A key to healthy eating is choosing foods lower in salt and sodium. Most Americans consume more salt than they need. The current recommendation is to consume less than 2.3 grams (2,300 milligrams[mg] ) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day. The 6 grams include ALL salt and sodium consumed, including that used in cooking and at the table. For someone with high blood pressure, the doctor may advise eating less salt and sodium, as recent research has shown that people consuming diets of 1,500 mg of sodium had even better blood pressure lowering benefits. These lower-sodium diets also can keep blood pressure from rising and help blood pressure medicines work better.

Tips for Reducing Sodium in Your Diet

• Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned "with no salt added" vegetables.
• Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.
• Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.
• Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
• Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium.
• Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.
• When available, buy low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods.
• Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

Tips on How to Prepare Lower Salt Meals

• Add less salt at the table and in cooking. Reduce the amount a little each day until none is used. Try spices and herbs instead
• Cook with low-salt ingredients. Remove salt from recipes whenever possible. Rice, pasta, and hot cereals can be cooked with little or no salt
• Use fewer sauces, mixes, and "instant" products this includes flavored rices, pasta, and cereal, which usually have salt added
• Rinse salt from canned foods
• Limit smoked, cured, or processed beef, pork, or poultry

Flavor That Food
Make foods tasty without using salt. Try these flavorings, spices, and herbs:

For Meat, Poultry, and Fish —
Beef    Bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme
Lamb Curry powder, garlic, rosemary, mint
Pork    Garlic, onion, sage, pepper, oregano
Veal    Bay leaf, curry powder, ginger, marjoram, oregano
Chicken          Ginger, marjoram, oregano, paprika, poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
Fish     Curry powder, dill, dry mustard, lemon juice, marjoram, paprika, pepper

For Vegetables —
Carrots           Cinnamon, cloves, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
Corn   Cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika, parsley
Green Beans Dill, curry powder, lemon juice, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme
Greens            Onion, Pepper
Peas    Ginger, marjoram, onion, parsley, sage
Potatoes         Dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley, sage
Summer Squash       Cloves, curry powder, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sageWinter Squash          Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, onion
Tomatoes       Basil, bay leaf, dill, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley, pepper