15 Foods Secretly High in Salt

While a little salt can do wonders for a meal’s flavor, too much of it can increase your risk of developing an enlarged heart muscle, persistent headaches, heart failure, high blood pressure, kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and stroke. It’s helpful to use less salt in your cooking but you also have to look out for foods that contain hidden salt that will undermine your efforts. 15 Foods That Have Hidden Salt 1. Frozen Shrimp Generally, manufacturers add salt to processed shrimp for flavor. They’ll also contain additives like sodium tripolyphosphate – which is used to maintain the shrimp’s moisture during thawing. Instead of buying frozen shrimp, it’s better to get freshly caught ones. If that’s not possible, check out health food stores that may have additive-free options.  2. Packaged Soup Manufacturers often add salt and monosodium glutamate (MSG) to enhance the flavor of their packaged soups. While you can find some reduced salt options, it’s a good idea to make your soup from scratch.  3. Instant Pudding Unlike the first two foods, you’re unlikely to taste the salt in instant pudding. That’s because it gets the high sodium content from disodium phosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate, which are additives used...