Top Sources of Salt in Your Food

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the top 10 sources of sodium in the American diet. It is already stated that nearly 90% of all Americans eat too much salt, which increase chances of developing hypertension leading to heart disease and stroke. The average daily sodium intake was 3,266 mg a day for an American which is far exceeding the government’s recommendation of 2,300 mg.

Overall the study found 10 foods that make up 44% of all the sodium we eat.

  1. Bread and rolls, 7.4%
  2. Cold cuts/cured meats, 5.1%
  3. Pizza, 4.9%
  4. Fresh and processed poultry, 4.5%
  5. Soups, 4.3%
  6. Sandwiches like cheeseburgers, 4%
  7. Cheese, 3.8%
  8. Pasta dishes like spaghetti with meat sauce, 3.3%
  9. Meat dishes like meatloaf with tomato sauce, 3.2%
  10. Snacks, including chips, pretzels, popcorn and puffs, 3.1%

It might seem odd that snacks like popcorn and chips are listed as #10 and bread and rolls are listed #1, it is because the study accounted how often Americans would eat these type of food. It is surveyed that Americans are more likely to eat bread and rolls in their daily diet bringing them to the number one spot. It does not necessary mean that bread and rolls have more sodium than the rest. Another interesting fact was that 75% of all the sodium we consume a day comes from food that we don’t make at home.  Think about that the next time you’re eating out!

The survey was based on food surveys answered by 7227 Americans which included 2,500 children and teens.

Read the original article here—courtesy of Times Healthland

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