Low Sodium Diet Tips

If you are on a low sodium diet, here are some tips that will help you remove excess sodium from your diet.

Dietary sodium is measured in milligrams (mg). One teaspoon of salt contains 2,400 mg of sodium.

Sea salt and other designer salts contain the same amount of sodium as ordinary table salt.

Throw away your salt shaker. Use AlsoSalt at the table to season your food.

Choose fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without added salt.

Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types. Avoid ham, bacon, and sausage.

Always read food labels and do the math. The sodium content on the nutritional panel is based on the number of servings the package states. Example: a can of soup may say 770 mg of sodium but bases that number on 2.5 servings. 770 x 2.5 = 1,925 mg of sodium in that can of soup.

Cook and bake with AlsoSalt. Substitute AlsoSalt wherever salt is called for in a recipe.

Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt. Avoid salty snack foods (pretzels, potato chips, salted nuts, olives, cheeses, pickles).

Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, sauces, gravies, and salad dressings. These often have a lot of sodium.

Recognize these words that indicate a high sodium content: pickled, smoked, marinated, teriyaki, soy sauce, broth, au jus.

Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium. Cook from scratch. De-emphasize the use of processed foods.

When available, buy low or reduced sodium, or no salt added versions of foods. You can add AlsoSalt to replace the salty flavor.

Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium. Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are low in sodium. Buy products low in sodium, MSG, baking soda and other sodium-containing compounds (listed below).

Take note of the sodium content of your favorite condiments, particularly meat tenderizer, steak sauce, soy sauce, salsa, and catsup.

Take AlsoSalt packets with you when dining out at a restaurant or a friend's home to sprinkle on your food.