5 Foods That Are Surprisingly High In Sodium

Pixabay

Sodium is a mineral that maintains fluid balance in the body and helps muscles and nerves work properly, but an excess in your diet can lead to complete bodily chaos. Consuming sodium naturally rather than through additives is crucial for a healthy diet. Cutting out culprits like potato chips and bacon are obvious, but these surprisingly high-sodium foods could trip you up.

Here are five foods not to go overboard with for a healthy, low-sodium diet:

1. Cottage Cheese

Pixabay

Cottage cheese is known as a good source of calcium and protein, but you probably didn’t know that a one-cup serving packs in almost 1,000 mg of sodium. That’s about 40 percent of your daily intake. Yikes. Look for low-sodium or no-salt-added cottage cheese, or swap it out for Greek yogurt as an alternative.

2. Cereal (Even The “Healthy” Ones)

Yvens Banatte/Unsplash

Yes, it’s true. Even your “heart-healthy” bran flakes can have 180 to 300 mg of sodium per suggested serving, which is over 10 percent of what the average person needs daily. Keep your serving size reasonable or try homemade oatmeal or granola with berries instead.

3. “Reduced Sodium” Foods

Pixabay

This one may surprise you. You’d expect reduced-sodium foods (think certain soups and frozen foods) to be low in sodium, but that’s often not the case. It’s all relative to regular forms of the food. For example, if there’s 1,000 mg of sodium in a standard frozen meal, the reduced-sodium version might be slashed by 25 percent, but still contain 750 mg. That’s high AF. The bottom line: “reduced sodium” isn’t the same thing as “low sodium.” Read the nutrition facts carefully.

4. Pre-Made Veggie Burgers

Pixabay

We love ’em and we know our vegan readers do too, but just like any other pre-packaged food, they come with additives and processed ingredients. Many veggie burgers have up to 500 mg of sodium per burger. That’s 22 percent of the recommended daily intake. Plus, there’s the bun and condiments to factor in. You’re better off making your own at home the next time a craving hits.

5. Chicken Breast

Howard Holley

That’s right — you can’t even trust certain meat. Raw chicken breasts are injected with a high-sodium solution to enhance their taste. To avoid extra sodium intake, look for a “non-enhanced” label, which confirms that the breasts haven’t been treated with sodium solution.