INFOGRAPHIC

Tips to Help You Follow a Low-Sodium Diet

Reviewed by Claudia Levi, R.N.
January 14, 2025
How to Eat Less Salt Adults should limit their sodium (salt) intake to 2,300 milligrams (mg) or less per day, according to the American Heart Association. But most American eat more than 3,500 mg per day. A high-sodium diet can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, kidney disease, and more. Want to eat less salt? Try these tips. At the Grocery Store Bring home only what will help you meet your dietary goals. Read food labels. Check each item’s sodium content before putting it in your cart. Aim for less than 140 mg per serving. Avoid processed meats. Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, ham, hot dogs, bologna, and other deli meat, all tend to be high in salt. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables. Fruits and veggies are naturally low in sodium, so load up. But avoid canned varieties, which often have added sodium. Avoid or limit foods pickled in salt-brine. Opt for low-sodium or vinegar-brine options. Be careful with processed and frozen foods. Boxed or frozen prepared meals may be handy, but they also tend to have a lot of salt. Consider low-sodium cheese options. Fresh mozzarella or Swiss cheese work well. Choose snacks wisely. Look for snacks labeled “no salt added.” At Home Cooking your own food gives you control over how much sodium you eat. Replace salt with spices, herbs, and seasonings. Garlic, citrus zest, onion, ginger, pepper, cilantro, and other flavors will keep you from missing the salt. Rinse canned foods before cooking or eating them. This helps remove most of the added salt. Cook fresh, lean meats to replace deli meat. Choose nutrient-dense foods that naturally contain sodium. These add salty flavor to your meals without overdoing the sodium. They offer health benefits, too. Beets are delicious and have a lot of fiber and vitamins. One beet has about 65 mg of sodium. Slice and bake them to make a healthy beet chip. Celery and carrots have about 50 mg of sodium per serving and include vitamins and fiber. Bake them with your meat instead of using the saltshaker. Seaweed can make for a tasty, briny salad and offers fiber, healthy fats, and other nutrients. Shrimp and other seafood are flavor packed. No need to add extra salt. At a Restaurant A low-sodium diet doesn’t mean you can’t dine out from time to time. Ask the server whether there are low-sodium options on the menu. Skip the sauce or condiment, or ask for it on the side. Sauces and gravies contain a lot of sodium. Be aware that ketchup, mustard, and soy sauce can carry a lot of added sodium, too. Opt for lean meat, like chicken or fish. Have it grilled or baked, not fried. Be wary of casserole dishes, like chicken pot pie and lasagna, which tend to have salty ingredients. Be careful of toppings. Portion sizes of cheese, croutons, and olives in salad can often be high. Swap out toppings for healthier options. For example, onions and peppers are a delicious substitute for pepperoni on a pizza. Don’t salt your food at the table. Enjoy it as served. Sources: American Heart Association. (2024) How much sodium should I eat per day? Mayo Clinic. (2023) DASH diet: Sample menus. National Kidney Foundation. (2018) Tips to Tackling the DASH Diet. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023) Eat Less Sodium: Quick Tips. World Health Organization. (2023) Sodium reduction.

For the text version of this infographic on following a low-sodium diet, read on.

How to Eat Less Salt

Adults should limit their sodium (salt) intake to 2,300 milligrams (mg) or less per day, according to the American Heart Association.

But most American eat more than 3,500 mg per day.

A high-sodium diet can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, kidney disease, and more.

Want to eat less salt? Try these tips.

At the Grocery Store

Bring home only what will help you meet your dietary goals.

Read food labels. Check each item’s sodium content before putting it in your cart. Aim for less than 140 mg per serving.

Avoid processed meats. Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, ham, hot dogs, bologna, and other deli meat, all tend to be high in salt.

Choose fresh or frozen vegetables. Fruits and veggies are naturally low in sodium, so load up. But avoid canned varieties, which often have added sodium.

Avoid or limit foods pickled in salt-brine. Opt for low-sodium or vinegar-brine options.

Be careful with processed and frozen foods. Boxed or frozen prepared meals may be handy, but they also tend to have a lot of salt.

Consider low-sodium cheese options. Fresh mozzarella or Swiss cheese work well.

Choose snacks wisely. Look for snacks labeled “no salt added.”

At Home

Cooking your own food gives you control over how much sodium you eat.

Replace salt with spices, herbs, and seasonings. Garlic, citrus zest, onion, ginger, pepper, cilantro, and other flavors will keep you from missing the salt.

Rinse canned foods before cooking or eating them. This helps remove most of the added salt.

Cook fresh, lean meats to replace deli meat.

Choose nutrient-dense foods that naturally contain sodium. These add salty flavor to your meals without overdoing the sodium. They offer health benefits, too.

  • Beets are delicious and have a lot of fiber and vitamins. One beet has about 65 mg of sodium. Slice and bake them to make a healthy beet chip.
  • Celery and carrots have about 50 mg of sodium per serving and include vitamins and fiber. Bake them with your meat instead of using the saltshaker.
  • Seaweed can make for a tasty, briny salad and offers fiber, healthy fats, and other nutrients.
  • Shrimp and other seafood are flavor packed. No need to add extra salt.

At a Restaurant

A low-sodium diet doesn’t mean you can’t dine out from time to time.

Ask the server whether there are low-sodium options on the menu.

Skip the sauce or condiment, or ask for it on the side. Sauces and gravies contain a lot of sodium. Be aware that ketchup, mustard, and soy sauce can carry a lot of added sodium, too.

Opt for lean meat, like chicken or fish. Have it grilled or baked, not fried.

Be wary of casserole dishes, like chicken pot pie and lasagna, which tend to have salty ingredients.

Be careful of toppings. Portion sizes of cheese, croutons, and olives in salad can often be high. Swap out toppings for healthier options. For example, onions and peppers are a delicious substitute for pepperoni on a pizza.

Don’t salt your food at the table. Enjoy it as served.

Sources:

American Heart Association. (2024) How much sodium should I eat per day?

Mayo Clinic. (2023) DASH diet: Sample menus.

National Kidney Foundation. (2018) Tips to Tackling the DASH Diet.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023) Eat Less Sodium: Quick Tips.

World Health Organization. (2023) Sodium reduction.