Low Sodium Diet

skinimini19 · July 2017

So, last week I was told while in the hospital that I need to go on a low sodium diet (2000mgs a day) to maintain my blood pressure. At the time I was devastated, but now I am really interested. Is anyone else on low sodium diets? Any helpful hints/tips/tricks? I did join MFP Premium so I can monitor my sodium better. Thank you!

Old_Cat_Lady · July 2017

I am on the DASH diet. Google it. I'm doing a lot of home cooking. No more frozen burritos. No more fast food. It's been tough, but I think it is one of the easiest diets to follow out there. My max is 2,300 mg sodium a day. Always try to eat more potassium than sodium. I have seriously cut back on hard liquor.

Premium was not necessary for me to track sodium and potassium. I simply replaced carbs with sodium in my diary.

cwolfman13 · July 2017

skinimini19 wrote: »

So, last week I was told while in the hospital that I need to go on a low sodium diet (2000mgs a day) to maintain my blood pressure. At the time I was devastated, but now I am really interested. Is anyone else on low sodium diets? Any helpful hints/tips/tricks? I did join MFP Premium so I can monitor my sodium better. Thank you!

More whole foods...less processed foods...less eating out, etc.

Troutrouter1968 · July 2017

I'm on a low sodium diet (1500mg/day). I plan my meals ahead of time and read labels for hidden sodium. It's not really that difficult.

JeromeBarry1 · July 2017

Been there, done that, here's how:

Do you eat meat? (you may have or choose different things that also work) No processed meat. It seems one of the processes is to always add salt. Even 95% of the chicken you find has a saline solution injected "to improve plumpness" but they're selling you salt water at chicken prices. Buy "natural" chicken and turkey. The natural poultry have dozens of mg of sodium per serving rather than hundreds of mg of sodium per serving in the mass market saline injected poultry. Use thin cuts of beef and pork. Even if the beef and pork are not injected with a saline solution, and they are not, every cubic millimeter comes with a salt load so you have to reduce your sodium intake by reducing your mass intake of beef and pork.
Frozen shrimp are typically drenched in saline solution, but some brands which source their shrimp from the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico do not. You may be able to find these "Product of USA" frozen shrimp at your grocer and their nutrition facts label will indicate that they are much less saline than the imported shrimp.
Anchovies are going to be forbidden. Sorry.
Other canned, frozen, and fresh fish are going to be ok. Some are saltier than others, so make your choices.

After the animal sources of sodium are addressed, the vegetable sources are terribly easy. All are OK. The only places you find salt in your veg are in the canned goods and the sauces in the frozen veg section of the grocery store. Even in the canned section, it's becoming increasingly more common to find vegetables canned with "no added salt", and you can use those.

After the vegetables, the drinks. Common fizzy drinks have salt added to make you drink more. Choose not to.

After the drinks, the bread. I'm sorry, but all bread is a salt bomb. You'll have to greatly restrict your bread intake.

After the bread, the cheese. I'm sorry, but most cheese is a salt bomb. You'll have to greatly restrict your cheese intake or love Ricotta.

You could, by using fresh vegetables, natural poultry, and no sauces, construct a day's worth of calories with far less than 1000 mg of sodium. That means you can choose the sodium to add to your daily intake. One piece of bread is going to be a big chunk of your sodium budget. One piece of bread plus 2 pieces of bacon is probably going to put you over your budget. Turkey bacon, OTOH, can bring you back under. It's a delicate balancing act. It's easy to do, but do make sure you get all 2000 of your budget because over time a severe sodium deficiency leads to hyponatremia, a nervous system disorder which you don't want.

SoleTrainer60 · July 2017

My husband and I try to watch our salt intake, we either use black pepper or a salt free seasoning called Mrs Dash, which comes in different flavored spices. Very tasty.

OliveGirl128 · July 2017

I've recently started the DASH diet, for overall health, but it was created for high blood pressure. My husband has higher blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol, and his doctor has been getting after him to start it. Here's the whole plan in one, easy to refer to page-I copy/pasted it into a Word document and then printed it out to use as a reference when I'm making my daily meal plan

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash/followdash

HeidiCooksSupper · July 2017

We are watching our sodium, too. Our first stop was the Mrs. Dash shelf at the grocery store. You generally find Mrs. Dash and other salt-free spices below or next to the other spices. We are heavy users now of Mrs. Dash Herb and Garlic. Yummy.

Don't use salt replacements that replace what is chemically sodium chloride with another salt like potassium chloride because that introduces its own problems. Go for things that substitute herbs and spices.

Develop a "heavy hand" with non-salt herbs and spices. Make heavy use of lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegars, jams, etc. for flavor. Avoid bland food by adding flavors that aren't salt.

Watch out for salty sauces, condiments, etc., e.g. soy sauce, dill pickles, capers, anchovies, A1, Worcestshire, etc.

Get used to looking at the sodium numbers on labels. Picking up something in the grocery store and seeing it has several hundred mg of sodium per serving is enough to make you put it back down.

Watch out for MFP database listings where people didn't bother to enter sodium. You can underestimate by several hundred a day. Just because an MFP entry for ground beef says it has zero sodium doesn't mean it's true. Choose a better entry or correct it.

Make soup from scratch. Use homemade broths; boxed broths are salt water and bouillon cubes are basically little blocks of salt.

You do need some salt but if you start to eliminate "automatic" salt you thought you needed, well, after eating that way for a week or two, you'll forget the lack of salt and the first time you go out to eat you'll think the chef spilled the salt bottle into your food.

Oh, and I have no idea if this is scientifically valid but we haven't totally given up the occasional salty meal, we just try to keep them to a minimum. I have my daily goals set so it shows me the sodium numbers and that helps keep me honest. I aim for 1500 but try to definitely stay between 1500 and 2300 mg/day.

BrianSharpe · July 2017

Did your doctor also talk to you about potassium? It seems to be a well kept secret that the average adult has an RDA of 4700mg of potassium daily according to the American Heart Assoc, Heart & Stroke in Canada etc etc but everyone seems to fixate on sodium.

While far from conclusive there has been research that suggests that it's the ratio of potassium to sodium that may actually be important but, for now, I'd follow the doctors advice on restricting sodium and start tracking potassium.

My biggest tip for going low sodium.....cook from scratch. If you're buying canned tomatoes to make pasta sauce (fresh are better but a bit more work) make sure they're the "no salt added" variety, I've found that with a little extra garlic & other spices etc you don't miss the salt at all. As mentioned above, check labels for sodium content (and check their idea of a "serving size" too......it's frequently less than what people assume.

40lbslighter · August 2017

BrianSharpe wrote: »

Did your doctor also talk to you about potassium? It seems to be a well kept secret that the average adult has an RDA of 4700mg of potassium daily according to the American Heart Assoc, Heart & Stroke in Canada etc etc but everyone seems to fixate on sodium.

This is so true! Potassium is critical to health. It is also incredibly difficult to track because, at this time at least, potassium and phosphorous (another vital nutrient) are only included on U.S. nutrition lables on a voluntary basis. Starting in 2018, manufacturers will be required to list potassium.

High potassium intake, like sodium, is also dangerous, however most people consume only a fraction of the RDA as it is.

More about potassium:
Most people think of bananas as the go-to potassium food, but its not as high in potassium as you may think. To help me increase my potassium intake, I read a few recent articles and combined the lists of high potassium foods into my own list. (Note: There are a few foods I left off the list because I don't personally care for them. I had made the list for myself, not thinking I would publish it.)

Here is my top 20:
White beans, canned, drained, 1 cup: 1190 mg
Acorn squash, 1 cup 896 mg
Fresh cooked spinach, 1 cup 839 mg
Black beans, 1 cup 739 mg
Lentils, 1 cup, cooked: 732mg
Edamame, 1 cup 676 mg
Potato, medium, baked with skin: 610 mg
Pomegranate juice, 1 cup 600 mg
Coconut water, 1 cup 600 mg
Butternut squash, 1 cup 582 mg
Yogurt, fat-free, 1 cup: 579 mg
Frozen spinach, 1 cup 540 mg
Avocado , 1 half 533 mg
100% orange juice, 8 ounces: 496 mg
Halibut, 3 ounces, cooked: 490 mg
Broccoli, 1 cup, cooked: 457 mg
Milk, Fat Free w A&D, 8 ounces: 410 mg
Pork tenderloin, 3 ounces, cooked: 382 mg
Salmon, farmed Atlantic, 3 ounces, cooked: 326 mg
Pistachios, shelled, 1 ounce, dry roasted: 295 mg

Number 21? Bananas!

mjbnj0001 · August 2017

We cut our average sodium intake to about 1500 mg/day by eliminating a lot of labelled (processed) foods, etc.

For a number of years we actually avoided adding salt in cooking (going below 1500 mg/day), which changed our taste appreciation - things that may have seemed "bland" before became rich in their own right, with or without added flavorants (herbs and spices). We figured natural foods have their own sodium contributions, and were *maybe* right in this (at least we didn't drive around craving salt licks in the woods, LOL). Now we add a touch, here and there, but never a lot. It does improve the flavor of our home cooking.

Eating out on vacations are a problem, especially for me, as I retain water big time. Even when you think you're making good choices, salt sneaks up on you - sometimes, with exotic foods, you can't even be sure it's a salt bomb. Forget fast food, pizza, etc. - they're all loaded. Needless to say, as I'm semi-retired, I'm doing a lot of the cooking now. As a poster above said, for things such as canned tomatoes or other "ingredient" items, look for "no salt added" varieties. Things to make yourself that contain easily-avoided salt (and other questionable ingredients): soup, salad dressings, sauces. Most are pretty easy.

As a prev poster said, bread is a salt bomb. Commercial bread. I bake 80% or so of ours, and I'm keeping the sodium to about 50% of the commercial. Too little, and you're eating cardboard, sorry.

Cheese is my downfall. I'll skip all other salt, all the time, for a nice hunk of cheddar or blue cheese. Oh, well.

I've seen articles recently discussing the need for at least some sodium in your diet. Alas, no pat answers, no universal advice. It's all a lifestyle process centered on you and your needs.

GemstoneofHeart · August 2017

I wish you the best of luck! Mfp is a great tool!

aprilzabeth · August 2017

Some ezekial bread has no sodium at all. Or you could bake your own with yeast. Hain featherweight baking powder has no sodium for when you want to bake things without yeast. There are no sodium added tomato sauces. But remember there is natural sodium in foods.

Some high sodium foods to avoid are .... canned foods, soy sauce, salad dressing...

Good luck!

xvolution · August 2017

I am on a renal diet (which is similar to the DASH diet, but it included a potassium limit as well) and one of the things that helps a lot is sodium free herbs and spice blends (like Ms. Dash as stated earlier). You'd be surprised at how much sodium you cut out of your diet by not using table salt for seasoning.

jgnatca · August 2017

I have gone low salt before. Processed foods are nearly all high in salt. I got pretty good at cooking from scratch. High salt can mask "off" tastes. Nearly overnight I switched to the freshest veggies I could find, and I developed a taste for the stronger flavoured ones, like parsnip.

Spices and herbs that serve as a decent replacement include pepper, onion, and garlic. Mrs Dash is a decent spice blend.

Bread can be fine. My basic bread recipe comes with a teaspoon of salt for the whole loaf.

The so-called no-salt is made from potassium and frankly, tastes "off" to me.

Try a slow cooker recipe where the flavours come from the spices.

skinimini19 · August 2017

Oh my gosh one simple post and I get all of this support! Thank you so much! I was actually in the hospital for dangerously low Potassium, so yes, I am watching the Potassium too. I am using My Fitness Pal, but if the sodium isn't listed, I don't use that item. Kinda defeats the point. I found the light Italian bread you can have 2 slices for 200mg sodium. Not to shabby. Granted I am not eating it everyday but for the occasion, why not? I found out the sad news on the shrimps last night. WOWZA. LOTS of sodium in those little puppies. Going to have to find a different shrimp I guess. My sister found this website http://www.hackingsalt.com/ for people who are kicking salt to the curb. I did buy the book as well. I've got a bunch of Mrs Dash too, all kinds of flavors.

HeidiCooksSupper · August 2017

mjbnj0001 wrote: »

...
As a prev poster said, bread is a salt bomb. Commercial bread. I bake 80% or so of ours, and I'm keeping the sodium to about 50% of the commercial. Too little, and you're eating cardboard, sorry. ...

The one and only loaf of homemade bread we ever threw in the trash was when I forgot the salt. Salt-free bread tastes like you are eating raw flour, bag and all!

I cook bread by weight (baker's percentages) and find that 1 1/2% to 2% of the weight of the flour in salt is about as low as we can go and still have it be delicious.

cmanitowabi · August 2017

I limit my salt to only using sparingly when cooking, not at the table...i use Mrs Dash in place of salt at the table. I've tried beet juice to help lower bp and i think it does work but you have to keep drinking it.

JeromeBarry1 · August 2017

I also bake a basic wheat bread using 1 tsp salt for a 1-lb loaf. A 32 gram slice of my bread has
368 mg sodium, 11.5 mg NA/ g bread

GingerGale1 · April 2018

I, too am following a Dr. ordered low sodium diet. He didn't give me specific numbers when he told me to "get off salt" - so I Googled low sodium diets for heart patients as I have recently been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Following the angiogram they did the cardiologist told me I have "pristine arteries" and that blockages and such are not an issue where I am concerned. The problem is that my heart doesn't pump OUT at the proper capacity so we are treating with various medications, reducing weight (which really, really, really needed to be done), and going low sodium to try to increase heart function. I have been trying to keep to about 1500 mg per day, but they told me I could give myself a break and increase that to 2000 mg if I wanted to. Frankly they didn't think 1500 mg was possible but I have food diaries that prove it can be done. I have had to give up a few weaknesses like mega amounts of Diet Coke, cheese, hot dogs, and fast food for dinner 2 or 3 times a week. But it IS doable. And even my weaknesses can be included as long as they are planned for and kept in moderation. So far I haven't felt deprived at all. I do make it a point to have snacks and "treats" are no longer yummy baked goods but are now fruits and a little ice cream. It IS doable, but it takes planning and you have to educate yourself continually.

Low Sodium Diet

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