When you go to the grocery store you try to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for your daily diet to stay healthy. Often, the store will have discounts and special promotions on foods to entice consumers to purchase heavily promoted products like canned soup, and vegetables and prepackaged foods. While the price and value may seem appealing, check the label first. Many of these products contain high levels of sodium.
Canned soups are especially high in sodium to preserve them. Unless you dilute them with water or a freshly made soup, you risk getting excess sodium in your diet. Canned vegetables often contain high levels of sodium too. They can be rinsed out and put in fresh water prior to heating which can bring the sodium level down to about half.
Otherwise, canned vegetables with unacceptable high levels of sodium can raise blood pressure and cause water retention for some people. Some companies do offer a lower sodium variety of canned vegetables so do try to select them when possible. Another better choice can be to use frozen vegetables which typically contain little sodium. The exception, are the seasoned packaged varieties which can contain levels of sodium equal to the canned versions.
The lesson is: don’t think you’re eating a healthy vegetable soup when it may have 1000 mg of sodium per can. Check the label. Choose fresh vegetables when possible or frozen alternatives. If you do choose canned vegetables rinse them out and cook in fresh water.
