Salty to a Fault Report – Recommendations for Reducing Your Sodium Intake

An interesting study from the Center of Science and Public Interest in Canada popped up in the news last month regarding processed/packaged/fast foods having far too much sodium (like 75% too much).

[I know people who ask for salt and pepper even before tasting their meal. That's when you know you have a problem...] 

Leave it to us Canadians to point out the obvious but discussions about salt intake should not be taken lightly. When you look at the big picture of food safety laws and associated public health risk, high sodium intake is barely on the map. Government officials direct far more attention to rare and more acute risks (if I hear one more West Nile virus commercial I’m going to lose it) when in fact excess sodium is a cause of substantially more deaths in North America.

Hold The Salt Please

A couple of factual highlights from the report but mainly from previous cited studies: The average Canadian consumes more than 3,000 mg of sodium per day (Statistics Canada). That’s nearly a 30% more than the maximum daily intake recommended by Health Canada. New studies seem to be released on a regular basis that clearly point to increased amounts of salt as leading contributors to higher blood pressure and risk for heart disease. Many researchers have speculated that if people would cut their salt consumption by 50% or to 1,500 mg, their would 14,500 less heart failures and strokes a year (in Canada alone).

Hey McCain… Why So Much Salt?

The main purpose of this study was to tackle the food industry’s long held claim that high levels of salt are needed to preserve product quality, shelf-life,  and food texture. Author Bill Jeffery does a commendable job at taking this argument head-on by comparing a variety of brand-name products and fast-food meals and noting the wide disparity in sodium levels in similar products. Let’s take a look at some examples…

In the frozen French fry category, McCain’s Xtra Crispy Superfries contain 450 mg of sodium per 85-gram serving. That’s 900 per cent more than in the No Name Crinkle Cut Fries, which was considered the benchmark.

(NOTE: The study used the product with the lowest sodium content in its category as the benchmark. The benchmark product could not be one that made a specific sodium-reduction marketing claim.)

You would automatically think organic products would be the way to go but this study dispelled that myth to a certain extent. For example, Presidents’ Choice Organic Ketchup contained 50% more salt than Heinz Ketchup.

However, sometimes it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. Different manufactures use different serving sizes on their labels. So while one product will have 210mg of sodium in a 1/2 cup serving size and the other will have 180mg of sodium in a 1/4 cup – it’s quite easy to see how consumer confusion can set in. More examples can be found from the report in chart form here. While your there, look who topped the list in the whole wheat bread category?

So What is the Food Industry Doing?

The author spends the rest of the report going on a political tirade against government agencies and the food industry to reduce its dependence on sodium chloride versus voluntary measures currently practiced (how about new marketing campaigns for products that have 2% less then the original but it looks like 50% less since we changed the serving size?). We won’t cover the argument or recommendations here but I applaud Mr. Jeffery on his efforts.

What can you do?

The food industry will continue to drag their collective feet until profit margins are threatened – that’s just the nature of the corporate world we live in.  So the more important question is, what can you do to reduce your sodium intake?

Eat more fresh foods
Most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Also, fresh meat is lower in sodium than cold-cuts (lunch meat), bacon, hot dogs, sausage and ham. Buy fresh and frozen poultry or meat that hasn’t been injected with a sodium-containing solution. Look on the label or ask your butcher.

Go for low sodium products
If you do buy processed foods on the rare occasion, select those that have reduced sodium. But check those servings sizes to the original or else you’ll end up paying more for the same sodium content.

Measure the salt
Don’t freestyle the salt requirements of your recipe like Nonna does! Dispersal of salt into an open hand is not exactly the best way to limit your intake. If it says a teaspoon make sure it’s a teaspoon and no more.

It’s only Ketchup?
Go easy on the burger toppings. Mass processed condiments are usually dripping with sodium. From salad dressings to BBQ sauces to dips to ketchup they all contain relatively high amounts of sodium.

Salty substitutes
Use herbs, spices and other flavorings to enhance foods. Learn how to use fresh or dried herbs, spices, zest from citrus fruit, and fruit juices to increase the taste of your meals.

Most of the programs we review do an adequate job of cationing you against high sodium foods. But I was especially impressed with the job Mike Geary does in his book Truth About Six Pack Abs talking about balanced healthy eating. Check out our review of Geary’s book and see what other important fat loss information you’re missing out on.