This Super-Common Ingredient Might Make You Gain Weight

But as it turns out, overdoing the salt can also make it easier for you to put on weight.

In an Australian study, people who ate pasta with a salty sauce took in 11 percent more calories than those who ate less-salty versions. (Want 150 healthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that actually taste great? Try The Guy Gourmet Cookbook from Men’s Health.) And while that’s not a ton, that 11 percent difference can add up to a pound or two over time.

The study authors suggest that excessive salt may override feelings of fullness because the food tastes so freaking good. If you’ve ever accidently bought a can of low-sodium soup, chips, or sauce, you know there’s a serious difference in flavor. So it makes sense.

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But while loading up on the salt might fuel your appetite, it probably won’t hurt your health—unless you already have cardiac issues, that is. Too much sodium can raise blood pressure in people with hypertension, but an occasional salty meal for a healthy, active person who eats a well-balanced diet likely isn’t going to hurt, says Men’s Health nutrition advisor Alan Aragon, M.S. 

In the meantime, try our pick for pasta, Muir Glen Organic No Salt Added Tomato Sauce, with 30 milligrams of sodium per serving, to stay on track with your weight loss goals.