Sodium Diet
Find effective strategies, serving guidelines, and food examples to help reduce sodium intake and support your kidney health and blood pressure management.
What is Sodium?
Sodium is a part of salt. Sodium is found in many canned, packaged, and “fast” foods. It is also found in many condiments, seasonings, and meats.
Why Is Sodium Important For People With CKD?
Eating less sodium helps lower blood pressure and may slow down CKD. Your blood pressure goal should be below 130/80.
One of the kidneys’ important jobs is to filter sodium out of the body and into the urine. Damaged kidneys cannot filter as well as healthy kidneys can. This can cause sodium to stay in your body, raise your blood pressure, and lead to swollen ankles, puffiness, shortness of breath, and/or fluid around your heart and lungs.
How Much Sodium Should I Eat Every Day?
Your diet should contain less than 1,150 milligrams of sodium each day, or the amount of sodium in one teaspoon of salt. Much of the sodium you eat does not come from a salt shaker. Sodium is added to the prepared foods you buy at the supermarket or eat at restaurants.
How Do I Lower The Sodium In My Diet?
- Buy fresh foods more often.
- Cook foods from scratch, instead of prepared foods, “fast” foods, frozen dinners, and canned foods that are higher in sodium.
- Use spices, herbs, and sodium-free seasonings in place of salt. Check with your healthcare provider about using salt substitutes.
- Rinse canned vegetables, beans, meats, and fish with water to remove excess sodium.
- Always read the Nutrition Facts label to compare foods. Choose foods with the lowest Percent Daily Value (%DV) for sodium. The %DV lets you see if a food is high or low in sodium. 5% or less is low, and 20% or more is high. Check the label on fresh meats and poultry. Sodium additives can be used to make meat last longer.
- Look for foods labeled: sodium-free, salt-free, very low sodium, low sodium, reduced or less sodium, light in sodium, no salt added, unsalted, and lightly salted.
- There may be more than one serving in the package, so be sure to check serving size. This number tells you the %DV for sodium in one serving
Salt and Salt Seasonings
Here is a list of foods to limit, along with acceptable substitutes.
- Table Salt
- Seasoning Salt
- Garlic Salt
- Onion Salt
- Lemon Pepper
- Lite Salt
- Meat Tenderizer
- Bouillon Cubes
- Flavor Enhancers
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Onion
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Black Pepper
- Lemon Juice
- Low Sodium/Salt-Free Seasoning Blends
- Vinegar
Salty Foods
Foods To Limit Because Of Their High Sodium Content:
- Barbecue Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Oyster Sauce
Salted Snacks Such As:
- Crackers
- Potato Chips
- Corn Chips
- Pretzels
- Tortilla Chips
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Sunflower Seeds
- Homemade or Low Sodium Sauces and Salad Dressings
- Vinegar
- Dry Mustard
- Unsalted Popcorn
- Unsalted Pretzels
- Unsalted Tortilla or Corn Chips
Cured Foods
Foods To Limit Because Of Their High Sodium Content:
- Ham
- Salt Pork
- Bacon
- Sauerkraut
- Pickles
- Pickle Relish
- Lox & Herring
- Olives
- Fresh Beef
- Fresh Veal
- Fresh Pork
- Fresh Poultry
- Fresh Fish
- Fresh Eggs
Luncheon Meats
Foods To Limit Because Of Their High Sodium Content:
- Hot Dogs
- Cold Cuts
- Deli Meats
- Pastrami
- Sausage
- Corned Beef
- Spam
- Low-Salt Deli Meats
Processed Food
Foods To Limit Because Of Their High Sodium Content:
- Buttermilk
- Cheese
Canned Foods:
- Soups
- Tomato Products
- Vegetable Juices
- Canned Vegetables
Convenience Foods Such As:
- TV Dinners
- Canned Raviolis
- Chili
- Macaroni & Cheese
- Spaghetti
- Commercial Mixes
- Frozen Prepared Foods
- Fast Foods
- Natural Cheese (1-2 oz per week)
- Homemade of Low-Sodium Soups
- Canned Food without Added Salt
- Homemade Casseroles without Added Salt
- Made with Fresh or Raw Vegetables
- Fresh Meat
- Rice
- Pasta
- Unsalted Canned Vegetables