'Less Salt, Please' banner of world Salt Awareness Week

The week of March 11-17 is the sixth annual World Salt Awareness Week. The theme this year, “Less Salt, Please,” highlights reducing the sodium content of food prepared outside the home, such as in restaurants and other settings.

This year’s theme encourages chefs, caterers, and the prepared food industry to decrease the amount of sodium they add to food and to purchase lower sodium ingredients and products. Prepared meals and processed foods can contain high levels of sodium.

A leading risk factor for strokes and heart attack is high blood pressure, which a diet high in sodium can contribute...