About 70% of sodium intake in US Diet comes from Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs). The top six sources are: Bread & Rolls, Pizza, Sandwiches, Cold Cuts & Cured Meats, Soups, Burritos & Tacos.
Those who follow Whole Food Plant-Based guidelines may wish to study sodium content of (a) Kimchi, Sauerkraut & Pickles, (b) Bread, (c) Soy Sauce, (d) Oil-Free Hummus, (e) Baking Soda & Baking Powder, and (f) Electrolytes.
I was surprised to learn that salt is routinely injected into meat in USA!
Should we consume salty fermented preparations like kimchi, sauerkraut and pickles. Through videos and articles by Dr Greger and Dr Peter Rogers, I learnt that an association between intake of such foods and increased risk for gastric cancer has been observed. Thus it is best to avoid such foods.
The first time I heard that bread was a major source of sodium in our diet, I was surprised! Isn't bread mildly sweet, primarily made of carbohydrates? Yeah, but it also has a significant amount of sodium (derived from salt added to bread)! Is there an SOS-Free bread, with no Salt, Oil or Sugar? Luckily, yes! Ezekiel 4:9 Low Sodium bread.
Soy sauce has a LOT of sodium! Even "Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce" has a surprising amount of sodium! What are some soy sauce alternatives?
Nowadays, some brands of hummus make oil-free hummus! No Added Sugars either. But what about sodium?
If we wish to be strict with our total sodium intake, it may be helpful to know that 1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has ≈ 600 mg sodium, and 1 tsp baking powder (sodium bicarbonate and other additives) has ≈ 260 mg sodium.
In the past, during hikes and backpacking trips, I would cosume some electrolytes and/or coconut water. After watching a "myth buster" Dr Greger video focused on exercise-related hydration, I learnt that water will suffice.
Is salt added to desserts too? Yes! Dessert recipes like kheer (pudding) and brownies may have a pinch of salt "to balance the flavors" — whatever that means. Do we really need to add some salt to desserts? No! I bet that they will taste excellent without salt.