Nutrition Label - Sodium: Information and Numbers

Let's talk about salt baby...

Nutrition labels have %DV (percent of your daily value, based on a 2,000 calorie diet) in ONE serving. So the first step is to look at how large the serving size is (on the box), and then decide how large your portion should be (how much you eat). If you eat two servings, go ahead and also double the calories, sodium, fat, etc.

100% of your daily sodium intake should be under 2400 mg per day - most Americans consume much more than that. The surprising thing is, the majority (~75%) of our daily intake of sodium does not come from salting our own food, but rather from packaged and restaurant foods. 

The fact that we need to moderate our sodium intake is pretty well known, but I don't think many people know about the numbers. I decided it was time to look a little deeper and get an idea of what numbers I should be looking for.

So here they are:

100% DV  =   2400 mg Sodium

Something low in sodium will have:         %5 DV or less                          120 mg

Something high in sodium will have:       %20 DV or more                       480 mg

Sometimes packaged food will have little stamps or labels making certain claims, here is what they mean:

"No Salt/Sodium”	0.2% DV or less	less than 5 mg
"Very Low Sodium"	1.46% DV or less	less than 35 mg
"Low Sodium"	5.83% DV or less	less than 140 mg

            for these next few, you would need to compare to the original product. It is not a "set" value, but rather a comparison of one product to the other.

"Reduced Sodium"	at least 25% less sodium than the original product, read labels
"Light in Sodium"  "Lightly salted"	at least 50% less than sodium than the original, read labels
"No Salt added" "Unsalted"	No salt added during the processing of the product, however, it does not mean that the product is salt free! You must check the label to see how much sodium is in the product.

Boom! Those are the numbers!

Now here are some more...

More than 40% of sodium intake comes from the following 10 types of foods, so limit your intake or check the labels to make sure you are getting the lowest amount of sodium possible.

• Breads and rolls
• Cold cuts and cured meats (such as deli or packaged ham or turkey)
• Pizza
• Fresh and processed poultry
• Soups
• Sandwiches (such as hot dogs, hamburgers and submarine sandwiches)
• Cheese (natural and processed)
• Mixed pasta dishes (such as lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, and pasta salad)
• Mixed meat dishes (such as meat loaf with tomato sauce, beef stew, and chili)
• Snacks (such as chips, pretzels, popcorn, and crackers)

Here are 10 tips the FDA recommends for regulating your sodium intake

Learning about the sodium in foods and new ways to prepare foods will help you to achieve your sodium goal.  And, if you follow these tips for reducing the amount of sodium you are consuming, your “taste” for salt will gradually decrease over time – so eventually, you may not even miss it!

1. Read the Nutrition Facts Label to see how much sodium is in the foods you are considering. All Americans should consume less than 100% of the Daily Value or less than 2400 mg of sodium each day. Check the label for lower sodium choices and compare sodium in different brands of foods — like frozen meals, packaged soups, breads, dressings/sauces, and snack foods — and choose those with lower sodium.
2. Prepare your own food when you can.  Don’t salt foods before or during cooking, and limit salt shaker use at the table.
3. Add Flavor Without Adding Sodium. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor to your foods. Try rosemary, oregano, basil, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ginger, fresh garlic or garlic powder (not garlic salt), black or red pepper, vinegar or lemon juice, and no-salt seasoning blends.
4. Get fresh when you can. Buy fresh or frozen (not processed) poultry, pork and lean meat rather than canned, smoked or processed meats like luncheon meats, sausages and corned beef. Fresh foods are generally lower in sodium.  Also, check the package on fresh meat and poultry to see if salt water or saline has been added.
5. Watch your veggies. Buy fresh, frozen (without sauce), or low sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables.
6. Give sodium the “rinse.” Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as tuna, vegetables, and beans before using. This removes some of the sodium.
7. Examine your dairy products. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese and fortified soy beverages (often called soymilk) in place of processed cheese products and spreads, which are higher in sodium.
8. “Unsalt” your snacks. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds, and snack products such as chips and pretzels, that are marked “low sodium” or “no-salt-added” – or have a carrot or celery stick instead.
9. Consider your condiments. Sodium in soy sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, and seasoning packets can add up. Choose lite or reduced sodium soy sauce and no-salt-added ketchup, add oil and vinegar to a salad rather than bottled salad dressings, and use only a small amount of seasoning from flavoring packets instead of the entire packet.
10. Speak up at restaurants. Ask to see the nutrition information in restaurants and choose a lower-sodium option. Ask for your meal to be prepared without salt and request that sauces and salad dressings be served “on the side,” then use less of them. You can also reduce your portion size – less food means less sodium! For example, ask the server to put half of your meal in a take out container before it comes to your table or split an entrée with a dinner companion.

        
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm315393.htm