Low-Salt Diet

Your doctor just told you that you have high blood pressure, and you’re thinking – now what? One of the ways to manage high blood pressure is by following a low-salt (also called low-sodium) diet. This guide was created to help you make healthy food choices so you can lower your risk for heart disease.

What foods should I eat?

Reading the Nutrition Facts Label on the foods you eat can help you figure out which foods are healthy choices for you and which ones you should limit. When reading the Nutrition Facts Label, look for the sodium content. Ideally, the food should contain <5% of your daily value for sodium per serving. Your goal should be to limit your total sodium intake to 2300 milligrams (mg) per day.Also, look for foods that advertise that they are “low-sodium”, “reduced-sodium”, “sodium-free”, or “no salt added”.

What can I do to lower my salt intake?

Salt that you add to your food at the table is an obvious source of salt, but salt can be found in many places other than the salt shaker. Here are some tips for lowering your salt intake:

• Choose low-salt or reduced-salt condiments. Condiments are the extra sauces that make food tasty, such as mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Use very small amounts of these.
• Avoid cured and high-salt meats such as bacon, sausage, bologna, pepperoni and ham.
• Limit the amount of prepackaged and processed foods you eat, such as frozen meals, macaroni and cheese, pizza rolls, and chicken nuggets. These types of foods are usually loaded with sodium. Check out the Nutrition Facts Label and choose foods that are lowest in sodium.
• Stay away from pickled foods and those packaged in brine (salt water) such as olives and pickles.
• Choose fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. If you like canned vegetables, pick low-salt or no-salt veggies options or rinse them off before eating.
• Limit snack foods that are high in salt. Look for “reduced-salt” or “low-salt” chips, popcorn, pretzels, and crackers. Try unsalted nuts and peanuts.
• Leave the salt shaker in the cabinet. Try not to salt your food, or at least cut down on the amount of extra salt you use. Use herbs and spices or try fresh lemon or lime juice to flavor your food.
• Stay away from canned soup. Canned soups are super high in sodium! Many soups and broths contain a whopping 600-950 mg of sodium per serving (or more!). Read the nutrition food label and look for “reduced sodium” or “low sodium” varieties, which usually contain half the amount of sodium (200-400 mg per serving).

Example: Compare regular soup to “reduced sodium” soup

Other than the low-salt diet, is there anything else I should limit?

Eating an overall healthy diet that is low in salt will help your blood pressure. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has also been proven to lower blood pressure. This diet is low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and it places special importance on fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean proteins. It is lower in salt, sweets, and red meat than the typical American diet.

The DASH diet is individually designed to meet your specific energy needs, but overall, the diet calls for the following each day:

• <2300 mg of sodium
• 3 servings of low-fat dairy such as yogurt, string cheese, or milk
• 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables
• 3 or more servings of whole grains, such as whole wheat bread or brown rice
• Lean meats, poultry, or fish
• Nuts, seeds, or legumes, such as cashews, sunflower seeds, or peanuts
• Limit sweets and added sugars
• Exercise each day

Here is more information about the DASH diet.

Can I still eat fast food?

Once in a while, it’s okay to eat fast food but remember it tends to be high in salt, so try not to eat it too often. When ordering at fast food restaurants, choose salads or foods that are grilled or broiled rather than fried foods. Limit high-salt add-ons such as ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, and pickles.

Here are some lower-sodium options when eating at your favorite fast food restaurants:

If you are used to eating lots of salty foods, following a low salt diet might take some getting used to. Your taste buds should adjust to the change quickly, though. After that, following a low salt diet probably won't be that hard for you! It is well worth the effort because the diet may help lower your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease.

Written by the CYWH Staff at Children's Hospital Boston

Updated: 6/11/2008

Related Information:

• Related Links