Low sodium foods

What counts as low sodium

What are low sodium foods?

Before you scan every label at the grocery store, it helps to know what the terms mean. The FDA has specific definitions that make this easier.

FDA sodium claims on food labels

On the Nutrition Facts label, look at the % Daily Value column. Five percent or less is considered low, and 20% or more is high. Those percentages are based on the 2,300 milligram Daily Value, so if you're aiming for 1,500, each one is a larger chunk of your day than it looks.

One thing catches people off guard: reduced sodium doesn't mean low sodium. It only means 25% less than the original. A reduced-sodium soup could still carry 700 milligrams a serving if the original had about 933. Check the milligrams, not the front of the package.

Why sodium matters for your health

Why does sodium matter for your health?

Your body needs some sodium. It helps maintain fluid balance, supports nerve function and allows your muscles to contract. But the keyword is some. The American Heart Association puts what your body needs at less than 500 milligrams a day. Almost all of us eat well past that.

Excess sodium makes your body hold on to water, which increases the volume of blood moving through your vessels. Your heart has to work harder, and the pressure on your artery walls goes up. The CDC ties too much sodium to higher blood pressure and a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Its latest figures say 48.1% of US adults have high blood pressure, and about 1 in 6 of them don't know it.

The link is strong enough that entire eating plans have been built around it. The DASH eating plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy, and it limits sodium to 2,300 milligrams, with 1,500 lowering blood pressure further.

Here's how big the effect is. In the original DASH trial, the diet lowered systolic pressure by 11.4 points more than a control diet among 133 people with hypertension, without any change in sodium. The DASH-Sodium trial of 412 people then tested both together. DASH with low sodium ended up 11.5 points lower than a typical American diet with high sodium for people with hypertension, and 7.1 points lower for people without it.

Those were controlled feeding studies, where the researchers supplied the meals, so real-life results often land lower. It's still a big effect for food. For more on foods that support a healthy weight and overall wellness, our complete guide to the best foods for weight loss covers many naturally low sodium options.

Best low sodium foods to eat

Which foods are naturally low in sodium?

The simplest rule: the closer a food is to its natural state, the less sodium it typically contains. Fresh produce, plain whole grains and unprocessed proteins are your foundation.

Sodium in common foods, rounded from USDA FoodData Central. Brands vary, so check the label.

Hidden sodium sources to watch for

Where does most sodium actually come from?

The FDA's numbers are blunt: more than 70% of dietary sodium comes from packaged and prepared foods, not from salt added during cooking or at the table. So you could never touch a salt shaker and still eat too much.

Some of the biggest sources might surprise you. Bread adds up because we eat it so often. Condiments like soy sauce, at about 900 milligrams a tablespoon, ketchup, mustard and salad dressings can push an otherwise healthy meal well past what you'd expect. A single dill pickle spear can have about 280 milligrams. Even foods that taste sweet, like some breakfast cereals and flavored instant oatmeal packets, can carry significant sodium.

Restaurant and fast food meals deserve special attention. A fast food burger with fries and a drink can run well over 1,000 milligrams, and a big combo can get close to a full day's limit in one sitting. Sit-down restaurants aren't necessarily better, since many dishes are built on salty seasonings, butter and sauces.

• Ask for sauces and dressings on the side. You decide how much goes on.
• Request less salt. Many kitchens can adjust a dish if you ask.
• Look for heart-healthy or low sodium menu markers. Then check the posted nutrition if the restaurant has it.

How meal prep makes low sodium eating easier

How does meal prep help you eat less sodium?

The most reliable way to control your sodium is to prepare more of your own food. When you cook at home, you can use fresh herbs, citrus juice, garlic, ginger, vinegar and spices to build flavor without leaning on salt.

Your taste adjusts as you do this. In a study of young adults on a low sodium diet for 5 months, the level of salt they found most pleasant in soup and crackers dropped, while a control group's didn't. It was one small group, but the direction matches what many people notice after a few weeks of eating less salt.

Cooking every meal from scratch isn't realistic for most people, so a plan helps. Batch cook proteins and grains on the weekend, prep vegetables in advance and keep low sodium staples in the pantry. Our complete meal prep guide walks through the whole process if you're new to prepping or want to streamline your system.

Low sodium habits & next steps

What should you do next?

Eating less sodium doesn't take a complete overhaul. It's mostly smarter swaps and paying attention to where your sodium really comes from. Build on fresh, whole foods, read labels and watch for hidden sodium in packaged products, condiments and restaurant meals. Give your taste a few weeks to adjust, and you may find you don't miss the extra salt.

Small changes add up. Choosing fresh chicken over deli meat, rinsing your canned beans and using herbs instead of salty seasonings each move you closer to your target.

For the weeks when meal prep isn't happening, ready-to-heat meals can beat fast food or skipping dinner, as long as you read the number. Our Weight Loss Meal Plan and Build A Meal Plan give you portion-controlled meals in a few minutes, but they aren't low sodium plans, and we won't call them that. Our current menu runs from 360 to 1,550 milligrams a meal, with a median of 750, and three meals top 1,000.

Only two meals meet the FDA's low sodium rule for a main dish: Basic Diced Chicken & Red Potatoes at 360 milligrams and Basic Chicken Strips & Rice at 380. Our Basics Meal Plan is built around simple meals like these. Every meal's sodium is on our Nutrition Info page, which you can sort. Cooking from staples will still get you lower, and on a strict sodium target, that's the better call.

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