Salt Sources That May Surprise You
By Sara Butler
Your body needs salt in order to stay healthy and balanced, but it can be easy to get more salt in your diet than you should. Salt is in nearly everything you can buy at the store, and it’s even in some things you may have never suspected. Here are a few of the most surprising sources of salt that might be sneaking their way onto your plate.
Bread
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have determined the leading source of dietary sodium in the United States is bread. Yes, bread! A one ounce serving of bread has between 100 and 200 milligrams of sodium. The fact that bread has sodium in it isn’t really the problem, it’s how much bread you eat and the fact you may not suspect bread of containing so much salt!
Deli Meat
The meat you can buy in your local deli, even lean meats such as turkey, are loaded with salt. Salt is often added to these meats as they are cured to preserve them, add flavor and even make them look better and stay an appetizing color so you’ll buy them. This is why it’s very important when you buy these products to go with the lower sodium version if it’s available.
Pizza
This one is a real bummer, but it’s true. Your beloved pizza is loaded with sodium. One slice of pizza can have as much as 875 milligrams of sodium. This can vary depending on the kind of pizza you’re eating as well as the toppings involved. If you don’t want to give up pizza but still want to keep an eye on your sodium intake you should make it yourself at home using low sodium ingredients. And try to keep it simple, avoiding stuffed crust pizzas and opting for fresh vegetables as toppings.
Soup
Many people view soup as a healthy alternative, and while many kinds of soup – especially broth-based ones – are lower in calories, they can be very high in sodium. Canned soups can contain up to 1,900 milligrams of sodium in one can, and nearly 1,000 milligrams in just one serving. Make sure when buying canned soups you read the labels and if you can, buy low sodium versions. Or, better yet, make your own soup at home.
Keep in mind adults should only be getting about 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, less if you have a health condition such as high blood pressure. So, read your labels carefully for salt sneaking in where you least expect it!