Primary Care

Purpose

Sodium controlled diets are designed to avoid excessive sodium retention.

Use

The low salt diet is used for persons with diseases that affect fluid balance or where a decrease in body fluid will relieve the symptoms of the disease. The following conditions may benefit from this diet; heart failure, impaired liver function, high blood pressure, and acute and chronic kidney disease.

Helpful Hints

• Remove the saltshaker from the table and don’t use salt in recipes and food preparation

• Use herbs, spices and lemon juice to add flavor to food

• Use seasonings well ahead of cooking to bring out added flavors

• Recognize ingredients with sodium as part of the name and delete from diet (ex. sodium bicarbonate)

• Rinse fish and canned vegetables to remove excess salt

• Use lower sodium products when available

• Words that signal high salt include: smoked, barbecued, pickled, broth, soy sauce, teriyaki, Creole sauce, marinated, cocktail sauce, tomato base, parmesan and mustard sauce

Food Category

Recommended

Avoid

Salt and Salt Seasoning

Fresh garlic, garlic powder, fresh onion, onion powder, black pepper, lemon juice, low sodium seasoning blends, vinegar

Table salt, garlic salt, celery salt, lite salt, bouillon cubes, seasoning salt, onion salt, meat tenderizer

Salty Foods

Homemade or low sodium sauces and salad dressings, dry mustard, unsalted snacks and crackers

Many condiments: soy sauce, barbeque sauce, salted crackers, chips, popcorn, pretzels, nuts

Cured Foods

Fresh beef, veal, poultry or fish

Ham, bacon, pickles, olives, relishes, sauerkraut, salt pork

Luncheon Meats

Low sodium deli meats, low sodium hot dogs

Hot dogs, corned beef,
pastrami, cold cuts, sausage

Processed Foods

Homemade or low sodium soups, canned foods without added salt, homemade casseroles without added salt, fresh or raw vegetables

Buttermilk, cheese, canned foods such as soup, vegetable juice, tomato products, vegetables, TV dinners and other frozen prepared foods, fast foods