Feed Scarborough Presents: Sodium Knowledge 101!

Scroll Down for Survey: Participants will receive an additional 10 points to use at the Feed Scarborough Community Grocery Store!

Sodium is a mineral that occurs naturally in many of the foods we eat. Sodium chloride, or salt, is the most common type of sodium found in nature, and is the type of sodium we find in food. Most of our dietary sodium comes from the processing of the foods we eat.

Difference between table salt and sodium?

The words “table salt” and “sodium” are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. Table salt (also known by its chemical name, sodium chloride) is a crystal-like compound that is abundant in nature. On the other hand, sodium is a mineral, and one of the chemical elements found in salt.

What is the function of sodium within our daily diets?

Sodium is needed by our bodies, but only in small amounts. As an essential nutrient, sodium is needed by the body in relatively small amounts (provided that substantial sweating does not occur) to maintain a balance of body fluids, for transmitting nerve signals, and for helping our muscles contract and relax smoothly. 

However, consuming too much sodium can lead to health problems like stroke and heart disease.

Why You Should Avoid Sodium-Heavy Foods

Our kidneys regulate the amount of sodium in our bodies to maintain optimal health. Our kidneys retain sodium when the level in the body is low, while the kidneys eliminate it through urine when body sodium is high.

Taking in too much sodium can lead to it building up in your blood, which puts a strain on your heart and arteries. High sodium in your blood can result in fluid retention and high blood pressure, with the potential for chronic heart and kidney disease later on.

High blood pressure can also lead to stroke and heart failure. In addition, blood pressure generally rises as you get older, so limiting your sodium intake becomes even more important each year.

Recommended Daily Intake of Sodium

The recommended maximum intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams a day (equal to about 1 teaspoon of table salt).

Most of us eat about 3400 mg of sodium per day. This is more than double the amount of sodium we need. Eating less sodium can help you and your family stay healthy and feel your best.

Even though the daily maximum intake of sodium is 2,300 mg, we should aim to consume less than 1500 mg. 

Healthy Tip: Always check the back of food items for Nutrient Claims

You can always check for nutrient claims on food and beverage packages to quickly identify those that may contain less sodium. Here’s a guide to common claims and what they mean:

 

What It Says	What It Means
Salt/Sodium-Free	Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
Very Low Sodium	35 milligrams of sodium or less per serving
Low Sodium	140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving
Reduced Sodium	At least 25% less sodium than the regular product
Light in Sodium or Lightly Salted	At least 50% less sodium than the regular product
No-Salt-Added or Unsalted	No salt is added during processing but these products may not be salt/sodium-free unless stated

 

Look at the Label!

Use the Nutrition Facts label as your tool to make informed decisions!

• Know the Daily Value: The Daily Values are reference amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day. The Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. 
• Use % Daily Value (%DV) as a tool: The %DV is the percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of the food and shows how much of a nutrient contributes to a total daily diet. Use %DV to determine if a serving of the food is high or low in sodium and to compare and choose foods to get less than 100% DV of sodium each day. As a general guide: 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is considered low, and 20% DV or more of sodium per serving is considered high. 
• Pay attention to servings: The nutrition information listed on the Nutrition Facts label is usually based on one serving of the food. Tip: Check the serving size and the number of servings you eat or drink to determine how much sodium you are consuming.

      Top Healthy Dietary Sodium Food Tips

• When you cook, use ingredients that are low in sodium or have no sodium at all.
• Unsalted margarine and spreads (soft, tub, or liquid) with no trans fats and less saturated fats
• Choose vegetable oils (canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, or sunflower)
• Choose low-sodium or “no salt added” ketchup
• Choose Low-sodium salsa or veggie dips

      Seasonings 

      Try these seasonings instead of salt to flavour your food.

• Herbs, spices, or salt-free seasoning blends 
• Chopped vegetables, like garlic, onions, and peppers
• Lemon and lime juice
• Ginger

10 Easy Tips for Reducing Sodium Consumption 

Learning about sodium in foods and exploring new ways to prepare foods can help you achieve your sodium goal. By following these tips to reduce the amount of sodium you consume, your “taste” for sodium will gradually decrease over time, where eventually, you may not even miss it!

1. Read the Nutrition Facts label: Compare and choose foods to get less than 100% DV (less than 2,300 mg) of sodium each day.

2. Prepare your own food when you can: Limit packaged sauces, mixes, and “instant” products (including flavoured rice, instant noodles, and ready-made pasta).

3. Add flavour without adding sodium: Limit the amount of table salt you add to foods when cooking, baking, or at the table. Healthy Tip: Try no-salt seasoning blends and herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavour to your food. 

4. Choose Fresh: Choose fresh meat, poultry, and seafood, rather than processed varieties. Also, check the package on fresh meat and poultry to see if salt water or saline has been added.

5. Watch your veggies: Buy fresh, frozen (no sauce or seasoning), or low sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables and soup broths.

6. Give sodium the “rinse”: Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as beans, tuna, and vegetables before eating. This removes some of the sodium within the food.

7. “Unsalt” your snacks: Choose low sodium or no-salt-added nuts, seeds, and snack products (such as chips and pretzels) or have carrot or celery sticks instead with hummus.

8. Consider your condiments: Sodium in condiments can add up. Choose light or reduced sodium condiments, add oil and vinegar to salads rather than bottled dressings, and use only a small amount of seasoning from flavouring packets instead of the entire packet. 

9. Reduce your portion size: Less food means less sodium. Prepare smaller portions at home and consume less when eating on the go, choose smaller sizes, or split meals with family members.

10. Make lower-sodium choices at restaurants: Ask for your meal to be prepared without table salt and request that sauces and salad dressings be served “on the side” then use less of them. You can also ask if nutrition information is available and then choose options that are lower in sodium.

When preparing food at home, look for ways to reduce the salt you add to your cooking. Canada's Food Guide recommends preparing foods with little or no added salt. 

Limiting sodium doesn't mean cutting out flavour 

There are many ways to limit sodium when preparing meals. Below are some ideas for ways you can lower your sodium intake without losing any flavour. 

 

When Cooking

When a recipe calls for different types of types such as table salt, celery salt, garlic salt or any other type of salt:

• Use less of the salt than what the recipe calls for, except when baking. Gradually cut back the salt in your recipes to see if you can taste the difference. 
• Cut out the salt in recipes a little at a time until you can use the least amount possible while still enjoying the food.
• Flavour foods with fresh or dried herbs and spices, like basil, dill, lemongrass or oregano. Wash, chop and store fresh herbs in the freezer.
• Spice up your dishes! Flavour foods with spices like coriander, paprika, cumin or turmeric. Try different combinations of spices too.
• Use crushed garlic to add flavour with no added sodium. 
• Flavour foods with citrus fruit juices or citrus zests, or flavourful vinegars such as balsamic, red or white wine vinegars.
• If a recipe calls for adding salt to cooking water, don't add any.

  When a recipe calls for canned vegetables:

• Look for canned vegetables that are low in sodium.
• Rinse canned vegetables to wash away some of the sodium.
• Use fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned whenever possible.

 When a recipe calls for canned beans: 

• Use low sodium canned beans or try dried beans, peas and lentils.
• Rinse canned beans, peas, and lentils to wash away some of the sodium.

When a recipe calls for condiments or seasonings like soy sauce, ketchup, barbeque sauces and salsas:

• Use less soy sauce, ketchup, and other condiments, or try the lower sodium option.
• Prepare your own condiments and season with non-salt seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder or celery powder.
• Use less of the seasoning that comes with taco kits, packaged macaroni and cheese, pasta and rice mixes. 
• Check ingredient lists and Nutrition Facts tables. Look for products with a sodium content of less than 15% DV. Look for foods that contain less than 360 mg of sodium per serving. 

   When a recipe calls for broths, soups, bouillon cubes: 

• Prepare your own broth and season it with non-salt seasonings like fresh or dried herbs, onions, garlic powder, onion powder or celery powder.
• Choose low sodium, sodium-reduced or no added sodium varieties.

   When a recipe calls for prepared tomato sauce: 

• Make a home-made sauce using 1 can (156 ml) tomato paste and 1 1/3 cup (300 ml) water to make 2 cups (500 ml) of tomato sauce. Add flavour with garlic, onion, oregano, basil, carrots and celery. 

    When a recipe calls for salted butter or margarine:

• Use health oils, unsalted margarine or unsalted butter

     Best Low Sodium Foods examples include:

1. Dry Peas & Beans
2. Fruit and Vegetables
3. Yogurt
4. Unsalted Nuts & Seeds
5. Ancient Grains
6. Herbs & Spices 

 

7 Salty Myths Busted!

1. Eliminate sodium completely for good health:

Sodium is an essential nutrient that controls blood pressure and is needed to make nerves and muscles work properly, but you need the RIGHT AMOUNT.

2. Sea Salt has less sodium than table salt:

Sea salt has boomed in popularity, but it usually isn't any less salty. Just like table salt, it typically contains 40% sodium. 

 3. I usually don't SALT my FOOD, so I DON'T EAT too MUCH SODIUM: 

 More than 75% of sodium Canadians consume is estimated to come from processed foods, not the salt shaker. Making it much more important to compare NUTRITION FACTS labels and serving sizes. 

4. HIGH levels of SODIUM are FOUND only in FOOD: 

Some over-the-counter medications contain high levels of sodium. Make sure to carefully read drug labels, and remember that some companies produce low-sodium, over-the-counter products. 

5. LOWER SODIUM foods have NO TASTE:

There is a rich world of creative and flavourful alternatives to salt. 

Experiment with spices, herbs, and citrus to enhance the natural flavour of your food! 

6. My BLOOD PRESSURE is NORMAL, so I don't NEED to WORRY about how much SODIUM I eat:

Even though the daily maximum intake of sodium is 2,300 mg, we should aim to consume less than 1500 mg. 

By consuming less sodium it will significantly blunt the rise in blood pressure that occurs as we age and will also reduce the risk of developing other health conditions, such as kidney disease, largely associated with eating too much sodium. 

7. I don't EAT a lot of SALTY FOOD so I DON'T EAT too much SODIUM:

 Watch out for:

• Poultry
• Cheese
• Soup
• Deli Meats
• Bread
• Snack foods like pretzels, chips & popcorn. 

These foods can have excess sodium that can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. 

Take the survey below to receive an extra 10 points on your next grocery order!

Scarborough Food Security Initiative

2229 Kingston Road

Scarborough, ON M1N 1T8

For more information contact us at:

info@feedscarborough.ca

416-936-3975