Explanation

The sentence "If Americans ate fewer foods with sugar and salt, their general health_________better" requires a conditional structure. Here, a hypothetical situation is presented: the relationship between reducing sugar and salt intake and the potential impact on health.

In English, when forming conditional sentences that express unreal or unlikely situations, we typically use the second conditional form. This involves using "would" in the main clause to indicate the possible outcome of the hypothetical scenario laid out in the "if" clause.

The correct completion with "would be" (option B) indicates that if the condition of eating fewer sugary and salty foods is met, then the expected outcome is an improvement in general health. The other options do not fit grammatically or contextually; "is" (A) suggests a certainty that does not align with the hypothetical scenario, "be" (C) is incorrect because it lacks a modal verb to express the conditionality, and "will be" (D) suggests a future certainty rather than a hypothetical outcome. Thus, "would be" is the correct choice, effectively conveying the idea that better health is a potential result contingent on the behavior change.