Sodium and Food - Information For Better Nutrition

Sodium and Food – Information For Better Nutrition

Know your salt measurements and what they mean:

1 teaspoon salt = 2,000 mg sodium
1 teaspoon baking soda = 821 mg sodium
1 teaspoon baking powder = 339 mg sodium
1 teaspoon MSG = 492 mg sodium

Sodium and Specific Foods

Food	Foods Allowed	Foods to Avoid
Milk & Milk Products	Limit milk to 16oz./day : any milk – Whole, low fat, skim milk; or chocolate cocoa yogurt eggnog milk shake 8 oz. milk substitute	buttermilk or Make salt-free buttermilk by adding 1-tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let sit till thick.
Cheese	Limit to ½ cup or 1 oz Dry: curd cottage cheese low fat or skim milk ricotta farmer cheese part-skim mozzarella Neufchatel	regular cheeses cheese spreads
Vegetables	2+ servings: fresh or frozen vegetables without sauces low-sodium canned vegetables and juices white or sweet potatoes salt free potato chips	regular canned vegetables and vegetable juices sauerkraut pickled vegetables and other prepared products that use brine frozen vegetables in sauce regular potato chips
Fruit	2+ servings: all fruits canned fresh or frozen fruit juices	None – Fruits are naturally low in sodium.
Breads, Cereal or Pasta	6-11 servings: breads – all types rolls salt free crackers pasta, rice, and noodles cooked without salt cooked cereal without salt dry low-sodium cereals shredded wheat puffed rice & wheat	breads and rolls with salted tops quick breads instant hot cereals dry cereals with added sodium regular crackers
Meats or Substitutes	6oz/day: any fresh or fresh-frozen: meats fish poultry game meat low-sodium canned tuna sardines salmon eggs low-sodium cheese dried peas and beans, not canned low-sodium peanut butter salt free nuts tofu	any meat, fish or poultry that is smoked, cured, salted or canned bacon chipped beef corned beef cold cuts ham hot dogs sausage regular canned tuna or salmon pickled eggs regular hard and processed cheese cheese spreads regular peanut butter
Fats	unsalted butter or margarine unsalted salad dressings vegetable oil shortening mayonnaise light or sour cream	regular butter or margarine commercial salad dressings
Sweets and Desserts	any sweets and desserts made without salt Desserts made from milk should be made from milk allowance. frozen juice bars fruit ice sorbet sherbet jelly, jam, preserves plain cookies animal crackers ginger snaps, etc.	prepared mixes store-bought pies store-bought cakes & muffins baked goods made with baking powder or soda
Beverages	all beverages Limit caffeine if necessary. If you have a water softener, obtain water for drinking and cooking before it is processed.	commercially softened water beverages and foods made with commercially softened water. sports drinks canned tomato or vegetable juice, unless salt – free
Soups	low-sodium commercial canned or dehydrated soups homemade soups with meat, fresh or frozen vegetables and/or allowed milk, and cooked without salt	regular bouillon broth consommé regular canned or dried commercial soups
Seasonings	salt substitute -with physician’s approval pepper herbs spices flavorings vinegar, lemon & lime juice salt-free seasoning mixes	seasoning salts garlic celery, onion, seasoned, rock, kosher; and any other seasoning salt. Sodium compounds such as MSG – Accent
Condiments	low-sodium condiments: catsup chili sauce mustard pickles Tabasco sauce, low-sodium baking powder	regular condiments: catsup chili sauce mustard pickles relishes olives horseradish gravy & sauce mixes barbecue sauce soy and teriyaki sauce Worcestershire and steak sauce
Snack Items	unsalted snacks: nuts seeds pretzels popcorn	salted snacks: nuts seeds pretzels popcorn all regular commercially prepared conveyance foods

Note: When shopping for frozen dinners or convenience meals, choose items that provide 600mg or less per serving. Sodium levels can be found on the nutrition foods labels on the box.

Reading Labels

To the right is a sample nutrition label. The “Nutrition Facts” label lists sodium in milligrams (mg). When reading labels, try to choose foods that contain less than 300 mg of sodium. Main-dish entrees, such as TV dinners, should contain less than 600 mg.

Always check to see how many servings are in the box or can. If you eat a portion greater than a serving size, you end up with more salt intake than as is listed on the label.

Food Labeling Definitions

Sodium (salt) free – Less than 5 mg

Very low sodium – 35mg or less

Low sodium – 140 mg or less

Reduced sodium – At least 75% reduction of sodium

Unsalted – No salt added during processing

For more information:

Go to the Heart Health health topic.