The 10 Sodium-Rich Foods You Need to Know!

Sodium-rich foods you need to know to benefit from. Also, a strange title, isn’t it? Why would anyone want to write about one of the most despised minerals on the planet? And why should you, reader, bother to read? Because there’s a lot more sodium than what we’re told. And in this post, we look a lot more. Read on to know which foods are high in sodium .

What is sodium? why is it essential?

Sodium is essential . Health marketing companies (some of them, we mean) have shunned sodium and tarnished their image. But guess what? Like other minerals, it is also one. It is classified as an electrolyte as it carries an electrical charge.

And this is essential. It works with other electrolytic minerals like Potassium and Calcium and Magnesium to balance the water levels in your cells. It even stimulates nerve impulses and plays a role in muscle contractions.

It regulates blood volume and blood pressure, thus improving the health of your heart. We mean that sodium is important. And oh, by the way, what foods are high in sodium ?

What are foods high in sodium?

Here is the list of foods high in sodium :

• Table salt.
• Salami.
• Pickles .
• Soy sauce.
• Processed cheese.
• Ham.
• Dried meat.
• Aipo _
• Olives.
• Chard .

1. Table Salt:

• Serving Size – 292 grams.
• Sodium – 1,13,174 milligrams.
• Daily value – 4716%.

As the values ​​show, table salt is excessively high in sodium . You can add a dash to your dishes for taste. But if you’re perfectly healthy, don’t totally avoid table salt. As we say, sodium is important for health.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• Add a dash of it to your dishes.

2. Salami:

• Serving Size – 113 grams.
• Sodium – 2,554 milligrams.
• Daily Value – 106%.

This is how much a packet of sodium (or 4 oz) of dry or hard pork salami contains. Salami also contains decent amounts of Iron and Vitamin B12 – which protect the immune system and boost brain health.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• You can use it in your breakfast sandwich.

3. Pickles:

• Serving Size – 143 grams.
• Sodium – 1,251 milligrams.
• Daily Value – 52%.

Since Pickles  are made through the fermentation process, they contain a good amount of probiotics. These probiotics can improve gut health. And whether they are fruit or vegetable pickles , you also have an added antioxidant perk.

How to Include in Your Diet:

Adding Sliced  ​​Pickles to a Peanut  Butter Sandwich for breakfast can be a good start to your day.

4. Soy Sauce:

• Portion – 18 grams.
• Sodium – 1,006 milligrams.
• Daily Value – 42%.

A 2005 study found that soy sauce has anti-allergic properties. The sauce holds great promise in treating allergies, although more research is needed. The sauce is also rich in shoyuflavones, which are natural antioxidants.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• You can use soy sauce as a seasoning while sautéing the vegetables.

5. Processed Cheese:

• Serving Size – 232 grams.
• Sodium – 745 milligrams.
• Daily value – 31%.

While it is a good source of sodium , we advise you to stay away from processed cheese. Contains food coloring and other emulsifiers that can harm your health.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• You can opt for cheese options that would have undergone less processing. Some of the healthier alternatives include ricotta or cottage cheese. Just add cheese to your breakfast. Or add the slices to a salad.

6. Ham:

• Serving Size – 56 grams
• Sodium – 730 milligrams
• Daily value – 30%

Like most meat foods, ham also contains a healthy amount of protein and iron . It also contains decent levels of Zinc , an important mineral for the immune system.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• Opt for lean ham may be a better option. You can use this ham to make a protein-rich sandwich. Or even cut it into pieces and add it to your breakfast omelet.

7. Beef:

• Serving Size – 20 grams
• Sodium – 443 milligrams
• Daily value – 18%

It is often called healthy junk food. It is high in protein and the best part is that it does not increase insulin levels. But it’s best to check for chemical-free brands, as some others are loaded with preservatives and aren’t worth your money.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• Just grate beef jerky over a fresh salad.

8. Aipo:

• Serving Size – 110 grams
• Sodium – 88 milligrams
• Daily value – 4%

This is probably the healthiest on the list. The vegetable is a commendable source of antioxidants and other beneficial enzymes. It also contains Vitamin C and Vitamin K  and potent minerals like Potassium  and Folate .

How to Include in Your Diet:

• Celery is mostly water, so raw celery works well . You can also add it to your salad every day.

9. Olives:

• Serving Size – 8 grams
• Sodium – 72 milligrams
• Daily value – 3%

Olives are full of antioxidants, the importance of which we cannot speak highly enough. There are other compounds in olives that reduce bad cholesterol and even prevent bone disease.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• You can add olives to your breakfast omelet.

10. Swiss Chard:

• Serving Size – 36 grams
• Sodium – 77 milligrams
• Daily value – 3%

Another vegetable on the list. And it’s super rich in Vitamin K – needed for strong bones. It also contains good amounts of Vitamin A , which is important for skin and vision health.

How to Include in Your Diet:

• Add the veggie to your salad.

Well, you’ve seen foods high in sodium . But wait – do you think you’re getting enough sodium ?

Are you consuming enough sodium?

We lose some sodium every day through sweat. But our diet makes up for it. If your sodium levels are excessively low, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Headache .
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Confusion.
• Muscle cramps.
• Irritability.
• Weakness and fatigue.

How do you make sure you’re getting enough sodium ? By adhering to the RDA of sodium.

What is the recommended daily allowance of sodium?

It’s 2300 milligrams or less. That is equal to just about a teaspoon of salt. That’s it. And it’s nearly impossible not to get that amount of sodium in a day.

Certain groups of people, especially those with heart disease, need to reduce their sodium intake to 1500 milligrams or less per day.

Sodium is important . But by no means are we advocating a high sodium intake. We assume that you are already getting enough sodium in your diet (like most people). So it’s important that you look at the other end of the spectrum.

How to lower your sodium intake?

The following are some of the ways you can reduce your sodium intake :

• Choose fresh fruits and vegetables over processed foods as an evening snack.
• Use fresh meat instead of packaged ones.
• Select seasonings or spices that do not list sodium as one of their ingredients.
• Compare the labels of various brands of the same food and choose the one with the lowest sodium levels .

Do your research before dining out. Visit the restaurant’s website and check the amount of sodium in each dish (if the information is available). You can then order the one with the least sodium when you go to the restaurant.

Also, avoid foods high in sodium . What are they?

What are high sodium foods to avoid?

The following is a list of some of the highest sodium foods you can avoid to check your sodium levels :

• Smoked or cured or canned meat, fish or cold cuts
• salted nuts
• Canned beans with extra salt
• Frozen breaded meats and dinners such as pizza and burritos
• buttermilk
• Processed cheese and sauces
• Breads and rolls with savory tops
• crackers
• Pre-packaged and processed potato, pasta, rice and stuffing mixes
• Vegetables made with ham, bacon or even salt pork
• Commercially prepared pasta and tomato and parsley sauce
• regular canned soup
• Cup of noodles and spiced ramen mixes
• Seasoned salt and other sauces and marinades
• Margarine or salted butter
• Instant pudding or cake
• Ketchup
• bottled salad dressings

We urge you to avoid all of these because too much sodium can cause serious problems. Yes, sodium is vital. But never in excess.

Dangers of too much sodium include:

High blood pressure. Excess sodium contains excess fluid in the body, and this puts a strain on the heart. This eventually leads to heart attacks .
As per research, higher sodium intake can also cause stomach cancer.

Osteoporosis is another disease caused by excess sodium intake. The amount of calcium  your body loses through urination increases with the amount of sodium you consume.
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Which foods contain the least sodium?

Instead, you can replace the aforementioned high- sodium foods with one of these:

• Fish or seafood.
• Nuts and seeds without salt.
• egg n.
• Chicken or turkey breast (skinless).
• Peas and dried beans.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Lentils and Oats .