Low Salt Diet Recipes for Healthy Heart

The Low Salt Diet Website has low sodium recipes to help keep your heart healthy. Let us provide you with low sodium diet information, salt intake and low salt recipes for your health and heart. Here you'll find some low sodium meals, low salt foods and salt substitute for your high blood pressure diet that are not only tasty but quick and easy to make. We're always adding more food salt substitutes, sodium content, salt diet and cooking recipe ideas for eating healthy, so check back often for more lowsalt cooking recipes.

Low Sodium Recipes Vegetarian

Eggplant Mozzarella Parmesan
category: vegetarian (approx. 330mg sodium per serving)

1 Large Fresh EggPlant, peeled
8 oz. Part Skim Milk Mozzarella Cheese
1 Cup Pomi Strained Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 1/2 Tablespoon Basil
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Thyme
2 Teaspoons Kraft Parmesan Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice and peel eggplant length-wise.
Lightly spread olive oil on both sides of eggplant.
Grill eggplant on medium to high heat about 5 minutes each side.
In a bowl, combine Pomi Tomato Sauce and spices.
Light coat a baking dish with the tomato and spice sauce.
Place a first layer of eggplant pieces in baking dish.
Spread about one-half of remaining sauce over eggplant.
Sprinkle one-half of parmesan and mozzarella cheese on eggplant.
Place a second layer of eggplant pieces into the baking dish.
Spread with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.


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Adding a vegetarian meal to your low sodium meal plan is an great low salt diet practice that is very smart for the heart. Replacing meat or animal products in the diet plan with protein alternatives can reduce saturated fats and lower cholesterol intake of the healthy eating good foods that you prepare. Animal products account for a large portion of the saturated fats consumed in typical diets. A Vegan Diet would entail eating no animal products at all. Try to eat a wide variety of low sodium vegetarian foods to help ensure your healthy diet is providing the proper balance of nutrients.

The Low Sodium Foods website is continuously adding more recipes and low salt and low sodium meals, foods and free diet information. Look here for some low salt diet recipes, foods, cooking and low sodium meals ideas we are working on now.

Low Salt Diet: Heart Healthy Recipes, Cooking

Why are people on Lowsalt Diets

Low Sodium and Low Salt Diets are often recommended to help lower high blood pressure. A common source of sodium in your diet is salt added to foods. A low sodium diet limits the amount of sodium in your diet to no more than 2400 milligrams per day. This is less half the amount of sodium in the average diet.

Low Salt Diet: Healthy Heart Recipes, Cooking

You can reduce the amount of sodium in your diet by doing the following:

  • Read labels carefully. Look for any form of sodium or salt and choose foods that have less salt.
  • Avoid eating fast foods. Fast foods are normally very high in salt, as are many other restaurant foods. When eating at restaurants, choose fish, vegetables or salads.
  • Eat at home. It's almost impossible to control the amount of sodium in foods prepared by others.
  • Avoid processed foods. Fresh meat, produce, fish are normally low in salt and sodium. Highly processed meals such as frozen dinners and canned soups are often high in sodium.
  • A very simple low salt diet practice: Don't add table salt to food!

Low Sodium Label guidelines set by the FDA

Food labeling has been standardized by the U.S. government's National Labeling and Education Act. Nutrition labels and a list of ingredients are required on most foods. This way it is easier make a selection of healthy low-salt foods and low sodium meals. If you can't tell how much sodium is in a product, ask your doctor or dietitian, to show you how to read food labels and apply the information when selecting foods for your low sodium or reduced sodium diet.

Sodium-free

Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving

Very low-sodium

35 milligrams or less per serving

Low-sodium

140 milligrams or less per serving

Reduced sodium

Usual sodium level is reduced by 25%

Sodium in your Low Salt Diet

Sodium is a mineral found naturally in many foods. Most people eat far more sodium each day than they really need. Your health care provider may recommend that you limit your sodium intake to less than 2400mg of sodium per day. Following a low salt diet can help control high blood pressure hypertension and also help reduce the retention of too much water in the body.

Low Salt Foods List: Sodium Content

Sodium Content: Vegetables

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Asparagus 4 spears 7
Avocado one 20
Beets one cup 84
Broccoli one cup 24
Carrots one cup 50
Celery 2 stalks 70
Corn one cup 28
Cucumbers one cup 2
Eggplant one cup 4
Fennel Bulb one cup 45
Green Beans 1/2 cup 2
Iceburg Lettuce 2 leafs 4
Lima Beans 1 cup 5
Mushrooms one cup 4
Onions one cup 6
Peas 1 cup 4
Potato one 7
Radishes 5 6
Spinach one cup 43
Squash one cup 8
Tomato one 15
White Beans 1/2 cup 2
Yams one 12
 

Sodium Content: Fruits Low in Salt

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Apples one 1
Apricots 2 1
Banana one 1
Blackberries one cup 0
Cantaloupe one cup 28
Cherries 1 oz. 1
Cranberries 1/2 cup trace
Dates 5 1
Dried Prunes 5 2
Grapes one cup 3
Grapefruit one 0
Oranges one 1
Peaches 1 0
Raisins one cup 18
Strawberries one cup 2
Watermelon one cup 6
 

Sodium Content Proteins; Low Sodium Beef

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Beef Liver 4 oz. 80
Chicken (dark) 4 oz 100
Chicken (light) 4 oz 88
Egg one 62
Beans one cup 4
Freshwater Fish 4 oz 74
Ground Beef 4 oz 80
Ham 4 oz 1700
Hotdog one 585
Lamb 4 oz 74
Peanuts 1 oz 228
Pork Bacon one slice 155
Pork loin 4 oz 74
Ribs 4 oz 105
Salmon 4 oz 62
Shellfish 4 oz 400
Shrimp 4 oz 238
T-bone Steak 4 oz 80
Tuna in water 4 oz 400
Turkey (dark) 4 oz 87
Turkey (light) 4 oz 72
Veal 4 oz 78
 

Sodium Content of Grains: Wheat, Pasta, Rice

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Bran flakes 3/4 cup 220
Cooked Grain Cereal 1 packet 250
Corn Flakes 1 cup 290
English Muffins one 360
Hamburger Bun one 241
Pancake one 430
Pasta 1 cup 7
Rice one cup 4
Shredded wheat one 0
Waffles one 230
White Bread 2 slices 246
Whole Wheat Bread 2 slices 320
 

Sodium Content Dairy: Low Salt Milk Products

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Buttermilk one cup 260
Cheese (american) 1 oz 443
Cheese (cheddar) 1 oz 175
Cheese (grated parmesan) one tablespoon 93
Cheese (swiss) 1 oz 74
Cottage Cheese one cup 918
Cream Cheese one tablespoon 43
Milk (whole milk) one cup 120
Milk (1% low-fat) one cup 115
Milk (2% low-fat) one cup 115
Milk (skim) one cup 138
Yogurt one cup 115
 

When buying milk and other dairy goods, try to find low sodium or low salt dairy products that are also low in fat. Many producers are now making low-fat or reduced sodium brands of yogurt, milk and cheese. To help in reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet, look for milk that is 1%-low or 2% low-fat. You can also try skim milk, although slightly higher in sodium, skim milk is lower in fat and cholesterol than whole milk. Egg whites are not high in fat and cholesterol, but egg yolks should be avoided for a low salt diet. A low cholesterol egg substitute may be used in low salt diet recipes when cooking or preparing meals.

Low Salt Diet Planner

When planning your low sodium or low salt diet, you should choose foods following these general guidelines for a nutritional and healthy diet:

Vegetables
five servings per day
Fruit
five servings per day
Proteins
three servings per day
Grains
five servings per day
Dairy Products
two servings per day

Sample Low Salt Diet Menu

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Fresh Fruit Roast Turkey Grilled Chicken
Low sodium cereals Fresh carrots Steamed vegetables
Milk Apple sauce Baked Potatoes
Low sodium bread Low salt crackers Salad with low-salt dressing

Recipes and Seasoning

Always try to use fresh ingredients and foods with no salt added. Stay away from processed foods such as canned soups, vegetables, frozen dinners, and gravy sauces. If you're eating processed foods, then use only low sodium or low salt canned soups and fresh or frozen, no salt added salt canned vegetables.


Eating Out: Low Salt

When eating out at restaurants, choose steamed fish, chicken, vegetables or salads.

Low Sodium Salt Alternatives

Ask your doctor about using salt alternatives or a salt substitute. Salt alternatives often contain potassium which may cause harmful interactions if you are taking certain medications.