No Added Salt Diet

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NO ADDED SALT DIET

(Approximately 1500-2300 mg sodium)

Sodium is a mineral found naturally in foods and is the major part of table salt. The purpose of this diet is to provide a mild sodium restriction. Too much sodium intake can cause fluid buildup in your body. This can cause swollen ankles, puffiness, a rise in blood pressure, shortness of breath, and/or fluid around your heart.

WTG_Low Sodium Diet

To decrease the amount of salt in your diet:

Avoid processed foods. Eat more fresh foods.
Cook without salt (1tsp salt has 2,300mg sodium)
Cook with herbs, spices, lemon, vinegars, etc. to add flavor
Remove the salt shaker from the dinner table
Look for “very low sodium” or “sodium free” on labels
When eating out ask for food to be prepared without salt and for sauce on the side

Some Information about Reading Labels:

Know how much sodium you are allowed each day. Remember that there are 1000 milligrams (mg) in one gram. For example, if your diet prescription is 2 grams of sodium, your limit is 2000 mg per day.
Remember that food labels list sodium in milligrams (mg).
Look at the package label for the serving size and sodium content as there may be several servings per package. For example, if there are 2 servings in one bag and the sodium content is 250 mg per serving, the whole bag would contain 500 mg.
Compare labels of similar products to find the item that is the lowest in sodium.
If the sodium level per serving of a food is 500 mg or more, the item is not a good choice.
Try to choose processed foods with <140mg per serving

Understanding the Terms:

Sodium Free - Only a trivial amount of sodium per serving
Very Low Sodium - 35 mg or less per serving
Low Sodium - 140 mg or less per serving
Reduced Sodium - Foods in which the level of sodium is reduced by 25%
Light or Lite in Sodium - Foods in which the level of sodium is reduced By 50%

	ALLOWED	FOODS TO AVOID
Milk, yogurt, cheese	Milk (Skim, Lowfat, Whole) Cottage Cheese Pudding Custard Ice Cream	Cheese Buttermilk
Meat, fish, poultry	Fresh or Frozen Beef, Pork, Poultry, Fish, and Eggs Low Sodium Deli Meats Low Sodium Canned Tuna or Salmon Dried Beans & Peas Tofu Low Sodium Peanut Butter	Ham Salt Pork Bacon Sausage Hot Dogs Cold Cuts, Deli Meats & Bologna Canned Beans Pastrami Corned beef Spam Sardines, Herring, Anchovies and Lox
Fruits & Vegetables	Fresh and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables	Canned Vegetables Salted or Pickled Vegetables Vegetable Juice
Starches, breads, cereals	Potatoes Macaroni Spaghetti Noodles Rice Bread Dry cereal Oatmeal Grits Unsalted Nuts Low Sodium Chips, Crackers, Pretzels	Pretzels Potato, Corn, and Tortilla Chips Crackers Salted Nuts Salted Popcorn Sunflower Seeds Commercially prepared rice & noodle mixes
Seasonings	Garlic Garlic powder Onion Onion powder Black Pepper Lemon Juice Dry Mustard Low-Sodium/salt-free seasoning (Mrs. Dash, NoSalt, NuSalt, or Morton’s Lite Salt) Vinegar Tabasco Sauce Horseradish Chocolate/Cocoa	Table Salt Seasoning Salt Garlic Salt Onion Salt Celery Salt Olives Meat Tenderizer Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Bouillon Cubes Barbecue Sauce Steak Sauce Soy Sauce Teriyaki Sauce Oyster Sauce
Fats	Butter (unsalted) Margarine Oil Low Sodium Salad Dressings (look at the label)	Bacon Fat Salt Pork Fat Back Prepared salad dressings (look at the label)
Processed Foods	Homemade Soup or Low Sodium Soup Canned Foods without Added Salt Homemade Casseroles without added salt, made with fresh or raw vegetables, fresh meat, rice, pasta or unsalted canned vegetables.	Canned: Soups Tomato Products Vegetable juices Canned Vegetables Convenience Foods: TV Dinners Canned Raviolis Chili Macaroni & Cheese Spaghetti Commercial Mixes Frozen Prepared Foods Fast Foods

Disclaimer:This information is not intended to substitute or replace the professional medical advice you receive from your child's physician. The content provided on this page is for informational purposes only, and was not designed to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Please consult your child's physician with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition.

Reviewed: 05/2018

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