Breads and rolls. As noted above, this category tops the list not because bread is especially salty (a slice contains about 100 to 200 mg of sodium) but because we eat so much of it. Smart swaps: Instead of toast or a bagel for breakfast, have a bowl of oatmeal prepared with just a pinch of salt.
Salt is an essential ingredient in bread. It contributes to the taste and it controls fermentation, a key part of the bread making process.
Sprouted-Grain Bread
It tends to be lower in sodium, and it usually doesn't have added sugar. A 2021 review in Food Science & Nutrition suggests that sprouting grains increases available nutrition in them, including certain vitamins and minerals, and increases their antioxidant properties.
"A whole grain bread might have a little more salt, but it's also good to get whole grains," Carson said. There's no hard number, but if you know your daily limit is, say, no more than 2200 milligrams, you would want a bread with less than 200 milligrams of sodium per two slices.
Whole wheat bread
Unfortunately, sodium is finding its way into a lot of whole wheat bread brands in amounts that average 240 to 400 mg per slice. If your serving usually contains two slices, the sodium can add up quickly.
You can lower your sodium intake more by choosing unsalted butter and using low-sodium baking powder or low-sodium baking soda when making biscuits or muffins at home. You can find these at most health food stores, online, or in some grocery stores.
The sodium in milk is naturally-occurring and is present in small amounts. One cup of milk (250 ml) contains approximately 120 mg of sodium. This is less than 5% of the daily value for sodium (%DV).
Tip. Toasting bread doesn't change its nutritional value, but it may decrease the glycemic index.
All varieties of rice contain little or no sodium — between 0 and 5 milligrams of sodium per cup — when prepared without added table salt.
Plain pasta is not high in sodium, but filled varieties can be. For those with high blood pressure or at risk of heart disease, reducing sodium intake is important: do read the nutrition information panel.
Eggs and omelets are the tenth leading source of sodium.
Bananas, rich in potassium and fiber and low in sodium, are an important component of heart-healthy diets like DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) that aims for about 4,700 mg dietary potassium daily.
Buy fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables with no salt or sauce added. Choose packaged foods labeled “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added” when available. Compare the amount of sodium in different products by reading Nutrition Facts labels. Choose the options with the lowest amounts of sodium.
But you need to choose your seafood wisely, since options like shellfish and canned tuna fish are high in salt. Five ounces of canned tuna has more than 300 mg of sodium, and 3 ounces of frozen shrimp can have more than 400 mg. Better seafood choices include fresh tuna, salmon, halibut, and haddock.
Whole-grain bread, Ezekiel bread, and rye bread are among the most healthful options. Bread made from whole or sprouted grains contains essential nutrients, including protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Others, such as processed white bread, contain very few nutrients.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet both recommend including whole grains as part of a healthy diet. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adults should eat about 3 ounces of whole grains a day, or the equivalent of three slices of whole-wheat bread.
You can add lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar to salty food to help neutralize the saltiness. A tomato product, such as tomato sauce or tomato paste, will also work since tomatoes are acidic.
Incorporate foods with potassium like sweet potatoes, potatoes, greens, tomatoes and lower-sodium tomato sauce, white beans, kidney beans, nonfat yogurt, oranges, bananas and cantaloupe. Potassium helps counter the effects of sodium and may help lower your blood pressure.
As mentioned previously, one possible substitute for sodium chloride is potassium chloride, as it has similar antimicrobial effects and function.