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Canadians eat more salt than other countries!
July 27, 2009
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A new research has some startling facts about salt consumption in Canada. Now, I’m not talking about table salt that you add to your food.
The reality is that if you had a lot of salt in your food, you won’t want to eat it because it won’t taste all that good. I’m talking about hidden salt/sodium that is readily found in processed foods and junk foods.
I would have lost a bet because I could have sworn Americans would top the list, but nope Canadians have a serious penchant for salt!
Here are some food facts showing how much Canadians love their food, processed foods and junk foods to be extra salty:
* Just like pretty much all fast food chains, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) has the same recipe across the board, but it seems that a study conducted by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH – which is a U.K. base firm) concluded that the salt content in the KFC foods contained more sodium that the KFC foods in other countries!
* 260 products were analyzed included foods from Nestle, Burger King, Subway restaurants, Mc Donald’s and Kellogg’s and the Canadian recipes contained also more salt than other countries.
* All Bran cereals contain more salt in Canada than those bought in the U.S. In Canada, your morning bowl of cereal will add a whopping 2.15 grams of salt per 100 gram, but you can eat the same cereal south of the border and consume 70% less salt with just 0.65 grams found in the same amount of cereal!
* If you fancy onion rings from Burger King, be aware that if you eat them in Canada you’ll be eating 0.681 grams of salt more than eating those same Burger King onion rings in any other country around the planet.
* The 6-inch ham sandwich at Subway contains 0.473 grams of salt per 100 grams more than the same Subway sandwich in any other country!
I’m really surprised by these facts and I find them quite unsettling.
I mean, eating at fast food restaurants is bad enough for your health, but now it seems that if you are Canadian you may be exposing yourself to greater risks? I guess to that point even eating a bowl of cereal in Canada can endanger your health compared to eating that same bowl in any other country???
Eating too much salt in your diet is surely NOT the way to Eat Smart Age Smart. Excessive salt is the leading cause of high blood pressure. Not keeping your blood pressure in check means that you are exposing yourself to heart disease and other considerable health risks.
Graham MacGregor, the chairman of World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) is hopeful that these facts might force Canadian fast food chains and food manufacturers in general to change their ways and of course this would have a monumental health benefit for Canadians and people around the world who eat these foods that are general quite high in sodium.
If you are Canadian and you are reading this, I’m sure these facts might change your ways when it comes to some of your favourite foods.
>>> I’d love to know what you think of this feature and if it will motivate you to make some healthier food choices. If these facts don’t bother you at all … I’d still like hearing from you!
>>> You can leave your comments below!
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July 29th, 2009 at 8:58
I love this insightful information. Fortunately, I don’t live in Canada. I’m Javanese one of Indonesian race. We generally like chilly hot food. I’m looking for articles about hot food.