Nutrition Label Exercise, Research Paper Example

Therapeutic Diet

The restrictions for a low salt diet are classified as follows:  Health Canada recommends that the maximum salt (sodium) intake per day is 2300 mgs/day. A single fast food mean can contain as much as 1500 mgs. Most processed foods are high in sodium count, even though they don’t always taste salty. 75% of sodium intake comes from hidden sources, it is therefore essential to study the food contents on items purchased from the supermarket. The following types of food are permissible on a low sodium diet: Fruit, Fresh Vegetables, Unsalted nuts, seeds and dried beans,  The DASH diet is good for lowering blood pressure www.dashdiet.org. (Dwight Makoff, 2005)

Grocery Store Items

Low Salt Content List

Cold Smoked Sea bass from MacKnight Smoked Seafood’s. : Produced with lower salt content than smoked salmon, yet still containing beneficial Omega-3 oils, the item is aimed at consumers concerned about salt and fat intake, as well as chefs looking for something new to add to seafood buffet offerings. – Boston MA;

At Amy’s Organic Lite in Sodium, Brown Rice & Vegetable Bowl (250mg) Rice is an excellent source of nourishment and low in sodium content hens Fillo Hors D’oeuvres Artichoke & Cheese (140mg) Vegetables are good sources of low sodium items. Cheese can vary but this product has low content

Lean Cuisine, Penne Pasta w/Tomato Basil Sauce (220mg)  Chicken a L’Orange, 9 oz (340mg). All good sources of low salt

Gorton’s Grilled Fillet Lemon Butter, 3.9 oz (250mg) Char Grilled, 3.9 oz (250mg) Caesar Parmesan, 3.9 oz (250mg). Fish in general has low sodium content (Lebovits, 2009)

High Salt Content List

Meijer Onion Soup Mix: Dehydrated onion soup mix (1 packet): 3,132 milligrams Dehydrated Onion, Salt, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Hydrolyzed Soy and Corn and Wheat Protein, Monosodium Glutamate, Enriched Flour (Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Potato Flour, Corn Starch, Color (Caramel), Anti-Caking Agent (Calcium Silicate), Dehydrated Garlic, Spice, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Corn Syrup Solids, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate.

President Choice Primavera Pasta Sauce: a half cup of President’s Choice seven-vegetable primavera sauce has 600 milligrams of sodium Canned chicken noodle soup (1 cup): 1,106 milligrams. 125 millilitres of Antico Organic tomato and basil pasta sauce contains 710 milligrams of sodium; the same amount of Classico tomato and basil sauce has 320 milligrams.!

Kellogs Special K cereal  Bar:  40 grams of Kellogg’s Special K strawberry cereal bar contains 165 milligrams of sodium; the same amount of Kellogg Nutri-Grain strawberry cereal bar has 105 milligrams

Maple Leaf Bacon:  54 grams of Maple Leaf bacon contain 445 milligrams of sodium; the same amount of Shopsy’s Deli Trim bacon has 310 milligrams.!

Christie Cheese Bit Crackers:  20 grams of Christie Cheese Bits crackers contain 250 milligrams of sodium; the same amount of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish cheese trio crackers has 160 milligrams (Diane Lesnick, 2005)

Food Analysis: The Good Food Guide

The Cold Smoked Sea Bass has a very good source of Omega 3 oils that reduce cholesterol.  Most oily fish like herring and sardines offer similar value.  It has a very low salt intake and a good source of protein.  The Organic rice product from At Amys contains low sodium content and the added vegetables provide added source of nourishment.  Hens Filo Hors D Oeuvres like most vegetables have a low sodium content.  Cheese also like most dairy products tend to be low but this can be deceiving, particularly with smoked cheese products.  Most of the Lean Cuisine products have been designed for calorific diets with low sodium intake. Gortons Grilled Char like most fish is source of low sodium food.

The Bad Food Guide

Most dehydrated Soup products have a high sodium count, also soups like Clam Chowder and regular soup products can be high in sodium content.  Pasta Sauces are generally high in sodium content along with Tomato Ketchup brands.  Of particular concern are cereal bars because they are often branded as health products but they contain extremely high salt levels. Most bacon products are extremely high in Sodium Content and as such need to be inspected very carefully. The Maple Bacon brand is an example of a product extremely high in Sodium content.  Cheese bit crackers and Pretzels are another source of high sodium intake.  This type of food is also of very little nutritional value. (Vilschick, 2006)

Works Cited

Diane Lesnick, M. R. (2005, 3). Foods High in Sodium. Retrieved 11 14, 2009, from Palo Alto Medical Foundation: http://www.pamf.sutterhealth.org/heartfailure/lifestyle/diet/foods.html

Dwight Makoff, M. (2005, 11 18). The Dash Diet. Retrieved 11 14, 2009, from Medicine Net.com: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=23715

Lebovits, S. C. (2009, 1 26). LuxeResearch. Retrieved 11 14, 2009, from Eco Salon: http://www.ecosalon.com/high-sodium-foods-and-tips-to-reduce-sodium-intake/

Vilschick, J. K. (2006, 12). Cutting Out the Salt, Finding the Flavor of Life. Retrieved 11 14, 2009, from Diabetes Insipidus Foundation, Inc.: http://www.diabetesinsipidus.org/4di_cutting_out_the_salt.htm