By Britta Barrett | Posted March 11 2010
How often do you reach for the table salt? Do you pay attention to the sodium count on food labels — and if you do, how much is too much?
Most health institutes recommend that adults limit their sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,400 milligrams per day. Guess what…2,400 milligrams is just over one teaspoon of salt!
So even if you use the shaker sparingly, where’s all the salt coming from? The Mayo Clinic breaks down the sodium intake of the average US diet as follows:
5% is added while cooking
6% is added while eating
12% is from natural sources
77% is from processed and prepared foods
The overwhelming majority of salt lies in processed and pre-made provisions. Lesson learned? Eat fresh foods whenever you can.
The Dummies Guide to Salt Intake offers advice on buying low-sodium food and also lists which foods to avoid (hint: check the sodium count on the cottage cheese and spaghetti sauce in your fridge).
When you’re eating fresh foods, follow the old Brylcreem jingle: a little dab’ll do ya! Use herbs, spices and juices for flavor in place of salt.
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