The average Canadian eats on average 2760mg of sodium a day according to Health Canada.1 How much should we eat? The goal that is set before us is no more than 2300mg or roughly a teaspoon of salt day.
But why should we care about sodium or salt intake? What does it do to our health?
Salt has an important role in our body it, it helps keep out blood pressure stable and has a role in nerve and muscle function. However, when we eat too much salt it can increase our risk for heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease, primarily by raising blood pressure. This risk increases when we eat more than 5000mg a day of salt or 2000mg of sodium. The best way to know if this is a concern for you, is to get your blood pressure checked regularly, either at your doctor's office or many pharmacy's have machines as well.
So how do you know if your salt intake is too high? Take a look at the labels on the foods you regularly eat. The amount of sodium is shown on the label and the % is based on 2300mg, so you can tell if it has a lot of salt or not. The foods to look at closely are any frozen meals, frozen meats (like breaded chicken strips), canned soup, canned vegetables, deli meat, cheese, condiments and bread. By looking at these items, you should have a good idea if your diet is high in salt or not.
Another place to consider is if you eat out a lot. Restaurant food is often really high in salt. If you eat out on a regular basis, it would be a good idea to look up the nutritional information (if available) for the restaurant and choose lower salt items more often.
So salt isn't our foe if we use it in moderation. What are your tips for keeping salt in it's place?
Reference: 1. Health Canada. (2018) Sodium Intake of Canadians in 2017 Accessed April 2, 2019: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/food-nutrition/sodium-intake-canadians-2017.html
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