Top 10 Packaged Foods Highest in Sodium

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day in your diet. But most people consume 3,000 to 5,000 mg of sodium a day. And that's a problem that can raise your blood pressure, damage your arteries, kidneys, eyes, heart, and increase your risk for a stroke, heart attack, or congestive heart failure. So where is all that excess sodium coming from? An estimated 77 percent of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Microwave meals, frozen pizza, canned soup, and processed meats are the primary culprits. Check out these top 10 single-serving sodium offenders found in the frozen food section at the grocery store:

Hungry Man Home-Style Meatloaf - 1,660 mg

Hungry Man Selects Classic Fried Chicken - 1,610 mg

Boston Market Swedish Meatballs - 1,450 mg

Hungry Man Boneless Fried Chicken - 1,350 mg

Stouffer's A la Carte Classic Chicken Breast in BBQ Sauce and Cheese PotatoBake - 1,290 mg

Hungry Man Classic Fried Chicken Strips - 1,240 mg

Boston Market Classic Lasagna - 1,200 mg

Boston Market Country Fried Chicken - 1,150 mg

Progresso Classics Hearty Tomato Soup - 1,110 mg

10 - Marchan Instant Lunch Ramen Noodles - 1,120 mg

These foods might be quick and easy to make, and they might even taste good, but the amount of sodium in these meals will only make trying to control hypertension and its side effects even worse. Fortunately, MagicKitchen.com offers a complete line of frozen, ready-to-eat meals that taste great and are low in sodium like Cod with Mediterranean Sauce (316 mg sodium), Vegetable Gourmet Artisan Flatbread with Kalamata Olives (200 mg sodium), Vegetable Barley Beef Soup (260 mg sodium), and many more to choose from.