About a year ago, you and I talked about the amount of sodium in our food and how doctors were asking many of us to cut back.
Too much sodium can give you high blood pressure, leading to heart disease or stroke.
It was four years ago that Health Canada asked the food industry to cut back the sodium in 94 categories. They got some done, but the worst offenders are still the makers of bread and processed meats and soups.
The sodium in soup can range from 400 milligrams to 1,100 milligrams a can — look at the labels.
Marg and I started making our own soup.
Start with some salt-free chicken stock. Add your own chicken or whatever meat you like. Vegetables. Maybe noodles or rice.
We don’t miss the salt.
You want flavor, add some garlic, or ginger, try oregano, maybe some dill.
You want just a little bit of heat in your soup? Try a dash of Tobasco Sauce. Yum!
A tiny bit of salt is OK, but you don’t need 1,100 milligrams.
If we can do it without the sodium and have more flavor than what comes out of a can, why can’t the manufacturers?
It takes longer to make homemade soup, but lengthening your cooking time can also lengthen your life.
Let me know what makes your soup tasty.
Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations and a commentator for Global News.