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Sodium can be sneaky! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks can add up to more than 4,000 mg of sodium for the day.  Throughout the day, the average American consumes nearly 3,500 mg of sodium for the day.  That is more than two times the amount recommended by the American Heart Association.  Too much sodium can be risky for your health.  Thankfully, meals with lower sodium can be just as delicious and can keep your sodium in check.

You deserve the right to take back control of the sodium in your food. The first step? Watch for the hidden sodium in food, then take action and make your voice heard by telling the food industry that you want healthier foods!

Here’s how the sodium can add up:

Breakfast

Sausage & cheese omelet with hash browns and orange juice

Total sodium: 1,016 mg

vs.

Veggie omelet with sweet potato home fries and orange fruit cup

Total sodium: 188 mg

Breakfast Tip: Add color! Replace some meats, cheeses, and side dishes with flavorful fruits and vegetables.

Morning Snack

Banana Bread

Total sodium: 181 mg

vs.

Fresh banana

Total sodium: 1 mg

Snack tip: Satisfy your sweet tooth with a delicious piece of fruit.

Lunch

Turkey sandwich with a side salad and a pickle

Total sodium: 1,935 mg

vs.

Turkey sandwich with a side salad and cucumber slices

Lunch Tips:

• Use veggies to add flavor instead of salty condiments, sauces and sides.
• Compare labels on salad dressings. Choose the option with less sodium.
• When dining out, ask for your meal to be prepared without extra salt.

Afternoon Snack

Potato chips

Total sodium: 148 mg

vs.

unsalted almonds

Total sodium: 0 mg

Snack tip:

• Need an afternoon pick-me-up? Choose nuts for extra crunch.
• Compare labels. Choose the item with the lesser amount of sodium.

Dinner

Chicken with boxed macaroni and cheese and veggies

Total sodium: 1,062 mg

Vs.

Chicken with homemade macaroni and cheese and fresh veggies

Total sodium: 277 mg

Dinner Tip:

• Prepare food at home to have more control over the sodium in food. Replace salt in recipes with herbs, spices, citrus, or vinegar.
• Foods that look the same may contain different amounts of salt! Compare labels. Choose the item with the lesser amount of sodium.

Option 1 Grand Total: 4,342 mg sodium

Option 2 Grand Total: 1,134 mg sodium

Daily amount of sodium recommended by the American Heart Association for most adults: 1,500 mg.

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