Just one slice of mozzarella cheese has half the sodium of parmesan, and adds a similar Italian oomph to your pasta.
Pickles
The damage: 880 mg per (whole) pickle
Compared to: 1 Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger: 870mg
Read your labels carefully. Just, a single serving of pickles might only contain 220mg of salt, but when was the last time you just ate a 1/4 of a pickle? Eat the whole thing and you’ve chowed down on more than half a day’s worth of sodium. Myth: pickle juice will not cure hangovers.
Campbell’s Chicken Soup
The damage: 890mg per cup
Compared to: One MOMI Ramen Noodle packet: 750-950 mg
Mm, mm, good — yes, but oh so salty! Half a can will cost you nearly 75 percent of your daily sodium intake — and when was the last time a one 8-ounce cup of soup filled you up- ever?
Spaghetti Sauce
The damage: 642 mg for a 1/2 cup
Compared to: one slice of yummy pepperoni pizza: 610 mg
Pasta gets all the bad rap for its high-carbohydrate content, but your sauce is the one killing your diet by piling on the sodium. Instead make your own homemade sauce: puree fresh tomatoes and add fresh herbs and spices the next time you whip up spaghetti.
Raisin Bran Cereal, One Cup
The damage: 294mg (230 mg per cup + 64mg in 1/2 cup skim milk)
Compared to: One bag of Cheetos: 250mg
Raisin Bran can be good for you if you need more fiber in your diet, but the high sodium content may not be worth it. Try other cereal alternatives like Kashi’s “Go-Lean“, which has only 85mg of sodium.
Veggie Burgers
The damage: 400 mg per patty
Compared to: One oz of pretzels: 390mg
Amy’s All American Veggie Burger and Gardenbuger Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger each have about 400 mg of sodium per patty. And you were wondering how something that isn’t meat could taste so good … all you have to do is check the sodium content for your answer. Add a bun (206 mg), slice of cheese (368 mg) and a packet of mustard (57 mg) and you’re over 1,000 mg of sodium.
Ketchup
The damage: 380 mg in 2 Tbsp
Compared to: One serving of Wendy’s French Fries (Small): 330 mg Ketchup
Do you still think your fries aren’t salty enough? Well, it’s a good thing that those annoying tiny ketchup packets are so darn hard to open.
Chicken
The damage: Over 440 mg of sodium in a four ounce serving
Compared to: Two bags of Doritos: 420mg
This is probably the sneakiest source of sodium of all. Even though it’s labeled “natural,” a lot of the raw chicken you buy at the supermarket is plumped up with a sodium solution which causes the meat to look juicier and heavier, so you don’t feel bad paying more. Double-check the labels; a REAL natural chicken won’t have sodium content higher than around 70 mg per serving.