Sodium

Living on a budget, cooking for just one person and not having a lot of time are three of the top reasons why college students eat the way they do. In our department we have encountered many college students that either eat out a lot, or eat prepackaged food. One of the concerns with this is the amount of sodium that are in these items.

We should only be consuming > 500 mg a day but < 2300 mg or 1 tsp of sodium a day. but the average American gets over 2.5 tsp of sodium a day. There are some health concerns associated with large consumption of sodium so reading the nutrition label is important when shopping for food.

Some of the wording can be tricky so here is a guide to use.
Sodium free or no sodium: Less than 5 milligrams of sodium and no sodium chloride in ingredients
Very low sodium: 35 milligrams or less of sodium
Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium
Reduced or less sodium: At least 25 percent less sodium than the regular product
Unsalted: Made w/o salt, but still contains the sodium that’s a natural part of the food itself.

For more info come and see Wellness Ed in SC 221.