We have all heard that too much salt is bad for us and that we should scale back our intake, however, it is often unknown to the general public that the majority of our salt intake (80%) comes from hidden salt found in many common processed foods. Being aware of these foods and reading labels can help prevent your chance of having high blood pressure, which then can lead to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. For a healthy adult, the RDA for sodium is no more than 2,400 mg/day. Research has shown that even a 10% decrease in salt intake could save 6,000 lives a year. Here is a list of 25 surprisingly salty processed foods that you should watch out for.
- Kellogg’s Raisin Bran 350 mg/1 cup cereal
- Classico Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce 510 mg/½ cup
- Slim Jim Original Beef Jerky 500 mg/1 ounce
- Kellogg’s Eggo Buttermilk Pancakes 580 mg/ 3 pancakes
- MorningStar Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burger 700 mg/ 1 burger
- Heinz Ketchup 190 mg/1 tbsp
- Kraft Singles 277 mg/1 slice
- V8 Spicy Hot Vegetable Juice 480 mg/8 ounces
- Green Giant Canned Mushrooms 440 mg/ ½ cup
- Perdue Short Cute Carved Chicken Breast, Southwestern Style Cooked Chicken Strips 460 mg/½ cup
- Lender’s Whole Grain Plain Bagel 490 mg/ 1 bagel
- Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Italian Salad Dressing 440 mg/ 2 tbsp
- DiGiorno for One Pepperoni Thin Crispy Crust 1170 mg/ 1 pizza
- Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice 1,250 mg/1 cup
- Duncan Hines Moist Deluze Devil’s Food Cake 380 mg/ 1/12 cake
- Bertolli Mediterranean Style Shrimp and Penne Primavera 890 mg/ ½ package
- Campbell’s Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup 940 mg/ ½ cup
- Friendship 1% low-fat cottage cheese 360 mg/ ½ cup
- Otis Spunkmeyer Harvest Bran Muffin 420 mg/ 1 muffin
- Lean Cuisine Baja-Style Chicken Quesadilla 690 mg/ 1 meal
- Vlasic Kosher Dill Whole Pickles 880 mg/ 1 pickle
- Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup, Roast Chicken Flavor 790 mg/ ½ package
- Lunchables Ham and Swiss with Crackers 1130 mg/ 1 lunchable
- Birds Eye Asian Vegetables in Sesame Ginger Sauce 630 mg/ 1 cup
- Pepperidge Farm Pumpernickel Bread 190 mg/ 1 slice
25 Surprisingly Salty Processed Foods (2011). Health.com. Retrieved from: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20365078_1,00.html
