One thing's clear: Most of us consume way too much salt. "And it’s not just in junk food," writes Carly Weeks in Saturday's Globe and Mail. "Even foods promoted as low in fat, sugar and calories and so part of a healthy diet (such as canned vegetables and beans, lean cold cuts, whole-grain breads, fat-free salad dressings and ready-made soups) contain far more sodium than most people suspect."
So, just how can you eat food that tastes good - and is convenient - without exceeding the daily limit?
Globe dietiatian Leslie Beck took your questions on how to control sodium in your diet.
For the past 20 years, she has helped thousands of individuals achieve their nutrition goals at her private practice in Toronto.
Ms. Beck writes Globe Life's weekly Food for Thought column and appears on CTV as Canada AM’s nutrition expert. Ms. Beck is the best-selling author of nine books on health and nutrition, most recently Heart Healthy Foods for Life (Penguin Canada 2009). Her web site is www.lesliebeck.com.
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Mike writes: I was wondering if there is any other agent that can be substituted for baking powder and baking soda. Whenever I make homemade pancakes or waffles, an awful lot of baking powder goes into the batter. It would be great to have a substitute that would allow the batter to rise without the sodium. Thanks for your help.
Leselie Beck: Baking powder and baking soda both are leavening agents, which means they help baked goods to rise. One teaspoon of baking sodium contains 1259 milligrams of sodium and one teaspoon of baking powder contains 488 milligrams of sodium. Keep in mind that the amount of sodium you consume must be divided by the number of servings your recipe yields. If you want to substitute baking powder for baking soda, you need three teaspoons for every teaspoon of baking powder. In other words, you are not reducing the sodium content.
Because these ingredients are necessary for the quality and texture of baked goods and quick breads, I would use twice the amount of baking powder as baking soda (add 2 teaspoons of baking powder if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda) and I would omit the salt the recipe calls for.
If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking powder, you can use 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus one-half of a teaspoon of cream of tartar.
Rosalind writes: When checking labels at the store I have a difficult time trying to decide if I should buy something with less fat and more sodium or vice versa. Example: 2% cottage cheese has a lower amount of sodium vs. 1% cottage cheese. Which would be the better choice?
Leslie Beck: That’s a good question since it is important to reduce both saturated and trans fat as well as sodium when eating for a healthy heart. Ideally, you want to choose foods that are low in both of saturated plus trans fat and sodium. If you have high blood pressure, choosing lower sodium foods will be a priority, especially when comparing tow foods that have only small differences in saturated fat. Foods with a percent daily value (%DV) of 5 percent or less are considered low in these nutrients.
One-half cup (125 ml) of 1% cottage cheese has 459 milligrams of sodium and 0.7 grams of saturated fat. The same amount of 2% cottage cheese has 373 milligrams of sodium and 1.1 grams of saturated fat. If sodium is your top priority, I would opt for 2% cottage cheese and limit your serving size to one-half cup. The difference in saturated fat isn’t enough to be concerned about.
At the end of the day, so to speak, what matters most is your overall intake of saturated fat and sodium – not necessarily the amount consumed in one food. When choosing foods, keep in mind your daily requirements: 1200 to 1500 milligrams of sodium (depending on age) and at most 20 grams of saturated plus trans fats, the two fats that raise LDL (bad) cholesterol.
