Low-Salt Diet
This diet removes foods that are high in salt. It also limits the amount of salt you use when cooking. It is most often used for people with high blood pressure, fluid retention (edema), and kidney, liver, or heart disease.
Table salt has the mineral sodium. Your body needs sodium to work normally. But too much sodium can make your health problems worse. Your healthcare provider advises a low-salt (low-sodium) diet for you. Your total daily allowed amount of salt is 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams (mg). This is less than 1 teaspoon of table salt. This means you can have only about 500 to 700 mg of sodium at each meal. People with certain health problems should limit salt intake to the lower end of the advised range.
When you cook, don’t add much salt. If you can cook without using salt, even better. Don’t add salt to your food at the table.
When shopping, read food labels. Salt is often called sodium on the label. Choose foods that are salt-free, low salt, or very low salt. Note that foods with reduced salt may not lower your salt intake enough.

Beans, potatoes, and pasta
OK: Dry beans, split peas, lentils, potatoes, rice, macaroni, pasta, spaghetti with no added salt, canned beans with no added salt
Avoid: Salted potato chips; regular (salt added) canned beans
Breads and grains
OK: Low-sodium breads, rolls, cereals, and cakes; low-salt crackers, matzo crackers
Avoid: Salted crackers, pretzels, tortilla chips, popcorn, and other salty snacks; French toast, pancakes, muffins, regular bread
Dairy
OK: Milk, chocolate milk, hot chocolate mix, low-salt cheeses, yogurt
Avoid: Processed cheese and cheese spreads; Roquefort, Camembert, and cottage cheese; buttermilk, instant breakfast drink
Desserts
OK: Ice cream, frozen yogurt, juice bars, gelatin, cookies and pies, sugar, honey, jelly, hard candy
Avoid: Most pies, cakes and cookies made with salt; instant pudding
Drinks
OK: Tea, coffee, fizzy (carbonated) drinks, juices
Avoid: Flavored coffees, electrolyte replacement drinks, sports drinks
Meats
OK: All fresh meat, fish, poultry, low-salt tuna, eggs, egg substitute
Avoid: Smoked, pickled, brine-cured, or salted meats and fish, and processed poultry injected with salt or marinade. This includes bacon, chipped beef, corned beef, hot dogs, deli meats, ham, kosher meats, salt pork, sausage, canned tuna, salted codfish, smoked salmon, herring, sardines, and anchovies.
Seasonings
OK: Most seasonings are okay. Good substitutes for salt include: fresh herb blends, hot sauce, lemon, garlic, curry, vinegar, dry mustard, parsley, cilantro, horseradish, tomato paste, margarine, mayonnaise, unsalted butter, cream cheese, vegetable and olive oil, cream, low-salt salad dressing and gravy.
Avoid: Regular ketchup, relishes, pickles, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, tartar sauce, meat tenderizer, chili sauce, regular gravy, regular salad dressing, salted butter
Soups
OK: Low-salt soups and broths made with allowed foods
Avoid: Bouillon cubes, soups with smoked or salted meats, regular soup and broth
Vegetables
OK: Most vegetables are okay, including canned vegetables with no salt added, and plain frozen vegetables; low-salt tomato and vegetable juices
Avoid: Sauerkraut and other brined vegetables; pickles and pickled vegetables; tomato juice, olives, canned vegetables with salt, frozen vegetables with sauces