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Thinking you know what’s in your lunch? Think again. Even if the low-sodium ham doesn’t have any cheese on top, biting into a thick slice of deli meat may mean you are eating lot of sodium. It isn’t always the food that’s the problem, but what it takes up in your day’s allowance before you’ve … Read more

Maybe you’re staring at an open bagel and wondering whether you should spread on some cream cheese. Maybe you didn’t realize how much sodium was in each scoop. That’s part of the problem: It’s not just the cream cheese, but also the thickness and portion size. If you only use a thin smear, it’ll feel … Read more

You make a stir fry, and think you’ve added maybe a small pinch of flavor to the dish by pouring in two tablespoons of soy sauce. Except, those two tablespoons holds almost 1800 milligrams of sodium. That is almost eighty percent of what’s recommended for most adult diet in a single day. And before you … Read more

If you think that a simple baked russet potato doesn’t have any sodium, well…you’d be wrong, though impressively so. Naturaly, there’s some sodium in this potato… Thirteen milligrams in a medium potato. Not much for something you consume every day. And where’s the risk? The risk is in the potato, or rather, in what is … Read more

Take shrimp. You pick up a seemingly innocent bag of seafood. It is pink and curled, encased in a plastic wrapper, and has nutritional label on one side. Your evening meal is secure. Next, however, you check out the back of the package. Some shocking numbers jump off the label: sodium. How much of that … Read more

When you fry bacon, odds is good you simply do so until it seems ready, a chewy center, maybe some crispy edges. As the grease bubbles in the skillet, I doubt anyone ever thinks of the sodium content. Bacon’s an indulgence; why bother with math? For most of us, sure, no worries. But for someone … Read more

When you grab a stick of butter, I bet you don’t consider the sodium content. Sure, you’re thinking: cream color, rich flavor. But not: invisible sprinkling of salt crystals throughout this fat. That salt is there, though, and if you’re generous with the spread across your breakfast toast, or baking big batches, that sneaky sodium … Read more

There’s a package of pork chops you spot; it’s got all the makings: thick-cut chops, nice marbling, and they’re priced just right. You head home and give ’em a healthy dose of whatever you think is a modest pinch of salt. Maybe add a little soy marinade for some flavor before throwing them on the … Read more

Don’t take it for granted that one teaspoon of salt equals another teaspoon of salt. When packed tightly into a spoon, salt crystals forms dense solids. But the flaky, airy structures of kosher or other coarse grained salts contain huge gaps between each crystal, trapping a lot of air. So while six grams may be … Read more

Make lean burgers. Make light tacos. Buy a pound of ground beef. Season it lightly with salt and pepper. It taste good. But there is likely a lot more sodium on that plate then you think. Why? Because fresh beef contain little sodium, most of it comes from whatever you add. And cooking it change … Read more