The Province is continuing to make the healthier choice the easier choice with a new online, interactive sodium tool.

Using the Sodium Sense tool, visitors to www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca can gauge how much sodium they consume throughout the day. This interactive tool allows families to create low sodium meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Sodium Sense tool is part of the Province's Healthy Families BC campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of eating too much sodium.

Other measures to raise awareness include the Healthy Families BC Sodium Facts Contest. The contest tested the sodium knowledge of British Columbians. Laura Gaetz from Parksville is the grand prize winner of the contest and has chosen $5,000 in groceries. Gaetz and her daughter will also benefit from $1,000 worth of meal planning services from a registered dietitian.

Sodium is needed to stay healthy, but too much sodium is linked to elevated blood pressure, which is the leading preventable risk factor for death in B.C. A good way to watch the amount of sodium you eat is to check the nutrition facts label on packaged foods. Look for the percentage daily value (% DV). Five per cent daily value or less of sodium is a little, while 15 per cent or more is a lot.

British Columbians consume more than double the amount of sodium considered adequate to promote good health. So consume more fresh foods, fewer processed or packaged ones and read those labels. Use the Sodium Sense tool to create meals that have the recommended 500-800 mg of sodium, and aim for a total daily sodium intake of 1,500-2,300 mg.

Healthy Families BC is targeted at reducing chronic diseases and obesity levels in the province through healthy eating and physical activity. The $68.7-million strategy will see the implementation of a variety of healthy living measures to improve health and promote wellness in every part B.C.

Quick Facts:

• Chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are the largest causes of disability and death in British Columbia.
• Excess sodium is linked to high blood pressure, the major cause of cardiovascular disease and a risk factor for stroke and kidney disease.
• There is also evidence that a diet high in salt is a risk factor for osteoporosis, stomach cancer and asthma.
• The recommended daily sodium intake for an adult is 1,500 mg, but the majority of British Columbians consume more than twice that amount, at 3,400 mg. This means that the average British Columbian consumes the equivalent of 11 cups of salt a year.
• Evidence shows that if we are physically active, achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, enjoy a healthy diet and refrain from smoking, we can reduce our risk factors for most chronic diseases by up to 80 per cent.

Learn More:

For tips on how to limit your sodium intake and to play Sodium Sense, visit: http://healthyfamiliesbc.ca/

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)