Understanding sodium and low-sodium cooking

Sodium is a compound found widely in nature and in foods. Many foods contain sodium naturally, but do not taste salty.

Sodium and heart failure

Eating high amounts of sodium can be especially harmful if you have heart failure. When you have heart failure, your heart cannot pump as well as it once did. Sodium causes your body to retain, or hold, more water. This increases the work of your heart as it pumps blood through your body.

Choosing foods low in sodium

One teaspoon of salt contains 2,400 milligrams of sodium. A low-sodium diet allows 2,000 milligrams a day.

If you are on an eating plan of 2,000 milligrams of sodium a day, it is best to limit yourself to only one food a day with more than 400 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Special low-sodium cooking tips

There are a few simple things you can do to reduce the sodium in your diet:

• Follow any sodium restrictions given to you by your health care team.
• Use less salt when you cook.
• Leave the salt shaker off the table.
• If salt is important to the flavor of the food, reduce the salt amount gradually (by a fourth, then by a half, and then by three-fourths).
• Use herbs and spices to season food. Try flavored vinegar, sherry, wine and lemon juice. Parsley, thyme, and basil are flavorful in many foods.
• Cut back or eliminate: processed foods (such as luncheon meats, prepackaged soups and sauces, Hamburger Helper® and Tuna Helper®, TV dinners) and salty foods (such as pickles, olives, sauerkraut, salted snacks, flavored salts, seasoned salts).
• Avoid products with these words on the labels: monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrate, sodium benzoate, sodium bicarbonate.
• Use bouillon granules in half the amount called for on packaging; they contain a high amount of sodium. Use lower sodium bouillon granules.
• Use lemon and lime juices or tomatoes to add zest to meat, salads, vegetables and fruits.
• Save cooking liquid from vegetables to use in place of water in sauces and gravy.
• Replace garlic and onion salt with garlic and onion powder.
• Rinse canned vegetables to remove some of the sodium (about one-third). To reduce more sodium, use fresh, frozen or low-sodium canned vegetables.

Related Links

Great low-sodium meals and flavoring

Low-sodium diet guidelines (requires Adobe Reader)

Herb blend recipe

Spice blend recipe

First published: 05/01/2005
Last updated: 06/01/2007

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts