A Sodium Controlled Diet (Low-Salt diet) has been prescribed for you as medically necessary to improve your health. This article provides a detailed roadmap for adhering to a 2000 mg low sodium diet plan, crucial for managing various health conditions and promoting overall well-being. Sodium is a mineral that helps balance fluids in your body. It’s found in almost all foods. On this diet, you limit the total amount of sodium you eat or drink to 2 grams, or 2,000 milligrams (mg), daily.
Understanding Sodium and Its Impact
Sodium is a nutrient that is important to good health. Sodium controls fluid balance in our bodies and maintains blood volume and blood pressure. The body needs some sodium to work well. The kidneys balance the amount of sodium in the body. When sodium is low, the kidneys hold on to it. If the kidneys can't remove enough sodium, it builds up in the blood. Sodium attracts and holds water, so the blood volume rises. The heart must work harder to pump blood, and that increases pressure in the arteries.
However, excess sodium is linked to adverse health outcomes including increased blood pressure which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, Meniere’s disease, and kidney disease. An estimated 1.89 million deaths each year are associated with consuming too much sodium. For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.
Key Strategies for a 2000 mg Low Sodium Diet
To effectively implement a 2000 mg low sodium diet plan, consider these strategies:
1. Read Food Labels Meticulously:
The Nutrition Facts label found on most packaged and processed foods lists the amount of sodium in each serving. Try to stay away from products with more than 200 mg of sodium a serving. And be sure you know how many servings are in a package. Checking the percent daily value for sodium is also a good way to monitor your sodium intake. The daily value for sodium is less than 2,400 mg per day. If the percent daily value is 5% or less, that food is considered low in sodium. If the percent daily value is more than 20%, it’s considered high in sodium. Pay close attention to sodium content in packaged and prepared foods. About 75% of sodium that you eat comes from eating packaged and restaurant foods. Although many packaged foods may not taste salty, they may still have high sodium content. On a nutrition facts label, the sodium content is always listed in milligrams for 1 serving. If you eat or drink 2 servings, you’re getting double the amount of sodium.
Read also: Managing Diabetes with Diet
Carefully read the labels of all prepared foods. Look not only for salt, but also for bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), baking powder, MSG, and sodium compounds such as sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, etc. Most frozen dinners, Instant dinner mixes, sauces, canned foods, (except fruits and fruit juices) and prepared foods contain salt unless they are especially prepared for sodium-restricted diets as such.
2. Choose Fresh, Unprocessed Foods:
Eat more fresh foods. Choose unprocessed foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains (oats, barley, quinoa, and brown rice), and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils). Most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Also, fresh meat is lower in sodium than are lunchmeat, bacon, hot dogs, sausage and ham.
3. Cook at Home More Often:
Eat more home-cooked meals. Foods cooked from scratch are naturally lower in sodium than most instant and boxed mixes. Eat at home. Restaurant foods and meals are often high in sodium. When eating out in restaurants, ask your server to have food prepared without added salt.
4. Be Mindful of Condiments and Sauces:
Avoid canned or bottled sauces, BBQ, soy, steak, chili, tomato, salad dressings, etc. Go easy on the condiments. Sodium also is used to flavor food in condiments, such as soy sauce.
5. Limit High-Sodium Foods:
The following is a list of high-sodium foods. Limit these foods while following your diet. When reading the nutrition facts labels, you’ll be surprised how much sodium is in them. Eat only the amount of List II foods specified in your basic meal plan. These foods are moderately high in sodium.
Read also: Low Sodium Diet Frozen Dinners
6. Use Salt Substitutes Judiciously:
Salt substitutes are widely available. They include potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, citrates, formats, glutamates, chlorine salts, and blended herb seasonings. These products are sodium free. However, salt substitutes may contain nutrients (such as potassium) that are restricted by your diet prescription. Talk to your physician before using any salt substitute. Salt substitutes supply 390-507 mg potassium per gram. Don’t use salt substitutes unless your doctor approves them. If choosing to use table salt, WHO suggests replacing regular table salt with lower-sodium salt substitutes that contain potassium. The potassium in some salt substitutes may be a problem for some people. Too much potassium can be harmful for people with kidney problems. It also can be bad for those who take medicines that cause the body to hold on to potassium.
7. Season Food Creatively:
Replace salt with other flavorings. Be creative and season your foods with spices, herbs, lemon, garlic, ginger, vinegar and pepper. Use pure herbs and spices instead of seasoned salts-i.e., garlic powder instead of garlic salt, onion powder instead of onion salt, etc. Try adding fresh garlic, onions, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar to vegetables and salads. If you like spicy food, use hot peppers or hot sauce to season foods. Only use a small amount of hot sauce because it’s high in sodium. Try salt-free spice mixes such as Mrs.
8. Rinse Canned Foods:
Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, beans and vegetable, before eating.
9. Monitor Water Sodium Content:
Water varies in sodium content from one area to another. Check with your local water supplier and If the water in your area contains more than 20 mg. sodium per quart, bottled water should be used. The use of water-softeners may add significant amounts of sodium to the water supply. Don't use softened water for cooking and drinking since it contains added salt.
10. Avoid Medications High in Sodium:
Be aware that some medications are high in sodium. Avoid medications which contain sodium such as Alka Seltzer and Bromo Seltzer. When in doubt, ask your pharmacist for information.
Read also: Healthy Kidney Diet Guide
11. Reduce Salt in Cooking:
Reduce salt in cooking and in recipes by half the amount. Remove salt from recipes whenever possible. You can leave out the salt in many recipes. Those include casseroles, soups, stews and other main dishes that you cook.
12. Choose Low-Sodium Products:
Choose low-sodium products. Many salt-free or reduced salt products are available. If you buy processed foods, such as broth or ready-to-cook dishes, choose ones that are labeled low sodium. The supermarket is full of foods labeled reduced sodium or light in sodium. But don't assume that means they're low in sodium.
Here are some other sodium claims you may find on packaged foods and what they mean:
- Sodium-free or salt-free: No salt is added during processing of a food that usually contains salt. But some foods with these labels might not be sodium-free.
- Very low sodium
- Low sodium
- Reduced or less sodium: The sodium content has been reduced by at least 50% from the regular version.
- Unsalted or no salt added: No salt is added during processing of a food that usually contains salt. But some foods with these labels might not be sodium-free.
13. Limit Certain Dairy Products:
Limit the amount of milk, yogurt, and ice cream you eat to 3 (8-ounce) servings daily. Be sure to check the food labels on puddings.
14. Be Aware of Non-Traditional Seasonings:
Be aware of non-traditional seasonings that may be high in sodium.
15. Desserts:
Use only unsweetened or fresh fruits for desserts; avoid sugar, concentrated sweets, regular jelly and jams, regular soft drinks, etc.
16. Restaurant Dining:
Chain restaurants that have 20 or more locations have to provide written nutrition information on their menu items, including calories, total fat, calories from fat, sugars, protein, and sodium. Ask for nutritional informational when you’re eating at one of these restaurants. You can also look up the nutrition facts on the internet before you go to the restaurant.
Practical Tips for Gradual Sodium Reduction
The key is to slowly cut back on foods that are high in sodium, such as prepared and processed products. And that doesn't mean you have to stop eating your favorite foods. For example, you could use fresh, lower sodium ingredients to make your own pizza instead of ordering in. When you go grocery shopping, read nutrition labels to find out how much sodium a product has. Slowly cut back on table salt too. Try salt-free seasonings to help make the change. After a few weeks of this, you might not miss the saltshaker. As you eat less sodium and salt, your craving for it might fade.
Additional Considerations
- Vitamin Intake: Choose a good source of Vitamin C daily. They are citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, papaya, and cantaloupes. Choose a good source of Vitamin A every other day. These are dark green or yellow fruits and vegetables.
- Individual Needs: In addition to sodium, fluid, protein, and/or potassium may need to be controlled depending on your diet prescription. A weight loss or weight management meal plan may need to be combined with other restrictions. A Sodium Controlled diet is usually adequate in all nutrients needed for good health.
- Consultation: If you aren't sure how much sodium your diet should include, talk to your health care provider.
The Global Perspective on Sodium Reduction
Almost all populations are consuming too much sodium. The global mean intake of adults is 4310 mg/day sodium (equivalent to 10.78 g/day salt). This is more than double the World Health Organization recommendation for adults of less than 2000 mg/day sodium (equivalent to < 5 g/day salt, or approximately one teaspoon).
WHO recommends several sodium-related best buy policies as practical steps that countries can take to prevent cardiovascular disease and its associated costs. These include lowering sodium content in foods; implementing front-of-pack labelling; mass media campaigns; and public food procurement and service.