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S odium (Salt)Sodium, commonly referred to as salt, is a mineralthat our bodies need to maintain a normal fluidbalance. But eating too much sodium can cause highblood pressure, stroke, and heart and kidney disease.Healthy children only need 1000 to 1500 milligrams(mg) of sodium per day, and healthy adults requireabout 1500 mg. However, most of us eat about3400 mg on a daily basis – more than double theamount of sodium we need!Small amounts of sodium are found naturally infoods like milk, fresh meats, fruits and vegetables.But over 75% of the sodium we eat comes fromprocessed, packaged, and ready-to-eat foods. Someof the most common culprits are:• Canned or packaged items: soups, stocks, cereal,baked beans, vegetables, vegetable juices• Convenience items: seasoned pasta and ricemixes, stews, spaghetti sauce, seasoning mixes,frozen dinners, muffins• Jarred foods preserved in salt: pickles, relishes,olives, sauerkraut• Condiments and sauces: ketchup, mustard, relish,soy sauce, teriyaki sauceTo reduce the amount of sodium inyour diet, limit your intake of thefoods listed above. Also try thesetips:• Buy unsalted and lower sodium foods wheneverpossible. Look for words such as “sodium-free,”“low sodium” or “no added salt” on the package.• Read the Nutrition Facts label. Use the % DailyValue (%DV) to see if the food has a little or a lotof sodium. 5% DV or less is a little, and 15% DVor more is a lot.• Know the hidden ingredients. If any of the wordsbelow are one of the first five ingredients on thelabel, you may want to look for a lower sodiumoption: salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG),brine, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), bakingpowder, soy sauce• Rinse canned vegetables under water beforeeating them.• Season your food without salt. Instead of usingsalt, flavour foods with herbs and spices.• Processed meats: salt-cured ham, bacon, hotdogs, sausages, cold cuts, smoked meats• Cheese: processed cheese, cheese spreads• Salted snack foods: chips, pretzels, crackers,popcorn, trail mix, nuts• Restaurant and fast foodSources: eatrightontario.cahealthycanadians.gc.ca28