I won't even pretend that I don't like salt because I do. Actually, I love it. My husband could eat three meals a day, every day, and not use a single bit of salt or even crave it.

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If you're like me and you love salt but you've vowed to consume less of it, you need to know that yanking your hand away from the shaker isn't going to solve everything because, believe it or not, a lot of the foods we eat on a daily basis are packed with salt.

According to the CDC, there are ten foods in particular that are super salty.  Actually, they're so salty that they make up 44 percent of our sodium intake. Most of the foods on the list aren't naturally salty. The companies that sell the food add the salt.

Further proof that obscene amounts of salt is being put into our food comes from the USDA which claims that naturally occurring salt only accounts for about 13 percent of our sodium intake. It's food manufacturers who are adding 77 percent and you and I who are giving the salt shaker a flick of our wrist 10 percent of the time.

As much as it pains this salt lover to admit, too much salt in your diet can lead to high blood pressure as well as heart problems so cutting back on any of these salt-laden foods will help.

  • 1

    Bread

    The CDC says that bread is the number one source of food that we ingest. If you love your morning salt bagel, you might want to find something new because a salt bagel has almost 3,500 milligrams of sodium, which is one-and-a-half times what you should have in an ENTIRE day. Grab an onion bagel instead- they've got about 380 milligrams of sodium.

  • 2

    Deli Meat

    Not all deli meats are packed with salt, but more are than aren't. For example, six thin slices of salami have 1,130 milligrams of salt which is the same amount as if you were to eat 39 Ritz crackers. 39 crackers. Let that sink it. It's scary, right?

  • 3

    Pizza

    This isn't going to sit well with pizza lovers, but a large slice of pepperoni pizza has about 600 milligrams of salt. A personal deep-dish pizza has almost 5,000 milligrams of salt.

     

  • 4

    Poultry

    Look at the label on raw chicken the next time you visit the grocery store. It probably says something like "10% broth solution." In people terms, that means it has about  60 extra milligrams of salt per chicken breast. What you want to reach for instead is a package of chicken that says "no added broth."

  • 5

    Soup

    Chicken noodle soup is amazing when you're sick, but alas, it's one of the saltiest soups. Go for minestrone because it's got about a third less salt.

  • 6

    Burgers

    It might be tempting to pick up a burger at the local fast food place on your way home, but a cheeseburger at one of those places can have 4,000 milligrams of salt. Make a burger at home- it'll have less salt and be more healthy.

  • 7

    Cheese

    This is the one I struggle with the most because I'm obsessed with cheese. Parmesan and cottage cheese are both loaded with salt, about 900 milligrams per cup. Low-sodium versions are obviously better, or reach for regular cheddar because it's about half as much salt.

  • 8

    Pasta

    The noodles aren't where the problem is- it's the sauce. Pasta sauces are usually high in salt and things like Ramen Noodles are worse. One package of Ramen Noodles has over 2,000 milligrams. Back away from the Ramen Noodles.

  • 9

    Steak

    Steak really doesn't have to be drowning in salty, but it usually is. One single steak can have more than 6,000 milligrams of salt so if you want steak, treat yourself to a regular filet- that has about a quarter.

  • 10

    Salty Snacks

    Chips, popcorn, and pretzels are literally covered in salt. Did you know that one serving of pretzels contains almost 20 percent of the salt you're supposed to have in a day? I'm sorry, but it's true.

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