Low Sodium Diet

How much sodium can I have?

A 1,500 to 2,000 to milligrams (mg) sodium diet is as part of a healthy eating

plan and helps to maintain a lower blood pressure and prevent swelling from
extra water build up in the body. Your doctor may give you a different sodium
goal based on your health history.

What are some hidden sources of sodium?

Sodium is found in:
 Table salt: 1 teaspoon contains 2,300 mg of sodium
 Seasonings: onion salt, garlic salt, seasoning salt, seasoning blends
 Leavening agents: baking powder (488 mg per teaspoon) and baking soda
(1,259 mg per teaspoon).
 Additives and preservatives: brine, di-sodium phosphate, monosodium
glutamate, sodium erythorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydrozide,
sodium propionate, sodium sulfite, and sodium nitrite

What are some shopping tips for lowering sodium?

1. Choose fresh or largely unprocessed foods without added salt or sodium-
containing preservatives.
2. Read food labels carefully. Look at the serving size and the sodium
content per serving. Check out the Reference Table on page 4 to learn
more about food labeling definitions.
3. Choose "No Added Salt" or "Low Sodium" canned and frozen foods.
4. Stay away from boxed pasta and rice mixes with seasoning packets since
many of them contain over 600 mg sodium per serving.

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 5. Buy fresh meat instead of processed meat. Avoid "basted" or "self-basted"
products which may contain injected broth with salt. Meats marked as
"natural" may also contain injected broth with salt.
6. When buying lunch meat, look for “No Salt Added” or “Low Sodium”
products.
7. Look for low sodium cheeses, such as Swiss, goat or farmers cheese.
8. All fruit is generally low in sodium. Be aware that dried or canned fruits
may be higher in sodium from added sodium benzoate, a preservative.

How else can I cut down on sodium?

 Teach your taste buds to want less sodium by searching for new recipes
without added salt. Before you know it, you will like these foods better!
 Try using a pinch of Citric Acid, also known as Sour Salt, as a salt
substitute. Citric acid adds a lemony tart taste. Use only a little bit
because it will make food taste sour. You can buy Citric Acid in the
canning aisle of stores.
 Use a variety of salt-free herbs and spice blends for flavor during meal
preparation and at the table.
 Infuse oils and vinegars with herbs to use as a finishing drizzle over
prepared foods or use them as a marinade. Try warming olive oil and
fresh rosemary in a saucepan over medium heat for one minute. Remove
from the heat and pour over sliced tomatoes. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Top beans, rice or pasta with the marinated tomatoes.
 Compare food labels at the grocery store, choosing the lowest in sodium.
 Check your local library, bookstore or search the internet for books on
low-sodium cooking. One example is the American Heart Association Low-
Salt Cookbook.
 Many low fat and fat-free foods are higher in sodium, so choose wisely
when grocery shopping.

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  Look for “unsalted”, “No Added Salt” or “Low Sodium” versions of your
favorite foods.
 Use salt-free seasonings to add flavor to foods without the sodium.
 When dining out, ask that your foods are prepared without salt. It is best
to check online for restaurant nutrition information before leaving home.
 Check out phone app's for tracking sodium content of individual and
restaurant foods.
 Look for frozen dinners with 600 mg sodium or less. This may sound like
a lot of sodium, but it may be a better choice than some restaurant meals.
 Medications may contain sodium, such as antacids, laxatives and
antibiotics. Ask your pharmacist if you have questions.

What are some ingredients I could use in place of salt?

1. Use the juice of lemons or limes.
2. Add different types of vinegar.
3. Replace garlic and onion salts with garlic and onion powder or use the
fresh versions for an even zestier taste.
4. Do not use a salt-substitute containing potassium-chloride unless you
check with your doctor or dietitian.
5. Spend time in the spice aisle at the grocery store and you’ll be amazed at
all of the salt-free seasoning options available. You can also make your
own spice blends!

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Understanding Food Labeling Terms
This reference table will help you learn the definitions of terms often used on
food labels.

One serving contains no more

Choose These: Sodium free than 5 mg sodium.
One serving contains no more
Very low sodium than 35 mg sodium.

One serving contains no more

Low sodium than 140 mg of sodium.
Check the The sodium content has been
Sodium Content Light or Lite reduced by 50% compared to its

of These sodium regular version.

The sodium content has been
Reduced or Less reduced by 25% as compared to
sodium the reference food.

One serving contains 480 mg

Avoid These High Sodium sodium or more; or 20% Daily
Value or more.

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Food Groups (Daily Recommended Recommended Sodium per
Servings) Serving Size serving
Starchy Grain Products (6-11 Servings
per day)
Unsalted cooked cereal, rice, pasta ½ cup 0-5 mg
Ready to eat cereal, low sodium ½ cup 0-140 mg
Bread 1 slice 110-175 mg
Corn tortillas 2 4-inch pieces 5-10mg
Fruit (2-2 ½ cups/day)
Fresh, frozen or canned ½ cup 0-5 mg
Vegetables (2-2 ½ cups servings per day)
Fresh or frozen, without added salt ½ cup 1-70 mg
Low Sodium or No Salt Added canned ½ cup 0-140 mg
Low Fat or Skimmed Milk Dairy Products
(2 servings per day)
Milk 1 cup 120 mg
Yogurt 8 ounces 160 mg
Low Sodium Cheese: Swiss, Goat or 1 ounce 54-110 mg
Farmers Cheese
Meat, Fish and Poultry (5-7 ounces per
day)
Fresh Meat, Fish or Poultry 3 ounces 30-90 mg
Tuna, No Salt Added 3 ounces 34-45 mg
Nuts and Beans (1 serving per day)
nuts, unsalted 1/3 cup 0-5 mg
Beans, cooked from dried or frozen ½ cup 0-5 mg
without salt

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Sample Menu
Sodium
Content
Breakfast
1% Milk (8 ounces) 127 mg
Shredded Wheat (1 cup) 1 mg
Banana ( ½ medium) 1 mg
Toasted bread (1 slice) 147 mg
with soft margarine (1 teaspoon) & jam 30 mg

Lunch:
Pita Pocket Sandwich:
Pita bread (1/2 slice) 75 mg
Cooked chicken (3/4 cup) 75 mg
Lettuce and tomato slice 5 mg
Swiss cheese (1 ounce) 4 mg
1 medium apple 2 mg

Supper:
Salmon (3 ounces) 39 mg
Rice with mushrooms (1 cup) 2 mg
Steamed broccoli (3/4 cup) 48 mg
Coleslaw (shredded cabbage) with low sodium vinaigrette 160 mg
1 orange 1 mg

Evening Snack:
1 Peach 1 mg
Almond butter, unsalted (2 tablespoons) 2 mg
Vanilla yogurt (1/2 cup) 53 mg
Total Sodium of the Sample Menu 772 mg

*Sodium Values were taken from the USDA National Nutrient Data Base

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 High Sodium Low Sodium

Disclaimer: This document contains information and/or instructional materials

developed by the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) for the typical patient
with your condition. It may include links to online content that was not created by UMHS
and for which UMHS does not assume responsibility. It does not replace medical advice
from your health care provider because your experience may differ from that of the
typical patient. Talk to your health care provider if you have any questions about this
document, your condition or your treatment plan.

Patient Education by University of Michigan Health System is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Last Revised 06/20/2016

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