Controlling Salt And Sodium |
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Do not eat a food that provides over 75 milligrams of sodium chloride, and eat no meal that provides over 200 milligrams. If you follow this rule your diet will contain less than 800 milligrams of sodium chloride and much less than 2,000 milligrams of salt daily. Some foods, such as milk, contain natural sodium. These foods are generally all right. Natural sodium still adds up, but it is not salt (sodium chloride), and the body tolerates it better.
The following Table summarizes the sodium content, potassium content, and K-factor of selected foods.
The Nutritional Cost of Food Processing
Note the effect that processing has on a food's K-factor. Beef is a good example. Most cuts provide about 44 milligrams of sodium and 311 milligrams of potassium; divide 311 by 44, and you get a K-factor of about 7. That is excellent! Now do the same for the "all beef " hot dog. Go down the list to corn. As you can see, fresh corn is great, but any processing lessens its value immediately.
Reading ingredients lists is the only way to avoid sodium in processed food. If salt appears in the list, the food should be avoided, even if the product name or other labeling implies that it is somehow low in salt.
Some processed foods. however, are naturally low in sodium, such as Shredded Wheat and pasta. At the bottom of the nutritional label of processed and packaged foods is a listing of the sodium and potassium content of each serving. Divide potassium by sodium to get the K-factor. Never eat a food that has a K-factor of less than 31 If the nutrition label doesn't have the sodium and potassium content, and you have the slightest doubt, avoid the product.
There are a number of salt-free ways you can spice up foods you prepare yourself. Excellent salt substitutes include Tabasco sauce, horseradish, Tone Brothers Perc seasonings, and Mrs. Dash seasonings.
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