There’s nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day.  Depending on the variety, soup can be a hearty and nutritious meal, rich in vitamins, and a good source of fibre. However, many already prepared soups can be very high in sodium (salt). Your body does need some sodium for normal body functions, like balancing the fluids in your body, but excess sodium can lead to high blood pressure which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Canadians should keep their daily total sodium intake to less than 2300 mg which is equal to 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of table salt.  Most people eat two to three times this amount.  According to the Canadian Community Health Survey (2004), 90% of men and 65% of women over age 19 consume above the level of sodium thought to increase health risk. This includes the salt that is found in packaged foods as well as that added at the table from the salt shaker.

Salt added at the table and in cooking only accounts for about 10% of the total amount of sodium people eat each day. The rest comes from processed foods, including soups. Some soups deliver a whopping 1300 mg of sodium per 1 cup (250 mL) serving.  Some dry noodle packaged soups that contain a flavouring packet deliver up to 2600 mg of sodium per package. This is well over the recommended amount for an entire day!

Whether you are choosing a vegetable, beef and barley, chicken noodle, lentil, or split pea soup, it’s important to look at the Nutrition Facts table to see how much sodium (salt) is in a serving. Look for the percent daily value for sodium to be 10% or less to ensure that you are making a lower sodium choice. Be sure to take note of the serving size because most are based on a 1 cup (250 mL) serving. 

The following tips will help you to decrease the amount of sodium in your soup choices:

• Look at the percent daily value (% DV) on the Nutrition Facts table and pick soups that have 10% or less for sodium.
• Read the ingredient list on the label and avoid soups with hidden sources of sodium. Monosodium glutamate, sodium sulfite, sodium nitrate and soy sauce are all sources of sodium.
• Avoid adding extra salt from the salt shaker when cooking and at the table.
• Make your own homemade soup and use fresh or dried herbs and spices instead of salt for flavouring. Save your cooked vegetable water and use it as stock. It will be rich in vitamins and flavour.
• When making your own soup, use fresh or frozen vegetables or look for canned vegetables, tomatoes, and legumes that are sodium-free or no salt added.
• Look for sodium reduced soups and broths.  Sodium reduced means that the sodium amount is 25% less than the original version. Soups that are labelled sodium-free have less than 5 mg of sodium per serving.