Ottawa ON (Canadian Stroke Network) — Two of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence — the Canadian Stroke Network and the Advanced Foods & Materials Network — today awarded the third annual national "Salt Lick Award" to Gerber Graduates Lil' Entrees. This choice was made because the "Chicken & Pasta Wheel Pickups" dinner serves up the sodium equivalent to two orders of medium McDonald's Fries.
The Gerber Graduates meal, which the packaging says is "appropriate for children 1 year or older" and "specially made for toddlers," contains 550 mg of sodium, or more than half a toddler's adequate daily intake of 1,000 mg. Meanwhile, according to the McDonald's Canada website, a medium order of French Fries contains 270 mg of sodium.
Other Toddler meals high in sodium include:
- Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees "Macaroni and Cheese with peas and carrots": 520 mg of sodium per serving
- Parent's Choice (Wal-Mart brand) My Little Meals "Shells & Cheese with Frankfurters": 520 mg of sodium per serving
- Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Lil' Entrees "Cheese Ravioli in Tomato Sauce with carrots, peas and corn": 480 mg of sodium per serving
- Heinz Toddler "Vegetables, Beef & Pasta Casserole": 470 mg of sodium per jar
- Heinz Toddler "Beef Stroganoff": 420 mg of sodium per jar
The Canadian Stroke Network and Advanced Foods and Materials Network are calling for increased awareness of the impact of high-sodium foods on health and the need to reduce sodium content. Health Canada's Sodium Working Group, which was appointed in 2007, is developing a sodium-reduction strategy for Canadians, which will include education, voluntary reductions of sodium in processed foods and more research. The Working Group has yet to make its report.
