Most foods naturally contain sodium in their composition, with meat, fish, eggs and algae being the main natural source of this mineral, which is important for maintaining the proper functioning of the heart and muscles.
However, it is industrialized foods, such as snacks or fast food, that have the highest amount of salt added and that greatly increases the damage to health, which can lead to high blood pressure or heart problems.
Although the words sodium and salt are used interchangeably, they do not mean the same thing, since salt is composed of the minerals sodium and chloride, and daily, you should only consume up to 5 g of salt, which is the same as 2000 mg of sodium, corresponding to 1 full teaspoon. Learn more about sodium here.
List of foods rich in salt
The main foods rich in salt are processed foods and include:
- Processed meats, such as ham, bologna, bacon, bread, parsley; Smoked and canned fish such as sardines or tuna; Cheeses such as parmesan, roquefort, camembert, creamy cheddar; Ready seasonings such as aliskino, seasonal, aji-no-moto, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise; Soups, broths and meals already prepared; Canned vegetables such as heart of palm, peas, corn, pickles, mushrooms and olives; Processed biscuits and cakes, including salt water crackers; Fast food, such as pizzas or chips; Industrialized snacks and snacks such as chips, peanuts, kebabs, pastries, kebabs, coxinha; Butter and margarine.
Thus, to follow the recommendation of consuming up to 5 g of salt per day it is important to avoid buying these foods, choosing fresh foods whenever possible. Find out more tips on: How to reduce salt consumption.
Natural source of sodium
The main natural foods rich in sodium are foods of animal origin such as meat, fish, eggs or milk which should be the main source of sodium and, therefore, should be consumed daily, since they contribute to the good cardiac and muscular functioning.
Some sodium-rich organic foods include:
| Natural food | Amount of sodium |
| Kombu Seaweed | 2805 mg |
| Crab | 366 mg |
| Mussel | 289 mg |
| Pescadinha | 209 mg |
| Soy flour | 464 mg |
| Salmon | 135 mg |
| Tilapia | 108 mg |
| Rice | 282 mg |
| Coffee beans | 152 mg |
| Black tea in leaves | 221 mg |
| Roe | 73 mg |
Since food contains sodium in its composition, during its preparation one should avoid adding salt, as excess salt is very harmful to the body. Read more at: Excess salt is bad.
In addition, in some cases, foods high in salt also have a lot of sugar and fat, such as ketchup, crackers and chips, for example. Find out more foods high in sugar at: Foods high in sugar.
