The damage: 360 mg in a 1/2 cup
Compared to: 4 Chicken McNuggets: 360 mg

Just when you thought cottage cheese was on your side this whole time. Dieters in search of muscle-building protein are better off with Greek yogurt, which has less than 100 milligrams of salt for the same serving size, and almost double the protein.

The damage: 461 mg in 10 fluid ounces ... and that's just the mix
Compared to: 20 Ritz crackers: 420 mg

You may think this boozy brunch punch is your saving grace after a night out, but its high salt content will dehydrate you more than it will revive you. Don't let the celery stalk distract you. A few shakes of Tabasco, which has 179 milligrams in 1 ounce, can mean you're downing 640 milligrams of sodium before you even dig into your eggs Benedict.

The damage: 368 mg per slice of American cheese or 428 mg in 1 ounce of grated parmesan
Compared to: 2 bags of Lay's BBQ Potato Chips: 426 mg

Don't worry: We would never suggest you give up cheese for good. Instead, try switching types. One slice of mozzarella has half the sodium of parmesan, and adds a similar Italian flair to your pasta.

The damage: 880 mg per whole dill pickle
Compared to: 1 Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger: 870 mg

Read your labels closely. Sure, a single serving of pickles might only contain 220 milligrams of salt, but when was the last time you ate a quarter of a pickle? Eat the whole thing and you've devoured more than half a day's worth of sodium. We don't even want to think about what happened to our editor when she drank an entire jar of pickle juice to test out hangover cures.

The damage: 890 mg per cup
Compared to: 1 Ramen Noodle packet: 750-950 mg

Mmm, mmm, good -- and oh so salty. Just one cup will cost you nearly 75 percent of your daily sodium intake -- and one 8-ounce cup of soup has filled no one up ever.