
Sodium and Diabetes
Limiting Sodium Intake
Salt, also known as sodium, is in so many foods! In the grocery aisles of the supermarket, almost every nutrition label will show some sodium.
According to Food and Drug Administration, 70% of the sodium in our diet comes from packaged and prepared food (FDA.gov). Sodium is used in foods to add flavor or to preserve foods. Although sodium is important for our body to survive, Americans are consuming too much of it. Sodium is a mineral found in foods that our body needs for daily functioning, but the amount needed is very small.
It is recommended that we try to consume 2,300 milligrams per day. Currently, Americans are eating 3,400 milligrams on average per day. This is a significant amount. Too much sodium in our diet can lead to high blood pressure. This creates stress on our heart and increases risk of heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease.

- Remove table salt from the table and use spices and herbs instead for flavor
- When eating out, eat half and bring the other half home
- There are many low sodium options at the grocery store. Some examples include low sodium chicken broth, beans, cheeses, peanut butter and soup
- If eating foods from a can liked canned beans, rinse beans well
- Try cooking from home more often, foods from scratch naturally have less salt
- Sea salt is no better than regular salt
- Read nutrition labels! Foods lower than 140 mg per serving is a good goal
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High Sodium Foods
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Low Sodium Foods
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Meat
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Bacon, sausage, processed deli meats
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Fresh cut meats, chicken breast (without skin or pre marinated seasoning)
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Dairy
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Processed cheese
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Low sodium cheeses, unsalted butter, yogurt or Greek yogurt
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Snacks
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Pretzels, croutons, popcorn, peanut butter, salted nuts
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Unsalted popcorn, unsalted nuts, dried fruits and vegetables
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Other
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Canned soups and beans, soy sauce, frozen dinners
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Low sodium soups and broth, low sodium peanut butter, rinse and drain canned goods
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Mealtime
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Prepackaged stuffing and pasta, frozen pizza or boxed meals, ramen, fast food
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Homemade meals using herbs for flavor
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- FDA. Sodium in Your Diet. Updated April 2, 2020
- Barbara Gordon, RDN. Eat Right Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Is Sodium the Same this as Salt? Posted 8/8/2019.
- USCF Health. Guidelines for A Low Sodium Diet