Sodium content

[tiggerlover]

What can you tell me about the sodium content of packaged foods? I know too much sodium is not good for you, but what is the "red flag" amount of sodium to look out for in packaged foods or maybe I should say what is a safe amount of sodium to look for, is there a recommended limit?

 

[Beastlover]

Great question!!! I was just thinking the same thing!! I make these snacks, with dill pickle, cream cheese, and buddig beef. I read the sodium content on the beef and about fainted!! It explains why I get bloated after eating them!
It would be great to know what the limit of sodium intake is?

 

[imgoingtodisney]

I thought it was 3000mg daily?
Some days much easier than others. I had to stop eating alot of packaged foods, hot dogs, etc.

 

[disneysteve]

For someone with no hypertension or known heart disease, a daily limit of 4000 mg is acceptable. If you have high BP or are at increased risk due to family history, smoking, obesity, diabetes, etc., then 2000 mg/day should be the goal.

Steve

 

[minniecarousel]

My DM had heart surgery 2 years ago, & I became a real label reader. I was shocked at how much sodium is in stuff like soup & pasta sauce. I buy as much low sodium and no salt canned & jarred things I can. I wince when we have something like a pre-marinated pork tenderloin - those are very high in sodium (as is ham, which she loves!)

 

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

After this surgery I too became one heck of a label reader! I also noticed that if it's labeled "low fat" it has a higher sodium content than regular food!
Amazing how much they put in things.

 

[tiggerlover]

Thanks for the information. Does anyone know what an acceptable per item limit is? By this I mean if I have a Lean Cuisine that has 650 mg of sodium, is this considered high?

 

[imgoingtodisney]

I would think so

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by tiggerlover
Thanks for the information. Does anyone know what an acceptable per item limit is? By this I mean if I have a Lean Cuisine that has 650 mg of sodium, is this considered high?

You really can't say that any one food has too much sodium since the recommended amount is a DAILY total. If you are shooting for 2000 mg/day, then each meal could theoretically be about 667 mg, so having that Lean Cuisine for lunch or dinner would be fine. But if you have a bowl of cereal, skim milk, and some fruit for breakfast, then you've got more of your allowance for the rest of the day. On the other hand, if for some reason you just had to have a bowl of Campbell's soup for lunch (about 1000 mg/serving), then you'd have to trim back at the other meals. As long as your total intake for the day is within range, it doesn't particularly matter how it is divided up.

As I always tell my patients, there are no bad foods, only bad diets. Anything can have a place in a healthy diet if done in moderation.

Steve