6 Everyday Foods With More Sodium Than French Fries
French fries are notoriously high in sodium—let’s face it, that’s partly why they taste so good. As an occasional treat it shouldn’t pose too much risk, but too much sodium can lead to health issues such as hypertension and in the short term, bloating and excessive thirst. According to the FDA, the Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. A small serving of Jack In the Box fries contains 610 mg sodium, but believe it or not, most dietary sodium (over 70%) comes from eating packaged and prepared foods—not from table salt added to food when cooking or eating: Here are six foods with more sodium than a serving of French fries.
Subway Chicken Salad
A Buffalo Chicken (with Grilled Chicken) Salad from Subway contains 1180 mg of sodium. A Grilled Chicken Salad is more reasonable at 280 mg, and the Veggie Delight has just 75 mg. The Pizza Sub Wrap has a whopping 2290 mg of sodium, just under an entire day’s recommended amount.
Canned Soup
A typical can of soup may contain far more sodium than customers expect. “On average, canned soups contain 700-800mg of sodium per serving,” says Samantha Oldman, MS, a bariatric surgery dietitian with Hartford HealthCare’s Digestive Health Institute. “But keep in mind, there are typically two servings per can. That means if you’re eating one can of soup, you’re likely taking in 1400-1600mg of sodium. That’s as much as 70% of the recommended daily sodium limit.”
Lunch Meats
Lunch meats can be loaded with sodium, experts warn. “Fresh beef, pork, poultry and seafood is generally very low in sodium, but lunch meats can have 400 mg or more per slice and even frozen meats are often soaked in a salt brine to retain moisture through the freezing process,” according to Gundersen Health.
Supermarket Bread
That humble slice of supermarket bread is probably packed with sodium. “On average, there’s 100-200mg of sodium per slice of bread,” Oldman says. “That means that just the bread from one sandwich can account for anywhere from 8-18% of your average daily recommended sodium intake.”
Cheese
Certain cheeses are very high in salt. “A key ingredient in cheese is salt, which acts as a preservative and removes excess water to create a firmer texture. Just one ounce of feta cheese has 320mg of sodium and pasteurized, processed cheeses can have 425mg or more per ounce,” according to experts at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.
Salad Dressing
Salad dressing—especially low-fat ones—are notorious for having high amounts of sodium. “The tricky thing about dressing is when you see an option labeled ‘light’ or ‘low-fat,’ they’re often higher in either sodium or sugar to make up for it,” Oldman says. “Most regular salad dressings contain 200-400mg of sodium per 2-tablespoon serving, but many of us use more than that.”