- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Healthy cooking (6)
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Healthy menus and shopping strategies (7)
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Question
Low-sodium diet: Why is processed food so salty?
Why do processed foods contain so much sodium?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Salt (sodium chloride) serves a number of purposes. It helps prevent spoiling by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, yeast and mold. Salt also brings out the flavors in food. For example, salt accentuates the sweetness in cakes and cookies. Salt also helps disguise metallic or chemical aftertastes in products such as soft drinks. In addition, salt reduces the perception of dryness in foods such as crackers and pretzels. But must processed foods contain so much salt? Many food and nutrition experts think not.
Many people eat far more sodium than they need — with processed foods contributing as much as 75 percent of the sodium in the typical American diet.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
To reduce the salt in your diet, try these tips:
- Eat more fresh foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish and unprocessed grains. (Only a small amount of sodium is found naturally in these foods.)
- Replace traditional high-sodium foods with low-sodium products or products without added salt.
- When eating out, request that salt not be added to your food. Ask for sauces and salad dressings on the side so that you can control the amount you use.
- Use herbs and spices — rather than salt — to flavor your food.
MUFAs: Why should my diet include these fats?
- IFIC review: Sodium in food and health. International Food Information Council. http://www.foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=IFIC_Review_Sodium_in_Food_and_Health. Accessed June 24, 2010.
- FDA should set standards for salt added to processed foods, prepared meals. Institute of Medicine. http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12818. Accessed June 24, 2010.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm. Accessed Feb. 21, 2011.
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