Regulating Salt? The Government Considers the Option

Sodium chloride, plain old table salt, has been the top health story for a few days. ¹ Americans consume way too much of it, and the government is considering stepping in to regulate how much sodium will go into the foods we buy.

Consuming too much salt raises blood pressure and contributes to heart disease. Health officials say that regulating sodium in foods will save lives, and health care dollars. The food industry says that people should have choices and that they have been voluntarily reducing the sodium in processed foods.

After my husband's recent heart attack our eating habits needed to change. His sodium is now limited to less than 2000 mg/ day. The average American consumes more than 4000 mg/ day of sodium, while the FDA recommends less than 2300. I found that other aspects of the diet (fat, cholesterol) were relatively easy to control. Dealing with the sodium has been surprisingly difficult.

Take a quick glance in your pantry. A can of green beans has 1155 mg of sodium. If you just went to check and saw something more like 330mg, please notice that at the top of the nutrition label it says that there are 3.5 servings in that can. Please! That's about 2 beans! A can of whole kernel corn is about the same with 1050 mg, again with a supposed 3.5 servings in a can.

Do you cook with cream of mushroom soup? One can of that has 2175 mg. Ditto for cream of chicken or cream of celery.

Check the chicken you buy at the grocery store. If the nutrition label has about 60 to 80 mg sodium per serving you are getting just chicken. More than that is due to the injection of flavor enhancers. Beware!

How about that lunch sandwich? Two slices of whole wheat, reduced calorie bread sounds healthy, right? About 130 mg for each slice. Add two slices of honey loaf sandwich meat, add 760 mg. Like cheese? Add another 220 mg per slice. A teaspoon of mustard, and a tablespoon of Miracle Whip spreads on another 190 mg. OK, your sandwich is up to 1430 mg of sodium, 62% of the recommended daily intake! And that is one part of one meal.

It is really impossible for a consumer who does not have time to cook nearly everything from scratch to prevent the sodium intake from creeping up to high levels, even if they are trying to eat healthy foods.

We have had to start making all our own bread, sauces, soups, and desserts from scratch. Vegetables must be purchased raw and cooked. We've done all of these things in varying levels of commitment over the years. But now it is a necessity. It takes a lot of time, and costs more money. By the way, we're eating very well. Do not assume that reducing salt makes eating boring.

People often ask why it is that poor people are fatter, and in worse health, than people who are better off. Part of the answer has to do with the type of foods that those on a limited budget can afford. If your time and/ or money is limited, would you rather buy a can of green beans on sale for $.79, heat and eat (2 minutes), or buy a pound of fresh beans for $1.49, wash, trim and cut them, and then cook them (20 minutes if you're really fast)?

This article is not intended to be a commentary on how much control the government should have over our lives. If I were to comment, I'd usually say that the government should stay out of my private diet choices. That said, it's pretty hard to make good choices and have a life at the same time.

Choices are good. We should all have the freedom to control our own eating patterns, whether good or bad for us. But it is a lot of work to choose a low sodium diet in the United States.

For sodium values in nearly every food item go to NutritionData.com

1. "Food and Drug Administration Takes Aim at Salt" ABC