Too much salt is bad for you. Why do salty foods taste so good? Why is it that most really good tasting things are not healthy? I really like vegetables, but I also like salted pretzels, Reese's peanut butter cups, and a bunch of other stuff that has no food value. Are humans just wired strange?
There are a few reasons why salty and sweet foods that are not necessarily healthy can taste very good to humans:

• Our taste receptors evolved at a time when food was scarcer, so we are biologically primed to seek out calories and salts/sugars that were once relatively rare in the diet. Salt, sugar, and fat are very energy-dense, so we evolved to find them rewarding to eat.

• The food industry has engineered these foods to be highly palatable and rewarding by optimizing the ratios of salt, sugar, fat and other ingredients. These processed foods are essentially superstimuli that activate our reward pathways far beyond what natural foods would have in the past.

• Taste is complex and multidimensional. While we may find salty or sweet snacks rewarding in the moment due to biological and psychological factors, other qualities like bitterness, umami, texture, aroma, and more also factor into the overall taste experience. Vegetables and other healthy foods can also taste very good when prepared well and eaten in the proper context. Our tastes are learned and context-dependent to a large degree.

• It is natural for humans to enjoy a variety of foods, some more indulgent and some more nutritious. The key is moderation and balance. While it's fine to enjoy treats, focusing the majority of your diet on highly processed, high-salt/sugar foods will likely lead to health issues in the long run. Moderation and eating a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other nutritious foods is ideal.