About 75 percent of all salt consumed in the United States comes from salt added in the processing and manufacturing of foods rather than from a salt shaker. The average American consumes 6 to 18 grams of salt daily, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Each gram equals 1,000 milligrams of salt.

Because the body only requires about 500 milligrams per day, the sodium levels that naturally occur in fruits, vegetables, natural cheeses, sea fish and shellfish may be enough to sustain good body function. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend restricting daily sodium (salt) intake to 2,300 milligrams (2.3 grams) or less, or no more than about a teaspoon of table salt.

A person’s sodium intake quickly adds up when salt is added during the following:

• Cooking
  
  
• Adding salt to a food while eating
  
  
• In restaurant foods
  
  
• In processed, prepackaged or prepared foods purchased in the grocery store (e.g., soups, chips, cereal, pizza, lunch meats, cheese and ice cream)
  
  
• As a natural preservative for meats and vegetables

A preference for salty taste is something that people acquire, usually during childhood. People enjoy the saltiness of a food rather than the sodium, and that salty flavor is probably associated with chloride more than sodium. Usually, people who begin to eat less salt find that the desire for salt adjusts downward.

The following suggestions are offered as strategies for reducing sodium intake:

• Avoid processed foods as much as possible, or read food labels and look for reduced-sodium varieties of favorite foods. Prepared foods that tend to be high in sodium include frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings. The following information, sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on store packaging serves as a guide in reading labels:
  
• • “Sodium-free” or “salt-free” foods contain less than 5 milligrams sodium per labeled serving.
    
    
  • “Very low sodium” foods contain less than 35 milligrams sodium per serving.
    
    
  • “Low-sodium” foods contain 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving.
    
    
  • "Light in sodium" foods contain at least 50 percent less sodium per serving than an average reference food without any sodium reduction.
    
    
  • "Lightly salted" foods contain at least 50 percent less sodium per serving than reference amount.
    
    
  • “Reduced-sodium” foods contain at least 25 percent less sodium per reference amount than an appropriate reference food. Some reduced-sodium products such as soy sauce or canned soups can still contain significant amounts of sodium.
    
    
  • “Unsalted” or “no salt added” must meet conditions of use and must declare “This is Not a Sodium Free Food” on information panel if food contains sodium.
    
    
• Cut back on high-sodium foods gradually. This allows a person time to grow accustomed to less salty food.
  
  
• Taste food before adding salt. In many cases, people find that food tastes fine without the added salt.
  
  
• Look at the nutrition facts section of a food label to see how much sodium is in one serving of the food. It is generally better to consume foods that contain 5 percent or less of the daily value (DV) for sodium, according to the American Dietetic Association. More than 20 percent of the DV for sodium is high.
  

  

• Take the salt shaker off the table.
  
  
• Choose meats with less naturally occurring salt, such as turkey or chicken.
  
  
• Choose foods that naturally have less sodium, including fish, dry and fresh legumes, nuts, eggs, milk, and yogurt. Other foods that have low levels of sodium include plain rice, pasta and oatmeal.
  
  
• Use seasonings and spices other than, and not containing, salt (e.g., choose garlic powder over garlic salt). Herb-spice blends are good substitutes, as are lemon and lime juices. Be sure to check the nutrition facts label to make sure these products do not contain sodium. People who still prefer a saltier taste may want to try monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG has about one-third as much sodium as table salt.
  
  
• Replace canned, frozen and other processed foods with fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, one cup of cooked fresh peas may have just 2 milligrams of sodium while a cup of canned peas has 493 milligrams of sodium. People who purchase processed foods are urged to look for low-sodium versions.
  
  
• Rinse canned foods such as tuna to remove some sodium.
  
  
• Cook hot cereals, pasta or rice without using salt. Reduce the use of instant or flavored cereal, pasta and rice mixes, which typically have a lot of salt.
  
  
• Limit consumption of salty snacks like pretzels, peanuts and potato chips.
  
  
• Request that restaurants cook without additional salt or MSG, which is often used in commercial cooking.
  
  
• Use margarine or unsalted butter rather than regular butter.
  
  
• Select low-fat, low-sodium cheese and yogurt.
  
  
• Eat bananas and other potassium-rich foods. These foods help to balance sodium levels.
  
  
• Look for low-sodium over-the-counter medications.

People who are seeking to lower dietary sodium are urged to consider the following:

Because a small amount of sodium is vital for maintaining healthy body function, it is possible to have too little salt. Symptoms of sodium deficiency include weakness, cramping, headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, and (in severe cases) shock. However, this condition is rarely experienced by anyone other than athletes who have been sweating profusely for long periods of time, or people who regularly use diuretics or laxatives. Even strenuous activity is usually not enough to lower a person’s sodium content to unhealthy levels, because any lost electrolytes are easily restored through normal meals and snacks.