There’s a potential hazard in your food that you may be unaware of. It can lurk where you might not even detect it. It’s salt. The average American consumes nearly twice the recommended maximum daily allowance of sodium. That’s not a good thing, because a high-sodium diet can lead to heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease.

The recommended daily sodium intake, according to experts, is less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, the amount in about 1 teaspoon of salt. People with elevated blood pressure should aim for no more than 1,500 milligrams. A major problem is restaurant and processed foods, which make up at least 75 percent of Americans’ daily sodium intake.

It can be hard to cut back on sodium because it’s in a lot of foods you wouldn’t expect, including something like pudding. That’s right, pudding. One-half cup of Jell-O Lemon Instant Pudding contains a hefty 310 milligrams of sodium. A half-cup of Friendship 1% Lowfat Cottage Cheese contains 360 milligrams of sodium. And one cup of Post Raisin Bran has 300 milligrams of sodium!

You really need to look at labels and make sure you’re picking food that has lower sodium content per serving. Compare Newman’s Own Lighten Up! Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing with Annie’s Naturals Organic. One serving of Newman’s has 470 milligrams of sodium, while Annie’s has just 75 milligrams.

By cutting down on the sodium you eat in restaurant food, processed foods, and home cooking, you can retrain your taste buds so that you won’t even miss it.

If you do eat out a lot, some chains post nutritional information for each menu item, so check sodium content before ordering. Get sauce and dressing on the side. And avoid “sodium heavy” foods like cured meats, and condiments like ketchup and barbecue and steak sauces.