Digital Issues
Want a positive impact on your health? Watch your salt intake by simply reading the labels more carefully.
Why do we need to read labels? Two products might look very similar but have a very different nutrition profile.
Way back in 2011 we looked at five sets of similar products that had very different sodium contents. Don’t assume they will look the same today. Check the nutrition information.
| Instead of | Choose | |
|---|---|---|
| Wattie’s or Leggo tomato purée 215mg per 1/4 cup |
Delmaine Italian Tomato Puree 77mg per 1/4 cup |
64% less |
| Sealord pink salmon 398mg per 85g serve |
Sealord No Added Salt Salmon 293mg per 85g serve |
26% less |
| Campbell’s Real Chicken Stock (standard) 1118mg per cup |
Campbell’s Real Chicken Stock – Salt Reduced 625mg per cup |
44% less |
| Standard feta cheese 480mg per 40g serve |
Ornelle Chèvre Salade goat’s milk feta cheese 220mg per 40g serve |
54% less |
| MacKenzie High Country Bread Station Seed & Grain 525mg per 100g |
Molenberg Balance bread 400mg per 100g |
24% less |
Total for all five swaps
WAS 2736mg, NOW 1615mg
SAVE 1121mg sodium (41% less)
In context
If you have high blood pressure, reducing your sodium intake can help. Around 80 per cent of our intake is from processed foods, so learn to read the labels and compare products. Higher intakes of sodium are strongly linked to higher blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. We are advised to have no more than 2000mg sodium each day, but less than that is better for our health.
www.healthyfood.com
