A key to a healthy diet lies in choosing foods lower in salt, sodium and sugar. Our knowledge of nutrition has developed over the years, but it seems eating healthy continues to be a challenge due to hectic travel and the way we live our fast-paced lives. We spend less time at home eating home-cooked meals, instead choosing over-processed and pre-packaged convenience and fast foods — foods that are usually loaded with salt and sugar.

Food manufacturers rely on sugar and salt for flavor because they’re inexpensive and they feed our basic cravings. Americans consume more than twice their recommended requirement for salt, and 80 percent of that sodium intake comes from processed foods. Statistics also show that Americans consume about 500 “empty” sugar calories every single day.

Granted, our bodies need some salt and sugar, but that’s way too much.

We need sodium to maintain fluid balance, which helps to transmit nerve impulses and influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Carbohydrates like sugar are your body’s main source of energy.

Too much salt in the diet is associated with hypertension and high blood pressure, which can cause heart disease, heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. The American Medical Association claims that 150,000 lives a year could be saved simply by reducing the amount of salt in processed foods by one half.

Too much sugar can decrease the body’s level of good cholesterol and increase fat associated with heart disease and childhood obesity. Foods high in sugar tend to be empty calories, meaning they have no essential fiber, vitamins and minerals. Satisfying cravings with empty calories may deprive the body of necessary nutrients.

Cutting back on sodium and sugar is not easy, but it is possible — if you take charge of your own body.

How low can you go? The American Heart Association recommends less than 2.4 grams of sodium (approximately one teaspoon) per day for the average, healthy adult.

Avoid cured meats such as bacon, ham and hotdogs, brined foods such as olives, sauerkraut and pickles. Stay away from canned soups, cold cuts and frozen dinners. If you must indulge, rinse canned foods before eating them. That simple act can reduce the food’s sodium content by 30 percent.

Forty-five to 65 percent of the calories in a healthy adult’s diet should come from carbohydrates, with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans, nutrientrich fruits and milk. Limit the consumption of sugars from candy, sweets, cakes and cookies. And watch out for “hidden” carbohydrates listed on food labels — brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, honey, malt syrup, molasses and sucrose. You don’t have to go cold turkey. Start weaning yourself from your sugar fix by gradually decreasing the amount of sugar you add to coffee, tea, cereal, home cooking and baked goods.

Create a balance that works in your favor. Stick to fresh, healthy food choices 90 percent of the time and indulge your cravings 10 percent of the time. Moderation is the key to success.

Cut the Carbs

• Avoid soft drinks, including canned teas and juice drinks.
• Snack on dry-roasted, unsalted nuts or baked chips.
• Savor a piece of rich dark chocolate instead of mindlessly devouring a candy bar.

Shake the Salt

• Read labels and choose foods that are low in sodium.
• Use commercial salt substitutes.
• Experiment with flavors and replace salt with alternate seasonings.
• Taste your food before automatically adding salt.