iSodium is one of 10 iNutrient apps based on the USDA National Nutrient Database. The others include:
- iCarbs (Carbohydrates)
- iCholesterol (Dietary Cholesterol)
- iFiber (Fiber)
- iKals (Calories)
- iPotassium (Potassium)
- iProteins (Proteins)
- iSatFat (Saturated Fat)
- iSodium (Sodium)
- iSugars (Sugars)
- Vitamin K (Vitamins K1, K1D & K2)
If you are working towards healthy eating, knowing the amount of sodium in the foods available for consumption can be extremely helpful.
The iSodium app provides information about foods and how they are rated for content of sodium. This is provided as a means to assist in deciding which foods to eat. The food servings are rated from EXTREMELY LOW in cholesterol all the way up to EXTREMELY HIGH. The following colors help readily identify which is which:
- Black = Rated EXTREMELY HIGH in Sodium (> 1,000 mg)
- Dark Red = Rated VERY HIGH in Sodium (501 - 1,000 mg)
- Red = Rated HIGH in Sodium (401 - 500 mg)
- Orange = Rated MODERATELY HIGH in Sodium (301 - 400 mg)
- Yellow = Rated MODERATE in Sodium (201 - 300 mg)
- Light Green = Rated MODERATELY LOW in Sodium (141 - 200 mg)
- Green = Rated LOW in Sodium (51 - 140 mg)
- Cyan = Rated VERY LOW in Sodium (11 - 50 mg)
- White = Rated EXTREMELY LOW in Sodium (0 - 10 mg)
Essentially, the cooler the color, the lower the amount of Cholesterol, with white being the coolest color and black being the hottest (think burnt).
There are eight tables listing food servings:
- All Foods
- Fast Foods
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Meat, Fish & Shellfish
- Dairy & Egg
- Cereal Grains & Pasta
- Sweets
- Snacks
The All Foods list allows you to search by any word or partial word from all the Food Titles.
Selecting a food in any of the tables will display pertinent information about the selected food serving:
- Food Title
- Weight (in grams)
- Common Measure (serving size for weight)
- Sodium Content (in milligrams)
- Calories
- USDA Description
- USDA Food Group
- USDA Nutrient Database Number
Users can record their intake for any food. The information is maintained for one year and is presented in reverse chronological order grouped by day, so the latest data is presented first in the list. Editing allows for: 1) changing the number of servings; 2) changing the date; and 3) deleting records. Individual Intake Items can be copied to the current day, and all Intake Items for a single day can be copied to the current day.
Information is derived from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Sodium Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure. There are currently over 1,100 different food servings included, searchable using more than 2,500 names (some foods are known by different names or how they are prepared, e.g., "Egg, Scrambled" and "Scrambled Egg"). A few these have as many as six searchable names.
The iSodium Info screen provides access to additional information pages:
- Facts About Sodium
- Managing Sodium Intake
- Highest Sodium Foods
- How to Use this App
- Access My Records
- iNutrients Custom Food Definitions (another app with more features and data for 10 nutrients)
- Other Important Info. (includes allowance to 1) Report a Problem; 2) Ask a Questions; and 3) Make a Suggestion)