The Hidden Salt in Your Diet

(RxWiki News) The salt shaker isn’t the only way you’re getting a lot of sodium in your diet.

As it turns out, many foods contain sodium. And the amount of sodium in some of these foods can be surprisingly high.

Why does that matter? Because too much sodium in your diet may lead to increased blood pressure. And high blood pressure is linked to a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and other serious health conditions.

The good news is that salt is a variable in your diet that you can control. You just have to know which foods contain the most sodium and avoid them — and go easy on the salt shaker, of course.

Below, we discuss some of the foods with the most hidden sodium.

1. Sandwiches

Even if you don’t add any salt to your sandwich, it may contain way too much sodium. That’s because of the individual ingredients in the typical sandwich, most of which are high in sodium. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a single sandwich can easily pack more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium — the daily suggested sodium limit for adults from the American Heart Association.

2. Canned Soup

If you were thinking about doing a soup and sandwich lunch, you may want to think again if you’re trying to lower your sodium intake. A single cup of canned chicken noodle soup can contain as much as 940 mg of sodium.

3. Pizza

For many, it’s hard to imagine eating just one slice of pizza. But even if you manage to limit your pizza intake to a single slice, you may still ingest as much as 760 mg of sodium.

4. Chicken and Other Poultry

All-natural chicken by itself isn’t going to be too packed with sodium, but when you get into processed chicken territory, you’re looking at a salty situation. According to the Cleveland Clinic, just 3 ounces of chicken nuggets can contain 600 mg of sodium.

5. Cold Cuts

Cured meats and cold cuts like turkey, bologna, salami, roast beef and pastrami can come with a ton of salt. For example, two slices of bologna can contain 578 mg of sodium.

6. Bread

This is one you might not expect: Bread can be a big-time offender when it comes to sodium. Bread, rolls and similar food items can pack as much as 230 mg of sodium per piece.

Talk to your health care provider before making any major changes in your diet.