1985). However, salt is not essential for the canning process and no-salt-added canned vegetables are marketed. One study (Jones and Mount, 2009) that tested multiple brands of five types of popular canned beans showed that draining the beans for 2 minutes reduced sodium by 36 percent, and the draining treatment plus 10 seconds of rinsing followed by an additional 2 minutes of draining reduced sodium by 41 percent. According to one survey, draining and rinsing of canned beans is a relatively common food preparation technique (Bush Brothers and Company, 2009). Other studies have shown that treatment involving draining, rinsing, and/or soaking of various canned and packaged foods results in sodium reduction (Sinar and Mason, 1975; Vermeulen et al., 1983; Weaver et al., 1984). The sodium content of selected fruits, vegetables, beans, and legumes is shown in Table 4-10.

Pickled vegetables such as sauerkraut and cucumbers are also high in sodium because of the salt added to drive the fermentation process and to maintain a crisp texture (Brady, 2002).

Combination foods, such as pizza, soups, stews, casseroles, and ready-to-eat meals, are usually high in sodium, as shown in Table 4-11. Sodium in these foods comes from many sources and has multiple functions; when combined into a single serving, the sodium from these varied sources can