Most salt in American diets comes from food processing rather than the salt shaker. Here are suggestions on how to cut down:

♦ Read food labels. Salt is about 40 percent sodium, so look for the words soda, as in sodium bicarbonate or baking soda.

♦ Some drugs contain high amounts of sodium, so read those labels, too.

♦ Choose fresh, frozen or canned food without added salt. Avoid canned vegetables packed with salt.

♦ Substitute salt with spices containing less sodium.

♦ Select unsalted nuts, beans and peas.

♦ Limit salty snacks such as pretzels and chips.

♦ Select unsalted soups or broths.

♦ When eating out, ask that your dish be prepared without salt.

♦ Pay attention to these foods, the most common sources of salt: meat pizza, white bread, processed cheese, hot dogs, spaghetti with sauce, ham, ketchup, cooked rice, white rolls, flour tortilla, salty snacks and whole milk.

Sources: American Heart Association and the Grocery Manufacturers Association

- The Baltimore Sun