Today, compared to the 1900s, food supplies have 35% more sodium because of the increased access to processed foods. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999-2000, there is more fat and sweeteners in the current food supply; about 30% of calorie consumption comes from “nutrient-poor foods,” primarily from salty snacks, soft drinks, and sweets.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting the consumption of foods that contain refined grains, especially refined grain foods that contain solid fats, added sugars, and sodium. The Guidelines identify specific recommendations in reductions including:
: Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids by replacing them with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- Studies have shown that mono and polyunsaturated fats improve blood cholesterol levels. They are mainly found in fish, nuts, seeds and oils from plants. Examples: salmon, trout, avocados, walnuts, and vegetable oils like corn, olive, canola, soybean and safflower.
- Total daily fat intake should be between 25-35% of total calories; try to get most of these fats from mono and polyunsaturated.
: Consume less than 300 mg per day of dietary cholesterol.
- Cholesterol is found in meats, poultry, shellfish, eggs, butter, cheese and whole or 2% milk. A three- ounce (about the size of a deck of cards) serving of most meats contains about 70 mg. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 ounces of lean meat, poultry or seafood a day. Americans eat about 8 ounces a meat per day. Select fat-free or low fat dairy.
- Some commonly eaten cholesterol-containing foods include whole eggs (about 200 mg per yolk), shellfish (50 to 100 mg per ½ cup), “organ” meats such as liver (375 mg per 3 oz), and whole milk (30 mg per cup).
: Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible by limiting foods that contain synthetic sources of trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated oils, and by limiting other solid fats.
- Trans fatty acids or trans fat, are found in commercially fried foods, high-fat baked goods and stick margarine. Trans fatty acids make it difficult for the body to regulate cholesterol; raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. Food labels with the words “partially hydrogenated” or “shortening” contain trans fat.
: Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) and further reduce intake to 1,500 mg among persons 51 or older, those of any age who are African American, or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. This recommendation applies to about half of the U.S. population, including children, and the majority of adults.
- 2300 mg of sodium a day equals about 1 teaspoon of salt. On average, American men consume between 3,100 and 4,700 mg of sodium per day, while women consume between 2,300 and 3,100 mg (due to their lower calorie intake, not because of restricting sodium).
- Processed foods have high sodium content – cutting back on processed foods and not adding salt to foods during mealtime can help reduce the intake of sodium.
- Find more information on sodium and food comparisons here.