Heart Failure
Watching Your Sodium – Nutrition and Diet
The goals for your diet are to:
- Lower sodium (salt) in the diet to help lower edema (swelling).
- Prevent gastric distress – you may need small meals with snacks & avoid foods that cause distress.
- Eat a well balanced diet to ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need.
You should restrict your total daily sodium (salt) intake according to your treatment plan, usually 2000 milligrams. This helps to prevent your body from retaining fluid.
Quick tips to get you started:
- Leave the salt shaker off the table. Try experimenting with spices and fresh lemon. Look for salt-free seasoning blends in your grocery store spice section.
- Avoid Deli foods
- Learn to read food labels to avoid foods high in sodium.
- Choose foods labeled "low–sodium", "reduced sodium" or "sodium free"
- Purchase fresh and frozen vegetables or vegetables canned without salt. If you have regular canned vegetables that you would like to use, rinse the vegetables and cook in a large amount of water to remove some of the salt.
- Choose fresh or frozen fish, shellfish, poultry, and meat
- Bake, broil, boil, steam, roast or poach foods without salt. Add vegetables and herbs for seasonings.
- Don't buy convenience foods such as skillet dinners, deli foods, cold cuts, hot dogs, canned soups. They are all high salt.
- Eat fresh or canned unsalted vegetables. Cook from scratch when ever possible.
- Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables which are low in salt
- Avoid foods containing MSG (used in Chinese foods), baking soda and other sodium-containing compounds
- Take note of the sodium content of your favorite condiments, especially meat tenderizer, steak sauce, soy sauce, salsa, worschestershire sauce, and catsup
- Use different spices and herbs to season your food. Citrus juices work great
- Avoid salt substitutes that contain potassium unless approved by your provider
- Try seasoning mixes such as Mrs. Dash or Mr. Pepper
- Avoid colas/sodas that contain sodium
- Avoid chips, soups, frozen dinners, ham and pickles
- If you like nuts buy them without salt
Substitutions
| Eat |
Instead of |
| 1 cup of cooked, fresh or frozen green beans: 5 mg of sodium |
1 cup of canned green beans: 340 mg of sodium |
| ½ cup of cooked rice: 2 mg of sodium |
½ cup of Rice-a-Roni, Rice Pilaf : 1220 mg of sodium |
Eating Out
When you eat out:
- Avoid fast food restaurants
- Order baked, broiled, steamed or poached foods without breading, butter or sauces
- Ask that no salt be added.
- Go easy on the salad dressing. Most are high in salt.
- Instead ask for oil & vinegar for your salad or lemon wedges.
- Stay away from "fast" foods. Most are high in salt.
Special Considerations
- Avoid the common medications that contain sodium such as antacids, laxatives and cough remedies. Read labels or ask your pharmacist prior to taking over-the-counter medications
- Check your water softener. Some contain sodium. Avoid drinking home or commercially softened water unless you know it does not contain sodium
- If you are taking medications, such as, Motrin, Aleve or Advil, let your provider know
Talk to your doctor and learn more about Heart Failure in these NetWellness articles:
For more information:
Go to the
Heart Failure health topic, where you can:
- Read articles on this topic
- Browse the previously asked questions
- Ask your own question.
This article is a NetWellness exclusive. 
Last Reviewed: Feb 11, 2009
