
Low-Salt Diet:
A Guide for Teens
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:
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:
For more information about the DASH diet, click this link.
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:
| Restaurant |
Lower Sodium Options |
| McDonald's | |
| 4 or 6 piece Chicken McNuggets | |
| Hamburger | |
| Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait | |
| Burger King | |
| Whopper Jr. without mayo | |
| Hamburger | |
| 4 or 5 piece Chicken Tenderswith Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce | |
| Sour Cream & Chive Baked Potato | |
| Wendy's | |
| Jr. Hamburger | |
| 4 or 5 piece Chicken Nuggets with Sweet and Sour Nugget Sauce | |
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. |
Updated: 6/11/2008
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