Capital Healthcare Associates 2001 Fifth Avenue Troy, NY 12180 (518) 274-9126
Limiting Sodium/ Salt in your diet can help reduce blood pressure and fluid build up such as swelling in the feet. A low sodium diet is helpful in controlling congestive heart failure. A low sodium diet is needed to let diuretic medications (water pills) work properly.
Reading Food Labels Ingredient list (Look for words that mean salt): Limit intake of foods with these ingredients. Labels list ingredients from the biggest amount to the least amount. Choose foods where these ingredients do not appear or are near the end of the ingredient list. Salt Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) Brine (Salt and Water) Soy Sauce Sodium Alginate Sodium Sulfite Sodium Caseinate Disodium Phosphate Sodium benzoate Sodium Hydroxide Monosodium glutamate (MSG) Sodium citrate
Sodium Content Choose items with no more than 200mg of sodium per serving
Sodium Labeling Definitions Term Definition Sodium Free < 5 mg sodium per serving Unsalted, No added Salt No salt added during processing Very Low Sodium < 35mg sodium per serving Low Sodium < 140 mg of sodium per serving Reduced Sodium At least 25% less sodium than the regular product Light in Sodium At least 50% less sodium than the regular product Lightly Salted 50% less sodium was added during processing than the regular product
Understand that 25% to 50% less of a large amount of sodium may still be a lot of sodium.
USE AVOID Pepper, herbs, spices Salt, sea salt, rock salt, kosher salt Hot pepper sauce Seasoning made with salt such as garlic salt, celery salt, onion salt, seasoned salt Lemon juice, fresh horseradish Meat tenderizers, monosodium glutamate Seasonings (MSG Low sodium ketchup, chili sauce or Regular soy sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki mustard. One teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce sauce per day may be used. Up to 2 and most flavored vinegars. Cooking Wine tablespoons of salsa per day.
USE AVOID Bread, rolls and crackers without salt on Bread, rolls or crackers with salted tops the top Cook hot cereals Instant hot cereals Bread and Plain rice, pasta, potatoes Flavored rice or pasta mixes Grains All Flours other than self rising Self-rising flour, biscuit mixes Low sodium or homemade bread crumbs Store-bought bread crumbs, cracker crumbs Unsalted bread cut into cubes Store-bought bread stuffing or mixes Quick breads Fresh or frozen Fruits and vegetables Vegetables seasoned with ham, bacon or salt pork Fruit canned without salt or sodium- Fruit canned w/ salt or sodium containing- containing ingredients ingredients Fruits dried without salt or sodium- Fruits dried with sodium-containing ingredients Fruits and containing ingredients Vegetables Low sodium canned vegetables Regular canned vegetables Regular canned vegetables that you have Sauerkraut, olives, pickled vegetables or drained and rinsed vegetable prepared in a brine Plain frozen vegetables Frozen vegetables in sauces Commercially prepared potato mixes Fresh or frozen beef, lamb, pork, poultry Smoked, cured, salted, koshered meat, fish or and fish. poultry. Including: chipped beef, cold cuts, ham, hot dogs, sausage, anchovies, imitation seafood, marinated herring, pickled meats and frozen bread meats. Canned tuna or salmon that have been Canned fish or meat Meat and rinsed Protein Low sodium cheese Processed cheese, cheese spreads and sauces Unsalted nuts Salted or dry roasted nuts Low-sodium peanut butter Regular peanut butter w/ salt added Eggs and egg substitutes Dried peas or beans, or rinsed canned Canned beans w/ salt added beans Up to 2 cups of milk per day Malted milk, milk shakes, chocolate milk Up to 8oz of buttermilk per week Low-sodium vegetable juice Regular vegetable or tomato juice Drinks and Water (not softened) Softened water Soups Fruit juices Low-sodium canned or dried soup, broth Regular canned or dried soups, broth or and bouillon bouillon Homemade soup without added salt Unsalted butter Salted butter Oil and vinegar or low sodium dressings Commercial salad dressings Sour cream and light and heavy cream Bacon bits, bacon fat, salt pork Fats Commercial chip and vegetable dips Snack dips made with instant soup mixes or processed cheese Desserts made with milk should be counted Instant pudding mixes and cake mikes Desserts as servings of milk and Snacks Unsalted chips, pretzels, popcorn Salted snack foods
Table Salt Do not use salt at the table or in cooking. Consult your medical provider if you wish to use a salt substitute.
Frozen dinners Choose dinners with no more than 500mg of sodium per dinner
Dinning Out Generally, foods served in restaurants are seasoned with salt and/or MSG. Request to have items prepares without salt or MSG. Choose uncured meat, fish or poultry that are broiled, baked, poached, grilled or roasted, unbreaded and served without sauces or gravies. Salads – ask for oil and vinegar instead of dressings. Choose fruit, sherbet or ice cream for dessert. Avoid pastries and pies. Avoid Soup Avoid sauces and gravies Ask for plain vegetables, potato, rice or rolls Sandwiches – choose roasted meats. Avoid processed meats, processed cheese, olives and pickles. Pasta – all sauces are high in salt. Avoid high salt ingredients such as ham, parmesean or romano cheese, olives or capers. Chinese food – most foods from Chinese restaurants are high in sodium. Eat Chinese food only occasionally. Choose plain rice instead of rice or noodles w/ sauce. Avoid added sauces such as soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Hamburgers – choose tomato, onion, lettuce and hard cheese. Avoid processed cheese and relish. Use Ketchup and mustard sparingly. Fish and Chips - Ask for unsalted fires. Add lemon and/ or vinegar. If the batter tastes salty, eat only a small amount. Pizza – All pizzas are high in salt. Avoid processed meats and olives. Try pizza without tomato sauce.
Flavoring without salt Pork – Sage, Onion. Try serving with apple sauce. Chicken – Poultry seasoning, Thyme, Parsley. Try serving with cranberry sauce. Lamb – Curry powder, Rosemary, Garlic, Thyme. Try serving w/ mint jelly. Veal – Marjoram, Basil. Try serving with currant jelly or cranberry sauce. Beef – Pepper, Bay leaf. Try serving with mustard or unsalted chive butter. Fish – Bay leaf, Dill. Try serving with unsalted lemon butter or unsalted parsley butter. Asparagus – Lemon juice Broccoli – Lemon juice Carrots – mustard dressing, parsley, mint, nutmeg, glazed w/ unsalted butter and sugar Green beans – marjoram, lemon juice, nutmeg, dill, garlic Tomatoes – basil, marjoram, onion
Capital Healthcare Associates 2001 Fifth Avenue Troy, NY 12180 (518) 274-9126