Put away the salt shaker

Did you know the average American consumes more than 3,500 mg of sodium daily? That's a little more than 1.5 teaspoons of salt! The recommendation from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is less than 2,300 mg a day. If you already have high blood pressure, it is recommended that you aim to eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day. In addition to reducing the amount of salt you add to your food, purchase foods that are labeled "no salt added", "reduced sodium", or "low sodium". They will still contain some sodium but not as much as the regular processed food.