The Salt in the Subway

Although I usually like to write positive articles about products on the market, sometimes I like to guide those around me who think that a product is healthy just because it’s low in fat.

One such product is “lunch meat”, or “deli meat”. Whatever the term, it is often seen as a nutritious item that can help people lose weight. However, you rarely hear people talk about how lunch meat is high in sodium. And remember that sodium is a component of salt.

How much sodium do we need in a day? Guidelines recommend that we have less than 2400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day, which equals 1 TEASPOON of table salt a day. Yep, you read correctly, 1 teaspoon. How much do you put on your food?

What are the side effects of eating too much salt, you may ask? High blood pressure (hypertension), kidney problems, and heart problems for those already at risk to name a few.

Subway, the leader of the low fat sandwich, unfortunately does not have low sodium subs. The Veggie Delite sandwich only has 500 mg of sodium (1/4 of your needs for the day), but combine that with soup and you’re almost done with your sodium limit for the day (each bowl of soup has over 1000 mg of sodium! Wow!). And you think that you’re eating healthy by getting that wrap? Well, a ham wrap has 1500 mg of sodium, and you’re only eating that in one meal!

Let’s pretend you’re trying to follow a healthy meal plan. (Forgive the brand names, I’m not picking on one brand over another). Here’s your meal plan for the day:

Breakfast
1 cup cheerios–200 mg
1 cup skim milk–145 mg
1 banana–n/a

Lunch
1 6″ turkey sandwich with cheese from subway–1000 mg
1 bag baked lays–150 mg
1 can diet soda–20 mg

Snack
handful of peanuts–(let’s assume they’re salted, in a single serve bag)–115 mg

Dinner
1 lean cuisine spa classics (chicken in peanut sauce)–560 mg
1 apple– n/a
1.5 cups salad with 2 tbsp fat free italian dressing–300 mg (400 mg if it’s low fat)
1 cup light ice cream (chocolate)–100 mg

Total sodium content: 2590 mg sodium

And you thought all those food items were healthy because the advertisers said so. When you’re shopping for a food, just think about the “whole package” rather than if it’s just low fat, low sodium, trans-fat free, etc. And also remember that only YOU can control the amount of salt you take in per day. That’s a public service announcement from Salty the Bear!

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