Surprisingly High-Sodium Foods You're Eating Without Realizing

45. Olives

Celebrated for healthy fats, olives are nearly always cured in a salty brine to make them palatable and preserve them. This process infuses them with significant sodium. Just five or six medium olives can contribute 150-300 mg of sodium, and it's easy to eat many more when snacking or adding them to dishes like salads or pizzas. While olives offer nutritional benefits, their sodium content necessitates moderation. Rinsing them under water before eating can help remove some surface salt.

46. Gnocchi (Store-Bought/Packaged)

Packaged gnocchi—whether found on the shelf or in the refrigerated aisle—is a surprising sodium heavyweight compared to regular pasta. While standard dried pasta contains virtually no sodium, these pillowy dumplings often use salt as a binding agent and preservative. A single one-cup serving can pack 500 mg to 600 mg of sodium before you even add sauce or parmesan cheese. This is particularly tricky because gnocchi is denser than typical pasta, making it easy to consume multiple servings without realizing it. To cut the salt, look for shelf-stable varieties labeled "low sodium," or consider a quick homemade version using ricotta and flour to keep your sodium levels in check while maintaining that classic Italian comfort.