The Truth About SODIUM in Frozen, Plant-Based Dishes

We all need a little sodium in our diets, but too much sodium leads to high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke. There is often the assumption that eating plant-based is naturally much healthier for us, and while that is true in a lot of cases, we run in to the very same nutritional disasters when we choose to go for those frozen meals. Who doesn't love a frozen pizza or a delicious vegetarian pot pie once in a while? Convenience plays a major role in these purchases and frankly, most of these frozen meals are pretty delicious, which is why we keep coming back to them. The truth is, delicious as they may be, these frozen meals are loaded with bad for you ingredients and the sodium content is astronomical. 

Let's take a look at a few frozen, plant-based meals, and just how much bad stuff & sodium is deceptively hidden in your "healthy" plant-based entrees.

Photo Taken From: gardein.com

GARDEIN - Sausage, Potato, Kale Brekkie Bowl

At first glance, this plant-based breakfast bowl looks like a nutritionally sound choice. Marketed as dairy free, plant-based, non-gmo, and full of protein, it sounds like this frozen breakfast bowl has it all. First of all, the nutritional stats will tell you that this bowl has a little too much of everything. First of all, there is 820mg of sodium which is almost the same amount of sodium as 4 medium orders of McDonald's fries. Secondly, there are nearly 50 ingredients in this bowl, which is never good. I wouldn't even personally suggest this one as a once in a while treat because honestly, the sodium just isn't worth it.

AMY'S - Veggie Loaf Meal

For the record, I've had this before and it's super delicious. I loved that the ingredients were all things I recognized, and most were organic. The one thing I can honestly say however, is that it's pretty tiny which means you might be reaching for more to eat afterwards and that's where the sodium can get scary. This dish provides 740mg of sodium, nearly half of a 1500mg daily allowance. It does however provide 36% of your daily fiber which is definitely a positive. I would recommend pairing this one with a large, fresh salad to help keep you full and prevent needless snacking.

Photo Taken From amyskitchen.ca

Photo Taken From daiyafoods.com

DAIYA - Vegetable Crust Pepperoni

This is another one of those products that really sells the benefits on the front while harbouring some not so healthy secrets. Vegetable crust, dairy free, good source of fiber, etc., one would assume this was a nutritious choice. The truth is, one third of this pizza provides 20% of your daily fat, 30% of your saturated fat, and a whopping 770mg of sodium. If you paired one serving with a fresh salad, you might get away with making this a decent meal but the danger lies in how small these pizzas are and how easy it is to eat significantly more than a suggested serving. You could easily put away your day's worth of fat and sodium in one go. 

BIRDS EYE - Meatless Lasagna 

The term "plant-based" is often synonymous with nutritious but this lasagna proves that that is simply not the case. Innocent looking enough but the fact is, this lasagna is a nutritional disaster. First of all, this dish contains real cheese which would probably shock you as the box really makes it seem that the lasagna is plant-based. This means there is cholesterol hiding in here. Even worse? This tiny little lasagna has 1270mg of sodium per serving, literally almost an entire day's worth in one tiny little microwave safe container. I wouldn't recommend eating this if your life depended on it. 

Photo Taken From birdseye.com

As this post demonstrates, the illusion that "plant-based" always means "healthy" is wholly incorrect. We all reach for these products but we must always read the ingredients / labels, particularly the nutritional label. If you're going to get slammed with a day's worth of fat, calories, or sodium, it's not worth the convenience. Fresh is best, but always try to aim for balance. If you're going to eat one of these frozen dishes, I'd suggest a bountiful, fresh salad to pair it with. This will balance out some of that sodium and provide a more round and balanced meal that won't leave you searching for snackies afterwards.

Were you surprised by some of these sodium nightmares? 

HAPPY VEG