2014

Sodium RestrictedDiet:

1500-2000 mg/day

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Sodium Restricted Diet1500-2000 mg/day

A few facts:

Sodium is found in all types of salt. Kosher salt, sea salt, artisan salts, gourmet salts, and fleur de sel all have about the same amount of sodium as table salt.

Follow these guidelines to choose foods lower in sodium.

1. Do not add salt, sea salt, or seasoned salt at the table. Do not use salt during cooking.

2. Use unsalted seasonings, spices, fresh garlic, and herbs to make food taste better. Limit condiments like ketchup and mustard.

3. Try low sodium spice blends. Examples are: Mrs. Dash®, President’s Choice Blue Menu No Salt Added Blends®, or McCormick’s No Salt Added Blends®.

4. Buy fresh and fresh frozen products, especially vegetables. Canned, processed, and convenience foods (like store-bought meals) are high in sodium.

5. Rarely eat foods that are smoked, cured, pickled, or salted.

6. Eat out less often. Many restaurant food items are high in sodium, like pizza and milkshakes. Eat these rarely.

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7. Avoid fast food items such as fried chicken, Mexican food, and Chinese food.

8. Do not use: › No Salt® › Nu Salt® › Half Salt®

(Unless you talk about it with your doctor or dietitian first)9. Use this pamphlet for meal planning. Choose

more of the “best food choices” and less of the “foods to avoid”, to choose foods lower in sodium.

10. Most food labels show the number of milligrams of sodium per serving, or a percentage (%) of daily value (DV). Choose foods with 5% or less DV for sodium. Avoid foods with a daily value of 10% or more for sodium.

11. Look for foods that are labeled salt-free, no added salt, or low sodium.

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Best choices Foods to avoidGrain products • Yeast breads,

homemade waffles, pancakes, and biscuits

• Plain unsalted crackers

• Dry cereals like Shredded Wheat®, Puffed Wheat®, Mini Wheats®

• Cooked cereals made without salt

• Pastas such as macaroni and spaghetti

• Rice

Look for products with 10% or less DV sodium

• Baking mixes such as pancake mixes and biscuit mixes

• Packaged bread stuffing

• Pre-mixed crumb coatings (e.g., Shake’n Bake)

• Salted crackers• Quick cooking and

instant hot cereals• Pre-seasoned pasta• Canned spaghetti/

pasta• Hamburger Helper®• Kraft Dinner®• Pre-seasoned rice• Mr. Noodles and other

instant soups

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Best choices Foods to avoidVegetable and fruits• Fresh and frozen

vegetables (no sauces)• Vegetables canned

without salt• All fresh, frozen,

canned fruits, fruit juices, fruit drinks

• Vegetable juices without added salt or labeled “low sodium” (Check the % DV)

• Dried fruits• “No salt added”

tomato sauce/pasta and “no salt added” canned tomatoes

• Canned or dried fruits with added salt

• Canned vegetables with added salt

• Frozen vegetables in sauces

• Vegetable juices such as Clamato® and V8®)

• Scalloped potato mixes

• Sauerkraut• Seaweed• Canned or bottled

spaghetti and pizza sauces

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Best choices Foods to avoidMilk products• Milk, cream, Coffee

Rich®• Rice Dream Milk®• Cream cheese• Cottage cheese with

10% or less DV sodium

• Cheese, except those listed under “avoid” (cheddar or mozzarella are OK in small amounts)

• Low sodium cheese• Ice cream, sherbet• Yogurt, frozen yogurt

• Processed cheese spread such as Cheese Whiz®

• Processed cheese slices

• Blue, feta, romano, and parmesan cheese

• Commercial chocolate drinks

• Malted milk• Buttermilk• Condensed milk• Hot chocolate mixes• Store-bought eggnog

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Best choices Foods to avoidMeat and alternates• Plain fresh or frozen:

› Beef › Chicken › Eggs (3-4 yolks

per week) › Fish › Hamburger (lean) › Pork › Steak › Turkey › Unsalted nut

butters• Canned tuna and

salmon in water - rinse first

• Frozen entrée items with 10% or less DV sodium

• Dried or frozen legumes (kidney beans, chick peas, lentils)

Note: shell fish is naturally higher in salt than other fish, so choose shell fish less often

• All meat, fish or poultry that has been smoked, cured, pickled, salted or dried such as:

› Bacon › Bologna › Corned beef › Ham › Kosher meats › Luncheon meats › Salt cod › Sardines › Sausage › Smoked herring › Wieners

• Canned meats• Frozen dinners• Frozen meat pies• Fish sticks• Canned beans, stews• Salted seeds and nuts• Pizza, Chinese food

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Best choices Foods to avoidFats• Salt-free margarine

(e.g., Salt Free Becel®)

• Cooking oil (olive and canola)

• Salt-free salad dressings (see recipe, limit regular salad dressings to 1 Tbsp.)

• Mayonnaise• Salt-free homemade

gravy

• Bacon fat• Salt pork• Canned gravy• Gravy mixes• Most commercial

salad dressings• Commercial dips

Soups• Unsalted soup/broth• Canned low sodium

soups with 10% or less DV sodium

• Homemade soup with no added salt

• Regular canned soups• Dried soup mixes,

Oxo®, bouillon, consommé

• Split pea soup made with ham bone

• Bean and bacon soup

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Speedy barbeque sauce1 cup cider vinegar¾ cup no salt added canned crushed tomatoes3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce2 tsp. hot pepper sauce2 Tbsp. chopped garlic

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Take off heat and cool a bit before using. Makes 1 ½ cups.

Per Serving (2 Tbsp.)Calories: 20 Sodium: 40mgTotal Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mgSaturated Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 6gFibre: 0g Protein: 0g

Balsamic vinaigrette1/3 cup chopped onion3 garlic cloves, minced¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper¾ cup balsamic vinegar½ cup olive oil 2 Tbsp. maple syrup2 Tbsp. stone ground mustard

Per Serving (2 Tbsp.)Calories: 110 Sodium: 60mgTotal Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 0mgSaturated fat: 1g Carbohydrates: 6gFibre: 0g Protein: 0g

Recipes by Capital Health Food & Nutrition staff

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Best choices Food to avoidOther foods• Water and mineral

water• Pop• Postum®, Ovaltine®• Coffee, tea• Sugar, honey, jams/

jellies, cornstarch, maple syrup without added sodium

No more than 5 mL (1 tsp.) a day of the following with a DV of 5% or less:• Prepared mustard• Worcestershire

Sauce®• Relish• Ketchup

• Water treated with salt-based water softener

• Gatorade® and other sports drinks

• Salt • Sea salt• Artisan salts• Accent®• Celery salt• Garlic salt• Onion salt• Pickles• Olives• Soya sauce• Oyster sauce• Salsa, picante and

taco sauces• Poultry and meat

coatings• Potato chips• Salted popcorn• Cheezies• Party snacks

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Salt-free seasoning blend5 tsp. onion powder1 ½ tsp. garlic powder2 ½ tsp. paprika2 ½ tsp. dry mustard1 ½ tsp. thyme leaves (crushed)½ tsp. white pepper¼ tsp. celery seedYield: 1/3 cup. Use as desired.

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Example of a high sodium food to avoidSample label for macaroni & cheese

1. Check serving size & calories

2. Limit fats and watch out for high sodium content

3. Get enough of these nutrients

4. Footnotes

If you have any questions, please ask. We are here to help you.

Quick guide to % Daily Value (DV) of nutrients: • 5% or less is low• 15% or more is high (10% for sodium)This label indicates a high sodium food to avoid. Choose foods with at most 10% DV sodium. Less is better.

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Notes:

Looking for more health information?Contact your local public library for books, videos, magazine articles, and online health information.

For a list of public libraries in Nova Scotia go to www.publiclibraries.ns.ca

Capital Health promotes a smoke-free and scent-free environment.Please do not use perfumed products. Thank you!

Capital Health, Nova Scotiawww.cdha.nshealth.ca

Prepared by: Food and Nutrition ServicesDesigned by: Capital Health Library Services, Patient Education Team

Printed by: Dalhousie University Print Centre

The information in this brochure is provided for informational and educational purposes only.The information is not intended to be and does not constitute healthcare or medical advice.

If you have any questions, please ask your healthcare provider.

LC85-1161 Revised March 2014The information in this pamphlet is to be updated every 3 years.