High-Sodium Holidays Food You Need to Avoid

It’s no secret that a lot of foods are high in sodium. At the holiday party or during your last-minute dash to finish shopping, if you following a Low Sodium diet, you know you should avoid foods like pizza, French fries, and fast-food burgers. But even less obvious foods like soup, sauces, and some cereals can be high in sodium. And there are some serious sodium offenders you should avoid during the holidays like:

Salted Mixed Nuts

You’ll find these in the bar or lounge at a restaurant. Salted nuts and pretzels are also often served at parties, or given as gifts during the holidays. But it’s all too easy to munch your way through multiple handfuls, and eat more sodium than you should. Fortunately, if you’re a nut-lover, there’s an easy fix. Eat unsalted nuts.

Spinach Dip

It might taste good, and you might even be fooled into thinking it’s healthy because it’s made from spinach, but Spinach Dip is something you should avoid. Why? Just eight tablespoon-sized servings of spinach dip contains close to 1000 mg of sodium. A healthier alternative, try chips and salsa, or fresh vegetables and low-sodium hummus.

Casseroles

Green bean casserole, or a casserole by most any other name often includes one specific ingredient that puts this dish on the no-no list: cream of mushroom soup, or something similar. If you must eat this during the holidays, make use low-sodium soup. Or try our Sweet Potato Casserole served with Pepper Beef Patty and Mixed Greens.

Summer Sausage

Hit the mall during the holidays, and you’re bound to cross paths with someone serving samples of summer sausage. You might receive a summer sausage log as a holiday gift, or find it served with cheese and crackers at a party. Step away from the snacks and condiments. Summer sausage is among the worst offenders for sodium. Just two small slices contain more than 700 mg of sodium. By the way, bacon isn’t any better, and cheese, especially American cheese, can have a lot of sodium, too.

If you’re trying to cut back on sodium, health professional recommend eating no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. And we can help. Check out all the Low-Sodium Meals and entrees we’ve created to help you during the holidays.