Eat Smart: Report Card — Salt (sodium) consumption

Nearly all Americans eat too much salt (sodium). Most of the salt comes from eating processed foods (77%) and adding salt to food while cooking or eating (11%). On average, the more salt a person eats, the higher his or her blood pressure.

Eating less salt is an important way to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, which may in turn reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney damage. Eating less salt may also decrease the loss of calcium from bone.

To reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, eat less processed food, use less salt while cooking, and add less salt to food at the table.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams (approximately 1 teaspoon) of sodium each day. 

If you are over the age of 50, or at high risk for hypertension, you should limit your daily sodium intake to 1,500 mg of sodium per day.

Learn more about how to eat less salt and get tips on using herbs and spices instead of salt.

How do King County employees and their spouses/domestic partners stack up?
Improving but does not meet the national goal.

In 2008, more than one-third (35%) of Wellness Assessment respondents reported that they rarely cook with salt or add it at the table and rarely eat processed foods or salted snacks. This is an increase of almost 9% since 2006.

Healthy People 2010 specifies health objectives for the nation. The Healthy People 2010 goal for sodium consumption is: