What Can I Eat on a Low Sodium Diet?

Sodium is a common ingredient in prepared or processed foods. Sodium is known to control blood and fluid volumes as well as regulate your body's blood pressure. For numerous heath reasons, some health professionals prescribe a low sodium diet consisting of less than 2,000 milligrams or 2 grams of sodium per day. A low sodium food items includes 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving. There are plenty of low sodium food items you can consume on a low sodium diet.

Fruits and Vegetables

Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables on a low sodium diet. Fruit and vegetables are naturally low in sodium and should be a healthy part of your diet. Make sure to eat a rainbow of food so you benefit from the range of nutrients each colored food provides. Season your vegetables with fresh ground pepper or herb flakes. One teaspoon of salt is over 2,300 milligrams, so season your vegetables with low sodium alternatives.

Beans and Legumes

Eat a variety of beans and legumes. Red kidney, black and white beans are all delicious eaten with a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season the beans with chopped fresh herbs. Legumes like lentils are very savory cooked with no-sodium chicken broth and chopped fresh herbs. Add chopped roasted vegetables for a delicious legume and vegetable stew.

Dairy

Select your dairy products carefully. There can be hidden sodium in many items. Some low sodium items you can eat on a low sodium diet are whole and skim milks, Swiss cheese and plain yogurt. Be careful of certain cheeses like herb spreads, American cheese or cheddar cheese; they can have many grams of hidden sodium.

References

• Low-Sodium Diet Guidelines
• Low Sodium Diet

Resources

• An organization dedicated to the low sodium lifestyle

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