In Oprah magazine Dr. David Katz, has a Q & A column called “The Way To Eat.” This month I almost skipped a question because it began with someone saying they are obsessed with eating chips. While I like them it’s not an obsession of mine. But I read for all of us and was glad I did.
Dr. Katz teaches that when our taste buds are repeatedly bombarded with a flavor, they need more of it to satisfy the craving. The need to eat salt comes from eating a lot of it and some may be lurking in places we least suspect.
Take your morning bowl of cereal. Yes cereal. Katz reports, “Ounce for ounce breakfast cereals have more salt than the chips you love, and that dose in the morning leaves you craving more in the afternoon.”
Who wouldda thunk it?
I pulled out my cereals to check up on the docs theory. Sure enough here are the tallies;

Rice Crispies–left over from the kids visit this summer, I don’t eat them but can’t seem to throw them out–
Calories per serving 120 Sodium 320 mgs
Barbara’s Puffins
Calories 100 Sodium 150
Health Valley Organic Golden Flax
Calories 190 Sodium 80 mgs
Familia Swiss Muesli
Cals 210 Sodium 0
Wow, I’m shocked but wiser. Just to see how his theory about the chips having less sodium than some cereals I pulled out a bag of Ruffles-Original–all the dirty little secrets are coming out now–
Cals per serving 160 Sodium 160 mgs.
Dr. Katz recommends the following the help break a salt craving cycle, “Make sure the food that isn’t supposed to be salty–such as cereal or cookies–has less sodium per serving than calories.”
It only takes a couple of minutes to read the labels of your regular breakfast cereals, even breads for toast.
This seems like a really easy way to lighten up the sodium in our diets, cravings or none.