Americans love salt but it is time to shake the habit. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported two out of three Americans need to cut back on sodium. The average American consumes 4,000 mg of sodium a day and most health experts and organizations agree that we should consume around 1,500–2,300 mg each day.

Too much sodium in the diet may increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. With heart disease being the number-one killer in the United States, less sodium in the diet is something every American should seriously consider. A person may be even more sensitive to the effect of excess sodium in the diet if he/she has high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes or is older than 50.

A common question is whether sea salt is a better choice. Here is a listing of common types of salt and their sodium content.

1 teaspoon coarse salt = 2,338 mg sodium

1 teaspoon pickling salt = 2,358 mg sodium

1 teaspoon kosher salt = 1,968 mg sodium

1 teaspoon rock salt = 1,838 mg sodium

1 teaspoon sea salt (any flavor) = 1,950 mg sodium

1 teaspoon seasoned salt = 1,520 mg sodium

1 teaspoon table salt = 2,325 mg sodium

You can see that salt is still salt, it still contains a lot of sodium and we all need to be eating less of it considering our daily target is somewhere between 1,500 and 2,300 mg. But, that doesn’t mean that food has to be bland or tasteless. A healthier alternative is to try other ways to flavor your food.

Flavor Boosters for Low Sodium

Hot ‘n’ Spicy: Spice up your favorite food with black pepper, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce or crushed red pepper.

Citrus Zest: Add citrus zest from oranges, limes and lemons to salad dressings, sauces and marinades. It gives the flavor of saltiness without the added salt.

Flavored Vinegar: Use flavored vinegars — white or red wine, rice, or balsamic — with salad dressings, marinades and sauces.

Marinade Magic: Marinate meat with wine, vinegar, lemon or lime juice.

Go Nuts: Top salads, vegetables and side dishes with toasted nuts such as almonds, pecans or walnuts.

Spice It Up: Fresh herbs are a great way to add flavor to vegetables, pasta, seafood and so much more — top favorites include fresh ginger, basil, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon.