Shake It Up: Healthy Reasons to Lay Off the Salt

But pre-packaged and processed foods eaten at home, including lunch meats and canned soups, are often some of the worst hidden- sodium culprits in our diets, she said. The majority of the sodium we eat -- 77 percent -- comes from processed and prepared foods.

Check the labels and you may be surprised to find out that your lunch meat contains half a day's worth of sodium, or that a single cup of ramen noodles can equal your entire recommended daily allowance of sodium.

Watch out for misleading labels such as "reduced sodium" or "no added salt" -- those don't mean products are low sodium, Wrich said.

Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables or make sure to drain and rinse canned vegetables to reduce sodium content, she said. Or try using fresh garlic or no-salt herb blends to season your food instead of salt or salt blends, and know that your taste buds will eventually adjust to eating food with less salt. Our taste for salt is acquired, so it is reversible.

"It really only takes about four to six weeks for the taste buds to change," she said.

What Not to Eat...
If you're trying to reduce your sodium intake, avoid these high- sodium meals at popular chain restaurants:

• Red Lobster "Admirals' Feast" with caesar salad, creamy lobster- topped mashed potatoes, a cheddar bay biscuit and a lemonade = 7,106 milligrams of sodium
• Chili's Buffalo chicken fajitas with tortillas and condiments and a Dr Pepper = 6,916 milligrams 
• Olive Garden "Tour of Italy" meal with a breadstick, garden fresh salad with house dressing and a Coca-Cola = 6,176 milligrams