Sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, corn syrup, honey, and molasses. Foods like soft drinks, candy, ice cream, jams, jellies, chocolate milk, and fruits canned in heavy syrups are high in sugar and should by limited in the diet. Use the guide below to avoid getting too many calories from added sugar. Sodium is an essential element for the body, but eating too much of it can cause health problems. Sodium is found naturally in many foods, but much of the excess in our diets comes from salt added while cooking, in food processing, or at the table.
Table salt is about one-half sodium.
One teaspoon of salt provides about 2000 mg of sodium. Most health authorities say that sodium intake should be less than 3000 mg a day, so it is important to avoid adding too much salt to foods. Always check food labels for sodium content. It is a good idea to purchase foods with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving. Learn to read food labels.