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Despite recommendations to limit sodium intake, Americans are eating more salt than ever.
The average American consumes 3,000 to 5,000 mg of sodium a day. The recommendation for healthy adults is 2,300 mg, or 1 teaspoon of table salt (sodium chloride). Those with high blood pressure are urged to reduce intake to below 1,500 mg.
Only 6 percent of the sodium we eat comes from what we sprinkle. A staggering 77 percent of it comes from processed and restaurant foods. About 12 percent naturally occurs in food, and 5 percent is added when cooking at home.
Sodium is used as a preservative to keep foods fresher longer and to enhance flavor. Some reduced-calorie foods replace fat with sodium to make up for the reduction in flavor.
So check labels on packaged and processed foods. High-sodium foods include cold cuts, salad dressing, snack foods, processed cheese and canned foods. Often, the more “ready-to-eat” a packaged food is, such as frozen entrées or soups, the more salt it contains.
