How can I reduce sodium in my diet?
Try these simple tips to reduce salt in your meals while keeping all the flavor, with easy food swaps that make low-sodium eating delicious and kidney-friendly.
Taking steps to follow a low-sodium diet can help you feel your best. Too much sodium in your diet can cause high blood pressure and fluid retention, and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Sodium adds up
You may be consuming more sodium than you realize.
- Packaged foods and fast food contain large amounts of sodium.
- Salt substitutes switch out sodium for potassium. If you're on a low-potassium diet, talk to your doctor or dietitian about better options.
- Table salt has 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per teaspoon. Himalayan pink, kosher, and sea salt are all considered salts and have large amounts of sodium.
Tips to toss the salt
Read food labels and follow these low-sodium tips:
- Cook from scratch instead of getting fast food. Try adding flavor with seasonings like garlic powder, basil, cumin, vinegar, cilantro, lemon, and lime.
- Avoid packaged foods. Shop the outer grocery store aisles for fresh, wholesome foods.
- Choose foods with fewer mg of sodium than calories per serving. For example, animal crackers have 140 calories and 95 mg of sodium per serving.
- Look for “no added salt” on canned food labels. Always rinse canned foods to reduce sodium.
Activity
Download the activity to practice building healthier meals by replacing high-sodium foods with lower-sodium foods. The numbers represent the total mg of sodium. Add up the sodium in the meals you put together to make sure you don’t go over the limit.
| Food item | Sodium total |
|---|---|
| 1 small apple with 2 tbsp natural nut butter | 79 mg |
| 4 oz baked chicken breast | 575 mg |
| ½ cup broccoli | 15 mg |
| 8 oz coffee with 2 tbsp 2% milk | 12 mg |
| 2 eggs on 1 whole wheat English muffin | 367 mg |
| 1 sandwich with 3 oz tuna | 665 mg |
| 1 cup salad with 2 tbsp oil and vinegar | 13 mg |
| ½ cup strawberries | 1 mg |
| ½ cup whole grain rice | 30 mg |
| 1 whole wheat dinner roll | 146 mg |
High-sodium meal breakdown
| Meal | High-sodium foods | Sodium total |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Sausage, egg, cheese biscuit with hashbrown, and coffee with cream | 1,459 mg |
| Lunch | Turkey and cheese sandwich with mustard, mayo and a pickle spear | 1,674 mg |
| Dinner | Breaded chicken patty, macaroni and cheese, canned mixed vegetables, and corn muffin | 1,728 mg |
| High-sodium daily total | 4,861 mg |
Key takeaways
- Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and fluid retention, and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Read food labels, cook from scratch, avoid packaged foods, and look for “no added salt” on canned food labels.
- A high-sodium day of meals can add up to nearly 4,861 mg — simple food swaps can help you stay within your limit.
We are here to help
Work with your dietitian to determine the right amount of sodium for you.
This serves only as a guide. Talk with your healthcare provider for more information based on your health needs.
Julie Dominguez, MD
Vice President, Medical Office, Interwell Health
Julie Dominguez, MD, is a nephrologist with extensive experience in private practice nephrology and medical education. At Interwell Health, she helps advance high-quality kidney care programs that support patients and clinicians. Dr. Dominguez earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, completed her Internal Medicine residency at Duke University, and completed her Nephrology fellowship at the University of California San Diego.