Lean Cuisine, A Nestle brand of frozen dinners, is very popular with dieters. “Lean Cuisine” is considered a nutrient content claim by the FDA, so all products under this brand are required to meet the “lean” criteria per serving: less than 10 grams of fat, less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol.

We decided to take a look at Lean Cuisine’s Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta described by Nestle as:

Shrimp and angel hair pasta in a creamy seafood sauce with accents of sherry, tossed with red peppers.

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We’re all familiar with artificial sweeteners that let us enjoy sweets without the excess calories, but what about a parallel solution for salty foods? Help my be on the way, according to Food Quality News:

Bell Flavors and Fragrances has introduced a new sodium-reducing flavor technology for use in meats, snacks, condiments and soups, which it claims mimics the flavor of salt without its negative health impacts.

ReduxSo is a natural flavor system based on potassium chloride, allowing up to a 50 percent salt reduction in processed foods. It has been developed to support industry efforts to diminish salt content in the face of government and consumer health concerns.

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Potassium chloride is a metal halide salt and a cousin of salt (sodium chloride). It has been around for a while, but isn’t popular due to a strong metallic aftertaste. According to Bell Flavors and Fragrances VP of Research and Development, the company has created a way to mask the offensive flavor.

What you need to know:

The recommended daily intake for sodium is 2300mg  (salt is 40% sodium, 60% chloride). This is equivalent to a teaspoonful of salt. Most Americans consume far more than that, even twice as much.

Too much salt raises blood pressure and leads to heart ailments. Estimates are that 150,000 deaths a year are the result. For consumers, it’s hard to reduce sodium intake because 75% of it comes from packaged foods and fast food meals. Less than 10% occurs naturally in a food.

It’s not easy to make a canned and processed food taste good. Salt was a perfect solution until the health risks of over-consumption were discovered. Happily, the food industry is making some progress in reformulating canned soups, snacks, and other items.

Perhaps the current innovation will find its way into the supermarket in the very near future.

What to do at the supermarket:

If you do most of your own cooking from basic unprocessed staples, you’re most likely below the 2300mg limit. If you don’t cook much and are buying processed foods from the middle aisles at the grocery store, look for lower sodium options in the following places: bread aisle, canned soups, chips and popcorn, and babyfood. If you see a product with more than 600mg (25% DV) per serving, that’s a lot. Steer away.

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