Module 2 Pull Down Navigation - Select a Page to View ------------------- Introduction What is a Low-Sodium Diet? How Do I Follow a Low-Sodium Diet? Step 1: Stop Adding Salt to Food Step 2: Adapt Your Preferred Foods to Low-Sodium Versions Step 3: Pick Foods Naturally Low in Sodium Step 4: Learn to Read Food Labels Reading a Food Label for Sodium Content Other Tips to Help You Get Started Tracking the Sodium in Your Diet Questions to Ask Your Doctor or Nurse Questions and Answers About a Low-Sodium Diet Low-Sodium Spices, Herbs, Seasonings and Condiments High-Sodium Spices, Herbs, Seasonings and Condiments Foods with Less Than 10 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with 10 to 40 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with 40 to 65 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with 65 to 120 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with 120 to 175 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with 175 to 350 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with 350 to 500 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with 500 to 800 mg of Sodium Per Serving Foods with More Than 800 mg of Sodium Per Serving Examples of Low-Sodium Foods Examples of High-Sodium Foods High-Sodium Foods and Low-Sodium Alternatives Examples of Sodium Content of Fast Foods Learn More About Heart Failure

Step 1: Stop Adding Salt to Food

To accomplish this step, try the following tips:

• Take the salt shaker off of the table.
• Do not add salt when cooking.

You can reduce your sodium intake by as much as 30 percent by following the first two tips. People often say that food tastes bland without salt. You can make foods taste good without salt by trying the following tips:

• Experiment with low- or no-salt herbs, spices, and seasoning mixes.
  
  Try using seasonings like black, cayenne, or lemon pepper. Dried and fresh herbs such as garlic, garlic or onion powder (not salt), dill, parsley, and rosemary are also naturally very low in sodium. Combination spice mixes in a bottle are great as long as salt or sodium are not one of the ingredients.
  
  
• Sprinkle fresh lemon juice over vegetables and salads. Season or marinade meat, poultry, and fish ahead of time with onion, garlic, and your favorite herbs before cooking to bring out the flavor.
  
  
• Avoid spices and seasoning mixes with the word salt or sodium in the name. They will be high in sodium. For example, just a teaspoon of a seasoned salt such as garlic salt or celery salt contains about 1,500 mg of sodium. View this chart for a list of high-sodium seasonings.

It can be fun learning new ways to eat. View this chart for a list of low-sodium seasonings to use when cooking. There are many salt-free seasoning mixes in your supermarket. Look in the spice section for seasonings labeled "salt-free".