Strategies for scaling back on sodium

Image by Kasia from Pixabay

By Julie Corliss
Posted on August 27, 2026

Even if you rarely salt your food, chances are you consume way more sodium than is healthy. That’s because 70% of the sodium (a major component of salt) in the typical American diet comes from processed, prepared, and restaurant foods. The biggest sources include bread, deli meats, pizza, burritos, tacos, soups, and salty snacks.

The average American consumes around 3,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium daily, which far exceeds the recommended sodium intake of 2,300 mg per day. Eating too much causes your body to hold on to extra water to dilute the extra sodium. As a result, the fluid inside your blood vessels increases, raising your blood pressure and your risk of cardiovascular disease.

But even small cuts in sodium can help, according to two studies that explored the potential health impact of sodium reduction efforts in France and the United Kingdom. In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began phasing in voluntary sodium-reduction targets for food manufacturers, with a goal of eventually cutting sodium intake in the United States by 20%.

In your personal efforts in scaling back on salt, track your daily sodium intake and avoid foods high in sodium.

“For people who’ve had a heart attack or a heart procedure, we recommend no more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day,” said Frances Parpos, a registered dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The health perks of scaling back on salt in bread and other foods

Cutting just a little salt from prepared foods on a national level could prevent large numbers of heart attacks and strokes, according to two studies in the March 2026 issue of Hypertension.

One study focused on modest sodium reductions in baguettes and other bread products in France. Beginning in 2022, the slight reductions — which cut sodium by 17% to 35% in those staple foods — went unnoticed by the French population. The resulting small drop in blood pressure could cut annual heart attack and stroke rates by about 1% each, saving more than 1,000 lives, the researchers estimate.

Similar changes to packaged foods (such as bread, cheese and meat) and takeout meals (such as burgers, curries and pizza) could lower daily sodium intake in the United Kingdom by about 18%, according to the other study. Over two decades, that could prevent more than 100,000 heart disease cases and 25,000 strokes.

Seek out lower-sodium products

When shopping, choose brands low in sodium – ideally less than 140 mg per serving. That’s especially important for foods like breads and cereals, which people tend to eat frequently, says Parpos. Cereals that have added sugar may also have added (but often undetectable to your tastebuds) amounts of sodium.

Don’t be misled by high-sodium foods marketed as “light in,” “reduced” or “less” sodium. “One popular brand of less-sodium soy sauce still has about 600 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon,” Parpos said.

How to read food labels for sodium

Although label statements offer clues about a product’s sodium content, check the Nutrition Facts panel (found on the product’s back or side) to find the actual amount.

If the label says sodium-free or salt-free, it means less than 5 mg sodium per serving.
If the label says very low sodium, it means less than 35 mg sodium per serving.
If the label says low sodium, it means less than 140 mg sodium per serving.
If the label says light in sodium*, it means at least 50% less sodium than the original product.
If the label says reduced or less sodium*, it means at least 25% less sodium than the original product.

*Note that foods with these phrases are not necessarily low in sodium, just lower in sodium than their standard counterparts.

Try less-salty sandwich alternatives

Deli sandwiches often contain close to 1,000 mg of sodium, thanks to the combo of a large bready roll, deli meats or cold cuts, cheese, pickles and condiments. Instead of processed meat, use leftover grilled chicken, no-salt-added canned tuna or sliced hard-boiled eggs, Parpos suggests.

To trim sodium from pizza, choose a thin-crust version with vegetable toppings. On tacos and burritos, opt for less meat and cheese but extra corn, tomatoes, lettuce and guacamole.

Have a restaurant game plan

Chain restaurants with more than 20 locations in the U.S. are required by the FDA to include nutrition information on their websites, so scope out the lower-sodium entree options in advance. Salad dressings, condiments and sauces tend to be salty, so get them on the side so you can control how much you use.

“If you’re going out to dinner, make sure your breakfast, lunch, and snacks are low in sodium, which can help you stay within your daily sodium budget,” Parpos said.

Julie Corliss is executive editor of Harvard Heart Letter.