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Many of us are turning to comfort foods to help get us through this uncertain time. Unfortunately, many of these foods that we’re making at home or ordering for delivery during the COVID-19 outbreak contain a high amount of sodium because of the sauces and seasonings used, experts say.
“Sodium rich foods will quickly cause weight gain because they cause your body to retain water and tax your body as it seeks to flush the excess sodium out,” Ted Kallmyer, Healthy Eater‘s macro coach and author, tells SheFinds.
Worst High Sodium Sauces For Weight Loss
“Just one gram of table salt (400 mg sodium) causes the body to retain four cups of water, or one pound of water weight. This is especially frustrating for those trying to lose weight when they step on the scale and see increased, weight even though they have been eating healthy,” he warns.
So–which are the biggest offenders? Here are some common sauces with high sodium content that you should avoid while in quarantine:
Soy Sauce
This is common in Asian-style dishes that are even considered healthy because of the amount of veggies they contain, Ted explains. But one tablespoon of soy sauce has over 800 mg of sodium, which is a 2-pound water weight gain. Use the lower sodium version in your Asian recipes.
Franks Redhot
This popular hot sauce has 570 mg of sodium per tablespoon, which is over a pound of water weight gain. Use Siracha instead. Siracha is just 240 mg per tablespoon.
Fish sauce
This is another popular Asian seasoning used commonly in Thai cooking. One tablespoon has a whopping 1800 mg of sodium which would cause 4.5 pounds of water weight gain. Look for lower sodium brands of this sauce, too.
Jarred pasta sauce
Ragu has 500 mg per 1/2 cup serving and typically most people would use more than this on their pasta. 1 cup of sauce would be 1000 mg or 2.5 pounds of water weight gain. Most brands have lower sodium varieties so choose those or make your own and use Himalayan rock salt to boost its flavor.
Your body needs sodium to function, but not too much especially during periods of inactivity such as times of quarantines. Try to keep your daily intake at around 1500-3000 mg, Ted suggests, depending on your body size and activity level.
