Salt!

This guy would appreciate American cuisine.

Salt!  It's everywhere and in everything!  I hadn't realised how much salt was in American food until we returned and were inundated with it.  It's in everything!  I know those who went to undergrad with me won't believe this, but I'm sick of the salt!  It overpowers the natural flavours (a little is fine, but this is overkill) and makes me feel generally blah.

I understand that salt is a natural preservative, and it is therefore more desirable to use salt than an artificial preservative, but surely they can use a bit less to achieve that effect?  Surely we don't need ridiculous shelf lives for our food items and could therefore get by with a lot less salt in the items?  

I tend to make most things from scratch, but even then I find it difficult to avoid the high salt content.  I really must make sure to get unsalted butter next time, and hopefully that will help a lot.  I'm rather tired of all the salt, though.  I can't help but think that the high salt content in our food plays a part in the higher levels of obesity and heart disease, too.  A little salt is nice for a little flavour (though I find it's rarely needed, personally), but surely no one needs this amount of salt.