Patient Education Materials

	Patient Education

Patient Education - N

No-Added-Salt Diet

Why should I follow a salt-controlled diet?

A no-added-salt or salt-controlled diet can help control high blood pressure. Even if you are taking medication, it’s important to follow a salt-controlled diet to help the medication work more effectively.

Tips for following a salt-controlled diet

Use a limited amount of salt in cooking.
Don’t add salt to your food at the table, either at home or when dining out. Most restaurants add salt when preparing food.
Use fresh or dried herbs, spices, and lemon juice to season foods.
Avoid ham, bacon, salt pork, and cheese, because these are made with salt.
When buying convenience foods and processed meats, choose reduced sodium entrees with less than 800 mg of sodium per serving.
Read labels carefully. Some words to avoid include: salt, sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate (MSG), cured, brine, corned, pickled, and smoked. Remember: Canned vegetables are higher in sodium than are fresh or frozen vegetables.

Low-Salt Diet

Types of Foods	Select	Avoid
Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta 6 to 11 servings each day One serving equals: 1 slice bread 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta	breads and rolls without salted tops reduced-sodium soups unsalted or low-salt crackers, pretzels, popcorn and snacks	breads and rolls with salted tops potato chips, salted, pretzels, popcorn, and nuts regular canned soup and dehydrated soup mixes commercially prepared or boxed rice, potato, or pasta mixes and commercial bread stuffing
Fruits 2-4 servings each day One serving equals: 1 medium-size fresh 1/2 cup canned 3/4 cup juice	fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and juices	none
Milk and Dairy Products Limit to 2 servings each day One serving equals: 1 cup milk or yogurt	all milk all yogurt	none
Vegetables 3-5 servings each day One serving equals: 1 cup raw 1/2 cup cooked or chopped	fresh and frozen vegetables	canned vegetables sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, and other vegetables prepared in brine frozen vegetables in prepared sauces and cheese vegetable and tomato juices and canned or dehydrated soup
Snacks, sweets, and desserts	unsalted pretzels, chips, popcorn, and nuts pudding, custard, gelatin, ice cream, sherbet, cake, cookies, or pie (limit to one serving a day)	salted potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, nuts, and other salted snack foods
Meats, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Peas, Eggs and Cheese 2-3 servings or a total of 6 ounces daily One serving equals: 2-3 ounces cooked meat, chicken, or fish (about the size of a deck of cards) OR 1/2 to 3/4 cup cottage cheese or tuna fish OR One egg, 1/2 cup cooked beans, two tablespoons peanut butter or one ounce of cheese. Choose leaner cuts of beef and meat and limit the amount of high-fat items like eggs and cheese.	any fresh or frozen beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish or shellfish eggs and egg substitutes peanut butter dry peas and beans all cheeses (reduced-sodium varieties recommended) reduced-sodium luncheon meats	regular luncheon meat and cold cuts processed cheese sausage and bacon any smoked, cured, salted, kosher, or canned meat, fish, or poultry sardines and anchovies pickled eggs salted nuts
Fats, condiments, and beverages	regular margarine and butter cream cheese mayonnaise and salad dressing ketchup, mustard, and other condiments pepper, herbs, and spices vinegar and lemon or lime juice coffee and tea Postum carbonated beverages and lemonade Limit salt to 1/2 teaspoon per day, used in cooking or at the table.	regular bouillon or broth salt or seasonings that contain salt or MSG, such as Accent garlic salt, onion salt, and celery salt soy sauce and teriyaki sauce flavored vinegars and oils snack dips made with instant soup mixes or processed cheese salad dressings containing bacon fat, bacon bits, or salt pork You may use frozen or prepared foods that include these items as ingredients, but do not cook or use them at the table.

Sample menu

Breakfast

orange juice

shredded wheat cereal

banana

whole-wheat toast with margarine and jam

milk

coffee or tea

Lunch

reduced- sodium vegetable soup

unsalted crackers

hamburger on a bun with sliced tomato, lettuce, mustard, and mayonnaise

fresh fruit salad

Snack

iced tea with lemon

graham crackers

fresh apple

milk

Dinner

tossed salad with vinegar and oil dressing

broiled skinless chicken breast

herbed brown rice

steamed broccoli

whole-grain roll with margarine

Italian fruit ice and gingersnaps

coffee or tea

Breakfast	orange juice shredded wheat cereal banana whole-wheat toast with margarine and jam milk coffee or tea
Lunch	reduced- sodium vegetable soup unsalted crackers hamburger on a bun with sliced tomato, lettuce, mustard, and mayonnaise fresh fruit salad
Snack	iced tea with lemon graham crackers fresh apple milk
Dinner	tossed salad with vinegar and oil dressing broiled skinless chicken breast herbed brown rice steamed broccoli whole-grain roll with margarine Italian fruit ice and gingersnaps coffee or tea