6 Sneaky High-Sodium Foods To Avoid and Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

Cleveland Clinic
·1 min read
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Cut down on sodium in your diet, and you can lower your blood pressure, which reduces the risk of stroke, heart disease and other health problems. Experts say most people should consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium—about one teaspoon—daily, and people with certain medical conditions should consume even less.

6 Sneaky High-Sodium Foods To Avoid

Steering clear of the salt shaker does help, but unfortunately, nearly 80 percent of the sodium in American diets comes from processed and packaged foods like these:

  • Bread and rolls—up to 230 mg per piece

  • Pizza—up to 760 mg per slice

  • Cold cuts and cured meats—578 mg for two slices

  • Processed poultry (like chicken nuggets)—nearly 600 mg per 3 oz serving

  • Canned soups—up to 940 mg of sodium for one cup of chicken noodle

  • Sandwiches—more than 1,500 mg, depending on the bread, cured meats, cheeses and condiments

Related: How Does the DASH Diet Impact Your Blood Pressure?

How To Switch to a Low-Sodium Diet

If you’ve spent years eating a high-sodium diet, making the switch may feel difficult at first, but over time, your palate will adjust. Be patient, and have fun playing with natural and flavorful salt alternatives like lemon, ginger, curry, dried herbs (such as bay leaves, basil and rosemary), onion, garlic and dry mustard.

Related: 7 Numbers to Know to Minimize Your Risk of Heart Disease 

Still not sure how to ease off the salt shaker without sacrificing flavor? The 30-Minute Heart Healthy Cookbook: Delicious Recipes for Easy Low-Sodium Meals by Cheryl Strachan, RD (Rockridge Press) is a great place to start. With dishes like Grilled Garlic-Lime Chicken; Red Beans, Sausage and Rice; Pecan-Crusted Catfish and Stovetop Apple Crisp, you’ll happily adjust to a new, healthier way of eating.

For more heart health tips, read up on the 7 Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy.

This article originally appeared on Cleveland Clinic’s Health Essentials, health.clevelandclinic.org, as "Sodium-Controlled Diet."