Six healthy snacks for your hunger pangs

New York menus now have sodium warnings on menu cards. Closer home, nutritionist Samreedhi Goel lists six common foods, their sodium levels and how you can minimise the damage.

-A slice of bread: 230 mg sodium -8 oz packet of soup: 920 mg -30 grams salted nuts: 100 mg -A serving of cheese: 400 mg -2 oz cold cuts: 350 mg -A tablespoon of ketchup: 160 mg

The right quota

"Sodium intake should be limited to 1,500-2,300 mg per day, which is about a teaspoon (5 grams) of salt a day," says Goel. "Sea salt and table salt have the same content of sodium."

Undo damage with natural foods

Excess sodium intake leads to high BP. Salvation, as often, lies in natural foods. "If you are watching your intake, eat natural foods more often," says Goel. "Read food labels as they can be hidden sodium sources." And then the golden rule. "Regular exercise keeps your heart healthy.".