How can I easily reduce sodium in my diet?

Dated December 2006

Sodium in Foods

Dietary sodium is measured in milligrams (mg). The most common form of sodium used is table salt, which is 40% sodium. One teaspoon of table salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium. Most of the sodium in your diet comes from processed foods. The rest comes from the salt added at the table, and salt added while cooking. Observe the sodium RDA and limit the amount of sodium that you consume from all these sources to no more than 2,400 milligrams (mg) each day which is equal to about 1 teaspoon of salt.

How to Reduce Sodium in Your Diet

• Avoid canned soups, or broths, or bouillon cubes. These foods can be very high in sodium.

• Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.

• Avoid bacon, unless sodium-free.

• Avoid salted nuts, chips and other snack foods.

• Switch to low sodium margarine, or low-salt butter.

• Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends instead of salt, in cooking and at the table.

• Cut back on instant or flavored rice, which usually has added salt.

• Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium.

• Cut back on frozen dinners, mixed dishes such as pizza mixes, packaged mixes, and salad dressings.

• Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

Reduce Sodium When Shopping

• Read the food label to find out more about what is in the foods you eat. This will help you choose foods to limit the amount of sodium you eat to 2,400 mg each day.

• Choose foods that say:
  Sodium Free
  Very Low Sodium
  Low Sodium
  Reduced (or less) Sodium
  Light in Sodium
  Unsalted

Reduce Sodium in Meals

• Add less salt at the table and in cooking. Reduce the amount a little each day until none is used. Try spices and herbs instead, or sodium-free bouillon. Sprinkle lemon juice over vegetables, season or marinate meat, poultry, and fish ahead of time with onion, garlic, and your favorite herbs before cooking to bring out the flavor.

• Cook with low-salt ingredients. Remove salt from recipes whenever possible. Rice, pasta, and hot cereals can be cooked with little or no salt.

• Use fewer sauces, mixes, and "instant" products including fewer flavored rices, pasta, and cereals, which usually have salt added.

• Rinse salt from canned foods.

Sodium in Processed Foods

Sodium is also added to various food products, both for taste and as a preservative. Thus, the more processed the food, the higher the sodium content is likely to be. Foods reconstituted with water, such as soups, bouillon cubes, and processed meats) contain salt. Some of these added forms of sodium are monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and sodium benzoate.

Sodium in Fast Foods

Fast foods are generally very high in sodium. This is another reason to eat in.

"Lower-Sodium" Foods

Fortunately, there is a growing range of lower-sodium foods in many food stores. Ideally, choose these lower-sodium brands whenever possible.

Table 1. Sodium Content of Selected Foods

Consider a visit with the registered dietitian at Your Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Group for more help with sodium or other areas of nutrition. We want to help you to eat well for better health.