The saltiest food you should avoid

Doesn’t taste salty? Don’t be deceived. While your intake should generally be no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day, these foods - many of which you’re eating multiple times a day - are skyrocketing that number.

Here are the foods to beware of, and the less salty swaps to accompany them.

Breads and Rolls
We know that bagels aren’t the most health-conscious choice out there, but did you know that Dunkin’ Donuts Salt Bagel has almost 3,500 mg of sodium? 65 percent of our daily sodium intake comes from food bought in stores, so if you’re starting the day at the bagel shop, an onion bagel has just 380 mg of salt.





Deli Meats and Cured Meats
Considering adding salami to a sandwich? Six thin slices has the same amount of salt as 39 Ritz crackers (about 1,130 mg)—and that’s just the meat of the sandwich. Go with shaved honey ham instead. The same amount of meat has half the amount of salt.

Pizza
The ingredients in pizza seem simple enough. Swapping thick for thin, and slobs of mozzarella cheese for feta can save your waistline - this type of a pizza will have around 560 mg of sodium.







Fresh and Processed Poultry

It doesn’t get any plainer than grilled chicken, right? You need to read the fine print with this one. Check the label on raw chicken for something like “10 percent broth solution.” Translation? 60 mg or more of salt per chicken breast. What you want: No added broth.

Soup

A liquid lunch isn’t scoring you any points when it comes to salt intake - especially if you’re eating out. Researchers have found that 25 percent of our sodium intake comes from restaurant meals. Chunky Chicken Noodle? Almost double what your daily intake should be.

Cheeseburgers/Sandwiches
Burgers and sandwiches alike can pack upwards of 4,000 mg of salt in between the buns after cheeses and sauces. Try something homemade, naturally occurring salt accounts for only 13 percent of our sodium intake - 77 percent is added by food manufacturers.

Cheese
The perpetrators: parmesan, and cottage cheese - which pack 850 mg of sodium per 10 tablespoons, and 918 mg per cup, respectively. Go with cheddar - it has about half the amount of salt - or low-sodium versions of cottage that have about 30 mg.

Pasta Dishes
Ramen noodle diet? Might be saving you money, but . . . that’s about all it’s good for. Half a package has a little more than 1,000 mg of salt.

Meat Dishes
Steak can be tricky—Claim Jumpers Country Fried Steak has upwards of 6,000 mg of salt coated in a batter of salt and fat. A filet, on the other hand, has 1,270 mg. 

Salty Snacks (Pretzels, Chips, Popcorn)

Rold Gold pretzels lover? You’re enjoying about 450 mg of sodium per serving - almost 20 percent of your daily intake. Switch to Triscuits - they have about 135 mg of sodium per serving.