Sargento Low Sodium Cheese

2016 UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Sargento products discussed below are no longer available. The only reduced sodium cheese listed on the website is Colby-Jack Cheese Snacks sticks. This is but another example of how low sodium products can appear and then quickly disappear. And why it is important to "Always Be Checking!"

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I’ve seen the magazine ads for Sargento low sodium cheese products for quite a while now, but I’d never actually found them at any of my local grocery stores. Finally, last week I discovered four products in the self-service deli/refrigerated section of Raley’s. Of course, I had to try them.

I found sliced Colby-Jack, sliced Provolone, shredded Mozzarella, and shredded Mild Cheddar. They all claim to have 25% less sodium than the regular products. I ended up purchasing the sliced Colby-Jack and slice Provolone.

I have to admit, the low sodium slices are handy. I’ve already used them with burgers, in grilled cheese sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, and melted on top of vegetables. They’re quite thin, so that alone makes them lower in sodium than most regular sliced cheese. The slices weigh 19 grams each which is approximately 2/3 ounce. The regular Sargento sliced Provolone has 135 mgs sodium per 19 gram slices while the low sodium version has 100 mgs sodium. The regular sliced Colby-Jack has 125 mgs sodium compared to the lower sodium 90 mgs sodium.

The sodium savings aren’t tremendous, but the slices taste pretty good and give you the option of enjoying a cheesy layer on sandwiches without feeling guilty. So, all in all, I think Sargentos has developed a pretty good product for those of us concerned about sodium intake.

I think the low sodium shredded cheeses would be useful on those days when you just don’t have time to do much prep work. Grab a package of salt-free taco shells, a bag of lettuce shreds, a tub of low sodium fresh pico de gallo, a pound of ground beef, and a bag of the low sodium mild cheddar, and you’re all set for a quick taco dinner. Or you could brown some ground beef liberally sprinkled with Italian herbs & garlic powder, add a can of salt free tomato sauce, combine with boiled pasta, pour everything into a casserole dish, top with some of the low sodium mozzarella, and bake. Another quick dinner.

I think the Sargento cheeses are worth investigating. They also have string cheese snacks that might be good choices for snacks on the go.