ecause more than 75 percent of the sodium in the average American diet comes from salt added to processed foods. In other words, we often don’t even know we’re eating it. And while cutting table salt is wise, it may only be putting a tiny dent in your sodium total.
With so much salt in our food, it’s no wonder the average American gets more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day. Manufacturers use salt to preserve foods and modify flavor, and it’s included in additives that affect the texture or color of foods.
When eating out, choose restaurants where food is cooked to order. And when ordering, specify that you want your dish to be prepared without salt. Limit table salt as well as condiments that typically have high amounts of sodium, such as soy sauce, and garnishes such as pickles or olives.