The Low Salt 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.

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.