Avoiding the salt shaker doesn’t mean you won’t be having sodium, for instance, there may be hidden sodium in your diet.

The recommended consumption of sodium should be less than 2,000mg, according to the World Health Organization. Consuming more than what is recommended, according to numerous observational cohort studies, is associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, or coronary heart disease.

Sodium is an essential mineral for our body that can be found naturally in some foods we may consume. It is also a chemical component of table salt.

Sodium is found naturally in a variety of foods, such as milk, meat, and shellfish. It is often found in high amounts in processed foods such as bread, crackers, processed meats, snack foods, soy and fish sauces.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, we have to limit the sodium we consume daily, especially for those who have high blood pressure.

Generally, people with high blood pressure should get between 1,500mg and 2,400mg of sodium per day.

Avoiding the salt shaker doesn’t really mean you will be avoiding high sodium intake.

The high content of sodium may be hidden in the meal we consumed. The reason for saying that is based on a shocking experience I had.

The experience I had occurred when I had to prepare a meal from the DASH( Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) plan in one of my diet and assessment classes as if I’m conducting hypertension(someone with high blood pressure) nutrition therapy for a patient.

This diet will help lower high blood pressure because it cuts back on the amount of sodium that we get from food and drink.

The meal I chose was steam fish with steamed vegetables. I added one teaspoon of salt (sodium chloride) which is 2,400mg. To my surprise, after conducting a nutrient check, I found out the meal had exceeded the recommended amount.

The other items of this recipe had hidden sodium content such as vegetables and fish. So I had to decrease the amount to 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

In general, foods with more than 300mg sodium per serving may not fit your meal plan. You can find out how much sodium is in the food by reading the food label. Remember the amount listed is for one serving, which may be more or less than you eat.

For example, in the past, when I didn’t know better, I ate a pack of processed biscuits in one go, the label would have 150mg per serving and the pack consisted of 4 servings.

I ended up eating 600mg instead of 150mg because I thought the whole pack was one serving. All I needed was one serving. There are helpful tips provided below to ensure the appropriate consumption of sodium.

Tips for cutting back on Sodium

• Remember, do not salt food at the table
• 
  Add very little when cooking.
• 
  Choose carefully when you eat away from home because restaurant foods can be very high in sodium.
• Let the person taking your order know that you are looking for low-salt or no-salt choices. Do not worry, many restaurants have special menus or will make food with less salt.
• 
  To check how much  sodium is in your food, kindly visit for free at  the USDA database website
• Remember to read the labels on the food items when shopping.

   

  The information provided below can be used for an approximate comparison of food groups. 

  Approximate amount of sodium content in various food groups

  Below are food group’s sodium content amount measured in mg per 100 g

  Table salt, baking soda, baking powder 38,000mg/100g

  Bouillon cubes, powdered broths, soups, gravies 20,000mg/100g

  Soy sauce 7,000mg/100g

  Sauces and spreads 1,200mg/100g

  Snack foods (e.g. pretzels, cheese puffs, popcorn) 1,500mg/100g

  Bacon 1,500mg/100g 

  Cheese, hard 800mg/100g

  Cheese, soft 400mg/100g 

  Processed vegetables 600mg/100g

   

  Vegetables, fresh or frozen 10mg/100g

  Butter/margarine 500 mg/100g

  Processed fish 400 mg/100g

  Fish, raw or frozen 100 mg/100g

  Cereals and cereal products (e.g. bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, cakes, pastries) 250mg/100g

  Eggs 80mg/100g

  Milk and cream 50 mg/100g

  Fruits, fresh or frozen 5mg/100g