We all know we shouldn’t eat too much salt. Overdoing it can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other heart-related diseases. The problem is that salt is hidden everywhere, even in foods that you might not suspect.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend less than 2300 mg a day. If you’re over 51, African American, or have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes, you should limit it to under 1500 mg. The problem: According to the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the estimated average intake of sodium for Americans ages two years and older is approximately 3400 mg per day, more than twice the recommended amount.

1. Bread

“Bread and rolls by themselves aren’t that high [in sodium], but we eat so much of them. A slice of bread can have 120 mg, so it can add up quickly,” says Rachel Johnson, PhD, RD, professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of Vermont and an AHA spokesperson. Add on salted butter or a condiment and it goes up even more. 

2. Breakfast cereals

You wouldn’t think cereal would be on this list, but it really pays to read labels in this category; it can vary all over the place. As an example, a serving of Fiber One Honey Clusters has 230 mg per serving, a serving of Quaker Oats Instant Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal has 260 mg of sodium, while Kashi Lean wins the low-sodium race at only 80 mg.

3. Cold cuts and cured meats

A 2-ounce serving (about six thin slices) can gobble up half your daily recommended allowance of sodium. Yes, half.

4. Pizza

Well, you never thought of it as health food, but the main concern was more about fat and calories. Did you know that one slice can also equal half your RDA for salt? 

5. Chicken

That boneless chicken breast may be labeled “all natural,” but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been injected with salt water to improve taste and juiciness. Four ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts can have from 40 mg to 330 mg of sodium. Three ounces of breaded restaurant chicken strips can have between 430 to 900 mg.

6. Soup

Canned soups can be loaded with salt as a preservative and to boost taste. (Canned vegetables are big offenders, too.) Regular soups (not those marked low-sodium) can contain 600 mg or higher per serving.

7. Processed cheese

A 1-ounce slice of American cheese may look harmless enough, but it alone can contain 330-460 mg.

8. Spaghetti sauces, condiments and salad dressings

These are huge salt magnets. A jar of spaghetti sauce can contain more than 400 mg per serving. Salad dressings differ vastly, but can go as high as 400 mg for two tablespoons. One tablespoon of mayo can have 125 mg, and the equivalent amount of ketchup can have 190 mg. Those last two may not sound high but in reality, when you use them, do you really keep it to one tablespoon? It all adds up. 

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