With health officials reporting one in three Brooklyn residents have high blood pressure, leaders at Borough Hall called on them to cut salt from their diets.

Officials say minorities in Brooklyn have the highest blood pressure rates while white people have the lowest.

Some residents said they want to cut salt from their diets, but worry they would have to give up their favorite foods. However, health officials say there are easy ways to reduce salt intake. They say people should cut out salty seasonings like soy sauce and opt for curry or pepper. They recommend requesting low salt or no salt preparation in restaurants as well.

Experts say it?s as easy as reading nutrition labels for sodium levels and sticking with foods that have less than 20 percent of the recommended daily sodium amount. They recommend 2,400 milligrams daily.

As the obesity rate continues to rise in Brooklyn, doctors say no one should take high blood pressure lightly.

The Cut-The-Salt, Brooklyn campaign will be a yearlong awareness campaign. Officials are planning to track the progress of Brooklyn residents participating in the campaign. Next year, they hope to have results showing a drop of high blood pressure rates in the borough.