# My Love Affair is Over



## Barbara L (Mar 3, 2011)

My love affair with canned cream of mushroom soup, that is. I have always known there is a lot of sodium in canned soups, but it was just one of those things that I put up with, as I liked to cook with cream of mushroom soup. Well, last night I used cream of mushroom soup in my meal, as I have done for many years, and it was so salty that I just didn't enjoy my meal. That was the only salt in the meal, so I decided to take a look at the nutrition information on the side of the can. I knew it would be bad, but I didn't know HOW bad it would be. In one-half cup (straight from the can, not diluted) there are 880 mg of sodium, which is 37% of the daily value of sodium. YIKES! My blood pressure practically went up just reading the label!


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## Midnight_Merlot (Mar 3, 2011)

*tune of Smurfs* (with fingers in ears, &, eyes wide-shut) "La-la-la-lah-la-luh...-la-lah-la-la-luh"...Please, I beg of you...PLEASE don't make me have to "give up" my beloved cream of 'shroom soup!! *sniffles*...I know me VERY WELL, &, I think that "me" is also goiing to NOW give a "peek" at the label...*sobs*


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 3, 2011)

Barbara L said:


> My love affair with canned cream of mushroom soup, that is. I have always known there is a lot of sodium in canned soups, but it was just one of those things that I put up with, as I liked to cook with cream of mushroom soup. Well, last night I used cream of mushroom soup in my meal, as I have done for many years, and it was so salty that I just didn't enjoy my meal. That was the only salt in the meal, so I decided to take a look at the nutrition information on the side of the can. I knew it would be bad, but I didn't know HOW bad it would be. In one-half cup (straight from the can, not diluted) there are 880 mg of sodium, which is 37% of the daily value of sodium. YIKES! My blood pressure practically went up just reading the label!


 
My sodium limit is 1000mg/day...I have to be very careful!  Watching the sodium in the chocolate...yikes!


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## Barbara L (Mar 3, 2011)

Midnight_Merlot said:


> *tune of Smurfs* (with fingers in ears, &, eyes wide-shut) "La-la-la-lah-la-luh...-la-lah-la-luh"...Please, I beg of you...PLEASE don't make me have to "give up" my beloved cream of 'shroom soup!! *sniffles*...I know me VERY WELL, &, I think that "me" is also goiing to NOW give a "peek" at the label...*sobs*


Believe me, it's a shocker!


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## Midnight_Merlot (Mar 3, 2011)

Barbara L said:


> Believe me, it's a shocker!


True enough Barb, I sure do "trust" you, but...*sniffles*....WHY OH WHY did you HAVE to check that label???? I was quite content being ignorant. Now, though, its not going to be an option!! I grew up on the stuff! Love it dearly too! But, like you, BP is also something that needs "watched"....my poor, poor little soup that I have used for YEARS on end, must now be "evaluated"....*shucks - kicks foot*


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## Somebunny (Mar 3, 2011)

Interesting that you mention this tonight Barb, as my DH used a can on the pork chops tonight and I found them very salty. I admit that I really never thought the sodium would be that high in a can of soup. Oh dear me!

Sent from my iPhone using Cooking


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## Zhizara (Mar 3, 2011)

Horrors!  Now we'll have to create a replacement.

I'm thinking an extra thick white sauce as the base?  

What do you think?

I suppose this means all the rest of the cream of soups are just as doomed.

Need more coffee!


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## Zereh (Mar 3, 2011)

Watching your sodium intake has about 1% to do with what comes out of your salt shaker. It's the other 99% that comes out of a can / box / bag / jar / drive-through / takeout container that needs to be monitored closely.


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## Rocklobster (Mar 3, 2011)

Campbell's makes a sodium reduced line of canned soups. I've never read the actual numbers, but I've seen the cans....


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## pacanis (Mar 3, 2011)

Barbara, do you think they have raised the sodium level, or are you developing a sensitive taste towards it?


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## Zhizara (Mar 3, 2011)

pacanis said:


> Barbara, do you think they have raised the sodium level, or are you developing a sensitive taste towards it?



I know you asked Barbara, but I have noticed that as I get older I become more sensitive to the taste of salt.


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## pacanis (Mar 3, 2011)

I'll take any answers, Z


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## joesfolk (Mar 3, 2011)

Just playing Devil's Advocate here...Remember that the sodium content is for the whole 1/2 cup sreving.  When you put it in a dish you would divide that amount by the number of servings to see how much salt you are getting.  Having said that , yes, canned soups do have too much sodium as a general rule.  I have in the past sauteed mushrooms and made a nice thick white sauce (with some nice black pepper)  and used it to achieve the same results that I can get from a can of soup.  But let's face it, for us baby boomers there is just nothing exactly like that little red and white can of soup thrown in a casserole or over a hunk of meat.  It's in our blood, like rock and roll.


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## Katie H (Mar 3, 2011)

I've never been much of a salt user/eater so I notice the saltiness of many foods.  Triscuits just put me over the edge.  I just can't eat them.  Never have been able to because they taste like pure salt to me.

As for canned and such, even the lower sodium ones seem salty to me, but that's just me.

I've never been one to use a lot of canned and/or processed foods in my cooking, so I suppose the salt content of those products has never been an issue.  

The salt shaker?  Well, a box of salt lasts forever in our house.  When I cook I usually add half the salt as required by a recipe and go up from there if the dish seems to need more.  Most of the time it doesn't.

After Buck was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I paid even more attention to the salt content of what we ate.

My current husband doesn't have any high blood pressure issues, but I still haven't changed my way of doing things and he seems fine with the way things taste and he seldom adds extra salt to what I serve.

My daddy, a doctor, always said I could go on a salt-free diet and never notice the difference.  He may have been right.


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## Bigjim68 (Mar 3, 2011)

Does anybody know why so many products include so much salt?  I try to purchase salt free everything, and it is difficult to find products without salt.  When you do find them, they are higher priced than unsalted.

I quit buying cream soups as an ingredient years ago when I decided to reduce salt intake.  Now I make my own with heavy cream and dried mushrooms, asparagus stems, etc.  I seldom add salt, and when I do, it is in very small amounts.  I find that I don't miss it.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 3, 2011)

Zereh said:


> Watching your sodium intake has about 1% to do with what comes out of your salt shaker. It's the other 99% that comes out of a can / box / bag / jar / drive-through / takeout container that needs to be monitored closely.


 
I agree, I was looking at serving sizes on my seasoning salts last night.  They say 1/4 teaspoon for a serving, I use nothing close to that.  

I was pleased when I was able to create today's meals with less than 1000mg of sodium from mostly canned goods.  Seemes I purchased wisely!


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## pacanis (Mar 3, 2011)

Katie, I noticed most bread recipes contain salt, I believe as a preservative? Just curious if you reduce the salt in your baking or if there is an alternative.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 3, 2011)

pacanis said:


> Katie, I noticed most bread recipes contain salt, I believe as a preservative? Just curious if you reduce the salt in your baking or if there is an alternative.


 
Salt in bread has a specific use, it stops the yeast growth.  There is not that much salt in most breads, you could probably cut it in half.


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## pacanis (Mar 3, 2011)

Yes, there isn't much. That's why I wondered if it could be left out altogether or cut back. Not that I wanted to, just curious. So it serves a dual purpose then? retarding the yeast growth and preserving?
I remember one time I made a salty loaf. My guess was that I grabbed the 1-1/2 TBS when I should have grabbed the tsp. It was way too salty to eat even by my standards. I've found that I rarely salt or pepper food anymore though. Even if I don't cook it in most cases it is just fine the way it is. I wouldn't say I have an aversion to salt, just that I don't use as much as I used to. And I _love_ Triscuit crackers!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 3, 2011)

pacanis said:


> Yes, there isn't much. That's why I wondered if it could be left out altogether or cut back. Not that I wanted to, just curious. So it serves a dual purpose then? retarding the yeast growth and preserving?
> I remember one time I made a salty loaf. My guess was that I grabbed the 1-1/2 TBS when I should have grabbed the tsp. It was way too salty to eat even by my standards. I've found that I rarely salt or pepper food anymore though. Even if I don't cook it in most cases it is just fine the way it is. I wouldn't say I have an aversion to salt, just that I don't use as much as I used to. And I _love_ Triscuit crackers!


 
The resident commercial baker (Shrek) says it wouldn't make any difference if you left out the salt.  Your loaf might be a bit bigger but it wouldn't collapse or anything like that from over extension of the yeast.


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## Bigjim68 (Mar 3, 2011)

Funny you should mention salty bread.  Lately my home made bread seems to salty.  I have been thinking of cutting back or eliminating the salt altogether.  I use a teaspoon in a pound loaf.  Would I notice the difference if I cut back to a half tsp?


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## Zereh (Mar 3, 2011)

Bigjim68 said:


> Does anybody know why so many products include so much salt?  I try to purchase salt free everything, and it is difficult to find products without salt.  When you do find them, they are higher priced than unsalted.



My guess is that salt is an ultra cheap method of covering the taste of all of the non-food additives and chemicals that are in processed food. I've never bought low-sodium anything so I don't know about the price differences. But it's interesting that they charge more to use less of something, hmm? What a huge reminder that most food companies are all about cheap mass production and high profit margins and not so much about providing healthy, nutritious, real food. =)


I've accidentally forgotten to add salt to my bread dough before. Bread made without salt tastes like crap; you can tell the instant you take a bite that something is definitely missing.


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## DaveSoMD (Mar 3, 2011)

Salt is added as a preservative and as a flavor. Salt and fat tend to make up for the lack of "flavor" in most processed foods, as does sugar.  

That being said, I still occasionally use canned cream soups and buy pre-made and processed food.  IMHO everything in moderation, as long as I don't eat like that at every meal every day having it occasionally is fine.


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## Claire (Mar 3, 2011)

I don't have any health issues with salt, but many of my friends do, so I'm careful.  One result of watching it is that _I am beginning to find things too salty that I'd never have found so a decade ago  _(I'm 55).  I had a taste for Pringles the other day, and hubby and I could not finish the tube, they were TOO SALTY.  A few years back I had acquaintances salting their Thanksgiving dinner like crazy and thought, my lord.  My Thanksgiving dinner is one where I play loose and easy with the salt and thought everyone would find it TOO salty (everyone else at the table found the salt just right, just this one couple, who have some serious health problems now).  And, as you've mentioned, I've found a lot of canned soups I loved .... too salty.  Then, if I buy the low salt version, no flavor!  So all I was tasting, all of those years, was canned salt?  

OUCH!


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## megamark (Mar 3, 2011)

That is a pretty high count for sodium. Like DaveSoMD said, its used as a preservative. Have you ever thought about making you're own? I'm sure there is a pretty good recipe for a similar cream/mushroom soup.


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## taxlady (Mar 3, 2011)

Claire said:


> ...
> 
> Then, if I buy the low salt version, no flavor!  So all I was tasting, all of those years, was canned salt?
> 
> OUCH!



Nah, I'm pretty sure salt makes some flavours "wake up". Or maybe it's your taste buds that wake up.


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## Barbara L (Mar 3, 2011)

pacanis said:


> Barbara, do you think they have raised the sodium level, or are you developing a sensitive taste towards it?


I doubt it is any saltier than before--I think it is me. I quit salting my food at the table close to 20 years ago (except for a few things) and within two weeks started noticing how salty the food already was. I have been cooking with it for years, as I said, and it surprised me how salty it seemed the other night. I have been hearing stories on the news lately that they (government? can't remember) are going to actually start rewarding stores (not sure how) for selling healthier foods, and that a lot of food manufacturers are starting to lower the sodium, sugar, etc. levels in foods. 

Another food that really surprised me was cottage cheese. I had the same experience a couple weeks ago, with it tasting extra salty. I checked the nutrition information and a serving had 20% of the daily value of sodium. And to think that I used to add salt to my cottage cheese!

Barbara


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 3, 2011)

Barbara L said:


> I doubt it is any saltier than before--I think it is me. I quit salting my food at the table close to 20 years ago (except for a few things) and within two weeks started noticing how salty the food already was. I have been cooking with it for years, as I said, and it surprised me how salty it seemed the other night. I have been hearing stories on the news lately that they (government? can't remember) are going to actually start rewarding stores (not sure how) for selling healthier foods, and that a lot of food manufacturers are starting to lower the sodium, sugar, etc. levels in foods.
> 
> Another food that really surprised me was cottage cheese. I had the same experience a couple weeks ago, with it tasting extra salty. I checked the nutrition information and a serving had 20% of the daily value of sodium. And to think that I used to add salt to my cottage cheese!
> 
> Barbara


 
I had the same experience with cottage cheese. All the sudden it needs no salt...it used to and that wasn't long ago. But, it's hard for me to say...I also quit smoking a while ago and I know my taste buds have been effected.  Spicy foods are much spicier!  Whoo boy!


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## Katie H (Mar 3, 2011)

taxlady said:


> Nah, I'm pretty sure salt makes some flavours *"wake up"*. Or maybe it's your taste buds that wake up.



Now, you've got it.  Over-salting masks flavors but a little bit of salt "perks" up the flavors already there.  That's why I use salt sparingly and even use it in my sugar glazes.  Just a sprinkle of salt in those makes all the difference in the world in how the base flavors jump out.  I'm not talking about lots of salt, just a pinch or less.

As for bread, yes, there should be some salt to, again, perk up the yeasty, yummy flavor of the bread.  Just my take.  Use my information as you see fit.


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## Saphellae (Mar 14, 2011)

We have been reducing our salt intake for a long time now.  I used to think having a plate of deli meat, a slice of cheese and some crackers for lunch was healthy... lol.. now I can't even stand the taste of deli meat because it's SO processed and salty.

My only downfall is that nacho cheese dip.  I have found one that won't kill my sodium intake for the day if I gorge on the whole thing... I'm so blessed to have found it.. !!!!

Now the chips, that is another story altogether.

I have never salted my food though, but my mom used to cook alot of packaged food, like side noodles, rice, etc.  Whereas in my home, I make everything fresh... rice from a box is NOT allowed in our house!!!!


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## CWS4322 (Mar 15, 2011)

My elderly parents are both heart patients. When I go to MN, I am horrified by how many cans of soup are in their pantry. The sodium in most canned foods is horrible, but canned soup is awful re: sodium levels. Good for you to drop cream of mushroom soup from your diet--you can make it from scratch quite easily (and so much tastier <g>). I have tried to show them how to make meals, e.g., wild rice/broccoli/chicken casserole, homemade soup from chicken bones, to no avail. The fact I know how to cook is not because my mother taught me <g>. I always make sure I leave about 3 months of stuff in the freezer, including lots of soup. And, a schedule of when they are to eat what I've made, when to take stuff out of the freezer to thaw, etc. I return 5-6 months later and much of the stuff I made is still there--"we were waiting to eat it when you came back." My mother has dementia and my father can't cook (won't--he's very intelligent, he just doesn't believe he should cook--that's my mother's job). So they rely on canned soup for lunch (and packaged foods--Hamburger Helper, etc.) all the time. I wish they would not...drives me MAD. And, why I try not to use prepared foods unless I can't help it (I guess I could've bought a fresh coconut for the avocado ice cream except where I am, there is only one grocery store and the produce department is sadly lacking...often I can't buy celery because the store doesn't have any, I've never seen coconuts there). And, with fuel prices, I couldn't justify driving 30 minutes to buy one coconut...Maybe this belongs under VENT?


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## lifesaver (Mar 15, 2011)

I am a Campbells Soup fanatic with the Golden Mushroom being my very favorite.

Leave it all up to Barbara to let us all in on the Sodium content.


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## Rocklobster (Mar 15, 2011)

Salt makes your mouth water, so my theory is that  this gives you the impression that what you are eating has this effect on you.  Salty flavors are picked up by the tastebuds and work with the ion channels. Supposedly, this creates some sort of electrical charge that travels through cell membranes. 
I'm in way over my head, here. But I have read articles to this effect.


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## CWS4322 (Mar 16, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> My sodium limit is 1000mg/day...I have to be very careful! Watching the sodium in the chocolate...yikes!


 
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but 1 TSP (yup, teaspoon) of baking soda used to contain more than 1000 mg of sodium. I don't know if anything has been done to reduce that amount. A substitute is potassium bicarbonate. Your pharmacy might be able to get that for you. I've never seen a "sodium reduced" baking soda. Has anyone? And, I have no idea if potassium bicarbonate behaves the same was as sodium bicarbonate (now, I'm way over my head!).


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## Bigjim68 (Mar 16, 2011)

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.  Not much you can do to remove the sodium.


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## GrillingFool (Mar 16, 2011)

I have no evidence to support it, but firmly believe that salt has addictive properties... in that those who use it a lot need it to achieve the "taste" they are used to...

And that if most people stopped salting their foods for a month, and tried to do a low salt menu.... at the end of the month if they returned to previous levels they would call their food too salty.


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## ChefJune (Mar 16, 2011)

Zhizara said:


> I suppose this means all the rest of the cream of soups are just as doomed.


 
Yep....

Several manufacturers are making lower sodium soups, but sodium is not always the only "bad" thing in canned soups.  And as we Americans age, we really need to be mindful of what's in what we eat, if we want to be lhealthy.  Doesn't mean we can't eat well and deliciously, just have to be more aware.


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## Skittle68 (Mar 16, 2011)

I have lots of beloved recipes that call for undiluted cream soup (I'm from MN by the way  ). I love the idea of making my own, but how do you substitute home made soup for condensed soup?? There would be too much liquid! Does anyone have a way to make cream soup thick like it comes in the can?


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## CharlieD (Mar 16, 2011)

Yes, there is way too much sodium in everything processed, including cereal and cookies. I have been trying to cut down on salt, but it is a long an slow process.
As far as home made soup. They add starch to canned soups to make it thick. You can do the same.


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## ChefJune (Mar 16, 2011)

Skittle68 said:


> I have lots of beloved recipes that call for undiluted cream soup (I'm from MN by the way  ). I love the idea of making my own, but how do you substitute home made soup for condensed soup?? There would be too much liquid! Does anyone have a way to make cream soup thick like it comes in the can?


 
Skittle, you would do that by making a bechamel or white sauce. Alternatively, you could make a veloute, If you want mushroom you would saute some first and make your sauce over that.


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## CWS4322 (Mar 16, 2011)

I did a search on potassium bicarbonate (and incidently, I was well aware that sodium bicarbonate was baking soda--I guess I didn't clarify that baking soda = sodium bicarbonate).

Anyway, from what I learned at Google U this morning, potassium bicarbonate does produce the same results when you substitute it for bp when you bake. And, there are places online where you can order it. I'm going to look when I go to Chicago and also at some bulk stores here before I go. I'd never thought about subbing it out, but would like to sub it out for my folks. One of the few things my father does make is "tomato soup" and he adds bp to it. 

I didn't realize that bp had the rda re: sodium in one teaspoon. My banana bread recipe uses twice that amount...


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## Andy M. (Mar 16, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> I did a search on potassium bicarbonate (and incidently, I was well aware that sodium bicarbonate was baking soda--I guess I didn't clarify that baking soda = sodium bicarbonate).
> 
> ...I didn't realize that bp had the rda re: sodium in one teaspoon. My banana bread recipe uses twice that amount...




Are you referring to baking powder or baking soda?


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## CWS4322 (Mar 16, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> Are you referring to baking powder or baking soda?


 
Sorry--soda--I've been writing a style guide for non-native speakers all day.  


Now I'm going to get a bottle of wine <g>.


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## Andy M. (Mar 16, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Sorry--soda--I've been writing a style guide for non-native speakers all day.
> 
> 
> Now I'm going to get a bottle of wine <g>.




Are you referring to wine or tequila?


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## Somebunny (Mar 17, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> I hate to be the one to tell you this, but 1 TSP (yup, teaspoon) of baking soda used to contain more than 1000 mg of sodium. I don't know if anything has been done to reduce that amount. A substitute is potassium bicarbonate. Your pharmacy might be able to get that for you. I've never seen a "sodium reduced" baking soda. Has anyone? And, I have no idea if potassium bicarbonate behaves the same was as sodium bicarbonate (now, I'm way over my head!).



There is a sodium free baking soda and BP too. They are available online. Not sure if I am allowed to put websites on the thread so if anyone wants the web address send me a PM. 

Sent from my iPhone using Cooking


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