Digesting The Label is a series that takes a look at what exactly is in the food we're buying and eating from a nutritional standpoint. Every two weeks, we'll examine a food and help determine whether or not it's all it's cut out to be .. or in some cases, even better for us than we thought. This week, we're looking at the sodium content in meat seasonings.
When it comes to cooking meat, all the flavour lies in the spice and seasoning in which you prepare it. Creating sweet and spicy mixes at home is easy enough, but if you don't consider yourself a kitchen chemist, you might want to turn to the packs of pre-made spices for flavour that is guaranteed to taste good.
But if you're watching your sodium intake, you might want to take a closer look at those spice blend labels — or better yet, make your own.
Unless you are purchasing low or no sodium spice rubs, the average mix can contain anywhere from 80 mg of sodium to 855 mgs. Or in the case of Maggi So Juicy chicken marinade, 100 grams of the mixture contains a whopping 12 grams or 12000 mgs of sodium — the equivalent of your daily intake of salt!
The Dietitians of Canada say Canadians already consume too much sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure and kidney disease. To cut back on your sodium intake, avoid meals and spice blends that contain MSG, which is extremely high in sodium.
Note, we did not rank each spice blend this week, because serving sizes differed for many of the brands. Not to mention, using these seasonings on different cuts of meat will change their sodium content.
