Messages from Martin 03 Mar 2009 12:48 am
March
Canned tuna, particularly StarKist Solid White Albacore Tuna in water, is one of my primary sources of tuna. One can contains about 26 grams of protein and only 4 grams of fat which include some omega-3 fatty acids. It is common to see me eating a can or two at home or at work. Recently, a colleague asked me if I knew how much sodium was in my can of tuna. I am ashamed to say that I couldn’t recall the amount. When she told me about 400 milligrams (mg), I was shocked. So immediately, I went to my lunch bag and grabbed one of my 3 cans. She was right! One can of Starkist Solid White Albacore Tuna in water has about 400 mg of sodium (approximately 16% of the recommended daily value)! Clearly, I need to pay more attention to the nutrition facts of the foods that I eat. In my opinion, 400 mg is high for a can that is only 142 grams. Fortunately, I do have a low sodium diet; but I prefer to not consume that much sodium in one snack. My guess is that the sodium serves as a preservative, but we all know the risks associated with high sodium diets. From this point forward, I’ll begin buying tuna with a lower sodium content.
I just wanted to share this story with you as a reminder to read the nutrition labels on your food. You’ll be glad that you did.