Diet Low in Salt

Nutritional approach

A low-salt diet is indicated in cases of water retention, hypertension, heart failure, certain liver and kidney diseases, treatment with corticosteroids and diuretics or after heart surgery.

Sodium is a main component of salt. The average recommended daily sodium intake is 1500 mg for people over 14. For many Canadians, average daily sodium consumption exceeds this limit.

Recommended sodium intake can vary from person to person based on their health. Changing your eating habits is usually enough to reduce your intake to the recommended levels.

There are a number of ways to reduce your salt intake:

• Check how much salt or sodium a product contains by reading the nutrition facts table on the packaging.
• Look for products labelled "low sodium" or "no added salt."
• Eat fresher and unprocessed food.
• Limit ready-made, smoked, and canned foods.
• Don't use salt in your cooking.
• Don't keep a salt shaker at the table.
• Try using alternative seasonings such as garlic, pepper, lemon juice, herbs, or salt-free commercial seasonings.

Products to limit

• Canned soups, soup mixes, commercial broths and consommés, and cubed or liquid meat bouillon (e.g.,  Bovril, OXO)
• Cold cuts, ham, and smoked, salted, and canned meats and fish
• Large quantities of cheese (except cottage cheese or salt-free cheese)
• Commercial pickled products (e.g., olives, pickles, sauerkraut, seaweed)
• Commercial sauces (e.g., soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chili sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, mayonnaise)
• Foods with a salty coating (e.g., chips, salted peanuts, salted crackers, popcorn, pretzels)
• High-sodium seasonings (e.g., celery salt, onion salt, garlic salt, MSG)
• Vegetable or tomato juice
• Baking mixes for cake and cookies, instant oatmeal, and doughnuts

Try these heart-healthy swaps to reduce the sodium in your diet:

Always watch your diet: