Too Much Salt? Tips

Some tips to cut a high-salt diet:

—Know how much sodium you're eating — 2,300 milligrams a day is the upper limit for most people. Those with high blood pressure are urged to eat much less, and 1,500 mg is plenty for good health.

—Read food labels. Three-fourths of daily sodium intake comes from processed foods, and they are required to list the amount of sodium per serving on the label.

—Comparison shop. The amount of salt added to different foods can vary widely by brand.

—Check for low- or reduced-sodium brands of your favorite foods. Even chicken broth, a staple for Thanksgiving gravy, now comes in low-sodium versions.

—Cook from scratch whenever possible. Substitute garlic, sage and other herbs, for salt, or try salt-free seasonings like Mrs. Dash. Other flavorings also can substitute for salt, like lemon on fish; roasting vegetables like red peppers to bring out their flavor; low-salt marinades for meat.

—Limit convenience foods like pizza and frozen dinners. A single slice of some pizzas can account for nearly half your daily sodium allotment.

—Taste isn't always an indicator of salt content. Some breakfast cereals can have more salt than potato chips. That's because sprinkling salt on the surface of a food makes the flavor go farther than when it is mixed into a more complex food.

—Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Choose no-salt-added canned vegetables. Frozen vegetables seldom contain much salt, unless they're coated with sauces.

—Limit consumption of smoked or salt-cured meats, such as hot dogs, ham, bacon and lunch meats.

—At a restaurant, ask for salad dressing and other sauces on the side, and ask that your food be prepared without salt or monosodium glutamate, MSG.

—Remove the salt shaker.

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On the Net:

National Institutes of Health blood pressure and salt info: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier2106

Britain's lower-salt campaign: http://www.salt.gov.uk/index.html