Sodium-Free Diets

Sodium-free diets are recommended for people with heart conditions and often also for people with diabetes. While it is not possible to completely eliminate sodium from the diet because sodium can occur naturally in fresh foods as well as be an ingredient in some medications, much can be done to reduce unnecessary intake and discern all sources of sodium in order to keep it to the desired low levels.

Goal

Keep daily totals to no more than 2,300 mg of sodium, which is the amount of sodium in one teaspoon of table salt. If you have a heart condition, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,000 mg of sodium daily and in some cases, such as for people with high blood pressure, suggests less than 1,500 mg a day.

Labels

Read nutrition facts for sodium content per serving in processed items. Canned foods like soups, bouillons, tomatoes, sauces and beans can include several servings in one can; multiply the sodium content by the number of servings to get the actual amount of sodium in one can. Apply the same strategy to calculate sodium from other processed foods like frozen and packaged meals and packaged snacks. Foods marked low sodium or reduced sodium may still contain a significant amount of sodium if the serving size does not equal to the entire can, meal or package size. Reduce the amount of sodium in processed products by rinsing the contents when possible.

Food

Choose fresh foods as much as possible for your meals and snacks. Raw fruits, vegetables and meats do not usually contain added sodium, but beware of bulk foods like nuts, seeds and lentils that may be salted. Be diligent about choosing no-salt or low-salt versions or using very small quantities of some fresh items that contain natural amounts of sodium like seafood and olives. Most breads, pickled items, deli meats and cheeses contain sodium, too. When eating out, ask for your food to be prepared without salt and carry some Allspice or Mrs. Dash to flavor your meal.

Instead of salting food as it cooks, use herbs and spices like rosemary, thyme, dill, basil, pepper and parsley as seasoning. Garlic, onion and fresh lemon also add lots of flavor without sodium. Experiment with these types of ingredients to create a few no-sodium sauce recipes as stand-bys for adding flavor to your meals. An example of a zesty flavor combination to add to dishes such as whole grain rice, grilled meats or to use as a salad dressing is to mix a quarter cup of finely chopped fresh coriander with the juice of one lime and an optional tablespoon of olive oil.

Considerations

Look for the sodium content in antacids and other over-the-counter remedies and add it to your daily sodium count. Prescription medications may also contain sodium, but are not labeled with nutrition facts. Find out if your prescriptions have sodium by asking your pharmacist or doctor.