Sea salt

Unrefined sea salt is made by evaporating seawater, and it keeps small amounts of trace minerals like magnesium, potassium and calcium that refined table salt loses. Those amounts are tiny, so the real benefit is flavor.

Sea salt is still salt, and sodium counts the same either way. The good news is that most of the sodium in the typical American diet comes from packaged and restaurant foods, not the salt shaker. When you cook mostly from whole foods, you can season to taste.

One thing to know: most sea salt isn't iodized, and your thyroid needs iodine to make its hormones. If you switch, include iodine-rich foods like seaweed, fish, eggs or dairy, or keep some iodized salt in rotation. If you have a thyroid condition, check with your doctor about your iodine needs.