Learn the lingo

The supermarket is full of foods labeled reduced sodium or light in sodium. But don't assume that means they're low in sodium. It just means the products have less sodium than do the regular versions of the products.

Here's what common sodium claims in the United States really mean:

• Sodium-free or salt-free. Each serving in this product has less than 5 milligrams of sodium.
• Very low sodium. Each serving has 35 milligrams of sodium or less.
• Low sodium. Each serving has 140 milligrams of sodium or less.
• Reduced or less sodium. The product has at least 25% less sodium than does the regular version.
• Lite or light in sodium. The sodium content has been reduced by at least 50% from the regular version. But some foods with these labels may still be high in sodium.
• Unsalted or no salt added. No salt is added during processing of a food. But some foods with these labels might not be sodium-free. That's because some of the ingredients may naturally have sodium.