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Denny's Sued For High Sodium Foods

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:00:01 -0700

We all know that many fast food chain's menu items are high in the sodium department. Armed with this knowledge, we just avoid eating at these places. Although a New Jersey resident doesn't think it's right, and is taking action against one popular chain, Denny's. Together Nick DeBenedetto and the Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a lawsuit, claiming that many of this restaurant's meals "are dangerously high in sodium."

Just how high? To find out read more.

The RDI of sodium per day is 2,300 milligrams, but if you're hitting up Denny's for lunch, a Grilled Chicken Sandwich will run you 2,070 mg, and a Double Cheeseburger has 3,880 mg - that's just in one meal. In the mood for breakfast? A Meat Lover's Scramble contains 3,180 mg of sodium, and a French Toast Platter has 2,000 mg. In their defense, Denny's does offer low-sodium options on their menu such as salads, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, and plain scrambled eggs.

While it's proven that a diet high in sodium has been linked to high blood pressure and heart problems, do you think restaurants should be forced to lower their sodium content, or is it up to the consumer to make healthy choices when it comes to his or her diet?

Which Snacks Are the Saltiest?

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:30:00 -0700

While small amounts of salt are necessary for the body to function normally, too much sodium in the diet contributes to high blood pressure, so you should do your best to avoid taking in too much. A woman shouldn't exceed more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. You may be thinking you don't need to worry because you never sprinkle salt on your food, but many pre-made foods already contain high amounts of sodium. So take this quiz to find out if you know which foods are the healthier choices.

Question 1 of 4

Which crunchy snack contains MORE sodium?

5 Healthy Snacks to Satisfy Your Salt Craving

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:00:00 -0700

There's a whole world of snacks beyond the chip aisle, and the alternatives provide more nutrition while satisfying your urge for something salty. Get more out of your salty snacks by stocking up on these healthier choices.

View Slideshow ›

5 Saltiest Meals, With a Side Order of Hypertension

FitSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Eating out is always a treat, but the problem with eating food someone else makes is that you have no idea how much sodium it's loaded with. 2,300 mg of salt (one teaspoon) is the recommended daily limit for healthy people, but if you have issues with high blood pressure, 1,500 mg is your limit. According to a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), "Unsafe levels of sodium chloride, or salt, in chain restaurant meals increase one's chance of developing hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease." This nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group wants to reveal five meals from popular restaurants that should get a ticket for their obscene sodium contents.

Red Lobster Admiral's Feast with Caesar salad, Lobster-topped mashed potato, cheddar bay biscuit, and a lemonade - 7,106 mg
Chili's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas complete with tortillas and condiments, and a Dr. Pepper - 6,916 mg
Chili's Honey-Chipotle Ribs with mashed potatoes and gravy, seasonal vegetables, and a Dr Pepper: 6,440 mg

To see the rest read more.

Olive Garden Tour of Italy (lasagna) with a breadstick, Garden Fresh salad with house dressing, and a Coca-Cola: 6,176 mg
Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana with a breadstick, Garden Fresh salad with house dressing, and raspberry lemonade: 5,735 mg

They also list five kid's meals that have high sodium content. To see those foods, check out their website.

New York Wants to Cut Back on Salt Too

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 -0700

You gotta love New York. It's really looking out for its New Yorkers with bans on smoking, bans on trans fat, posting calorie counts on menus, and now, NY is tackling salt. Most of the salt Americans consume comes from the processed foods we eat - not from the extra salt we sprinkle on. So New York officials are meeting with food makers to discuss ways they can cut back on the sodium they use in prepared and processed foods such as soups, pasta sauce, salad dressing, and bread.

Interested in hearing the details? Then read more.

Unlike sugar, there's no substitute for salt, and many foods such as cream soups just won't taste the same without it. For that reason, the food industry is hoping the request to reduce salt in foods will be voluntary, not mandatory. New York's salt initiative has a goal of cutting salt content in foods by 20 percent within five years, which is modeled after a plan carried out in Britain. The belief is that if salt content is reduced gradually over time, our taste buds will get used to the flavor of less salty foods.

The daily recommended intake for salt is 2,300 mg, and a high salt diet can raise blood pressure, which raises a person's risk for heart disease. Critics say that not everyone is sensitive to a high salt diet, so they don't agree with this government intervention. What's your opinion? Do you think New York should demand that the food industry reduces its salt content in foods or should it be up to New Yorkers to make healthy choices for themselves?

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Learn to Love: Miso

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Starting off a sushi dinner with a steamy bowl of miso soup is a ritual I can't seem to break. The soft tofu and seaweed flavored with yummy miso makes for a comforting starter, and I'm benefiting my health to boot. While the soup is a standard on Japanese menus, there are plenty more uses for miso and a list of reasons to pick some up at the store.

Miso's high sodium content makes it an ideal salt substitute in meals. The flavor enhancer is made by fermenting soybeans with a B12-synthesizing bacteria, making it a good source of the vitamin, and one tablespoon of miso provides two grams of protein and has just 25 calories. The zinc and copper found in miso support the immune system and energy production.

You can find miso paste at many supermarkets, so pick some up and start including it in your recipes. Try using it to flavor soups, salad dressings, sauces, stir-fries, and marinades. Have you experimented with miso in your cooking?

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Do You Avoid Processed Foods?

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Salt is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of processed foods because so many of them contain high levels of sodium. This is one of the many reasons that I try to limit the amount of processed foods in my diet. And including more natural food just takes a little planning ahead - it doesn't get much simpler than throwing a banana or apple in your bag for an afternoon snack. What's your attitude toward processed foods?

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Salty Quiz: Which Food Contains More Sodium?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0800

I love and crave salty foods, so I'm careful not to consume more than the daily recommended intake for sodium. Prevent consuming too much salt by expanding your focus when you're scanning nutritional labels for fat and calorie content to the rest of the finely printed information. Take the quiz to test your sodium knowledge, and keep in mind that many healthy foods contain a ton of sodium.

Take the quiz

Healthy Eating Tip: Don't Salt the Pot

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Has this ever happened to you? When cooking up a big pot of soup, you add salt to enhance the flavor. When you taste a spoonful, you can't even taste it, so you keep sprinkling more and more salt into the pot. In doing so, you can end up adding huge amounts of sodium without realizing it. When you finally pour yourself a bowl, you don't really know how much salt you're actually eating. Next time you put the pot on the stove to start a soup, I suggest not salting the entire pot of soup. Instead, after ladling out individual servings, allow your family or dinner guests to salt their own soup. Everyone will be able to monitor their salt intake more precisely, and I find you're able to taste the salt and other flavors more. You can also reduce the need for salt by flavoring your soups with fresh herbs, spices, and garnishes like Italian parsley.

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Do You Salt Your Food?

FitSugar — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:30:00 -0700

I love salt, almost as much as I love sweets. For many of my meals, I like to sprinkle a little on my food to add just a hint of flavor. I know it's not healthy to use a lot of salt, especially because high blood pressure runs in my family, but everything's fine in moderation, right? So tell me . . .

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