The information below is provided to assist patients maintain a low-sodium diet. The following numbers may be useful as a guide.
Dietary Salt (sodium) Intake
"Normal" salt diet ... ... 1100 - 3300 mg/day
"High" salt diet ... ... 4000 - 6000 mg/day
"Low" salt diet ... ... 400 - 1000 mg/day
Physicians may initially suggest a partially reduced salt level, in the range of 1000 - 2000 mg/day, to see if symptoms can be alleviated. Maintaining a sodium intake below 2000 mg/day requires considerable effort. Eating in restaurants causes difficulty as the majority of restaurant food is salted. To maintain a low sodium diet, you need to scrutinize the "Nutritional Information" boxes on food cartons. The amount of salt is listed as "sodium". Choose those products which would give you the least sodium,
based on the amount of product you eat. Note that many "high salt" products (ketchup, salad dressing, corn chips) show relatively low sodium values based on very small serving portions (who eats only 12 corn chips at a sitting??). What is important is the total amount of sodium you are eating each day. As shown in the list below, fresh fruits and vegetables have low sodium content, but avoid adding salt to vegetables during preparation. The following advice may help maintain a low salt intake.
Do not use salt at the table
Reduce the salt used in food preparation. Try 1/2 teaspoon when recipes call for 1 teaspoon. Many cakes and desserts can be prepared without adding salt.
Use herbs and spices for flavoring meats and vegetables instead of salt.
Avoid salty foods such as processed meat and fish, pickles, soy sauce, salted nuts, chips and other snack foods.
Check every "Nutritional Information" label before you buy or use a product. Note sodium and portion size information.
A cautionary note: The body posesses exquisite systems which accurately regulate body sodium. The goal of a low sodium diet is to "push" this regulation system toward one end of its range,without pushing it to the limit when body sodium starts falling. Although a low-salt diet if difficult to achieve, be aware that the low-salt diet can be "overdone" with possible adverse consequences. For this reason, if your vestibular symptoms persist, do
not keep decreasing your salt intake. The level of sodium intake should be decided in consultation with your physician or nutritionist. Lower levels require more rigorous monitoring by your physician. You should also be aware that your body can lose sodium by a number of routes other than in the urine. Sweating, vomiting and diarrhea can all produce significant sodium loss. In addition, other diseases, such as those which impair kidney function, may result in greater than normal sodium losses. In the event of adverse symptoms, you should contact your physician.
Sodium Content of Common Foods
All values are given in mg of sodium for a 100 g (3.5 oz) food portion. These values are a
guide. More accurate values are given in the Nutritional Information on the package of most products, in the form of mg of sodium per serving.
Apple, raw unpeeled 1
Apple juice, bottled 1
Applesauce, sweetened 2
Asparagus, cooked 1 (regular canned 236)
Avocado 4
Bacon, cooked 1021
Bacon, canadian 2500
Baking powder 11,000
Banana 1
Barly, pearled 3
Beans, Lima 1 (regular canned 236)
Beans, snap green, cooked 4 (regular canned 236)
Beans, white common, cooked 7
Beans, canned with pork and tomato sauce 463
Bean sprouts, cooked 4
Beef, roasted broiled or stewed 60
Beef, corned 1,740
Beef hash, canned 540
Beef, dried 4,300
beef hamberger 47
Beef pie or stew, commercial 400
Beets, cooked 43 (regular canned 236)
Beverages, beer 7
Beverages, liquor 1 (avoid margueritas with salt!)
Beverages, wine 5
Beverage, soda 0 to 100 (check can)
Beverage, fruit drink 0
Beverage, water 0
Biscuits 630
Blackberries 1
Bluefish, cooked 104
Bouillon cubes 24,000
Bread 300 to 500
Broccoli, cooked 10
Brussel sprouts, cooked 10
Butter, salted 826 (unsalted - less than 10)
Cabbage 20
Cakes 100 to 300
Candy, caramels, fudge 200
Candy, hard, marshmallow, peanut brittle 30
Cantaloupe 12
Carrots 40 (regular canned 236)
Cashews, unsalted 15
Cauliflower 10
Celery, raw 126 (cooked 88)
Cereals bran, wheat, crude 9
Cereals, commercial 700 to 1100
Cereal, Corn grits 1
Cereal, Cornmeal 1
Cereal, Farina, dry 2 (cooked salted or instant 160)
Cereal, Oatmeal, dry 2 (cooked salted 218)
Cereal, Rice flakes 987
Cereal, wheat flakes 1000
Cereal, wheat, puffed 4
Cereal, wheat, shredded 3
Cheese, cheddar 620
Cheese, processed 1189
Cheese, cottage 406
Cheese, cream 296
Cheese, Mozzarella 373
Cheese, Parmesan 1,862
Cheese, Swiss 260
Cherries, Raw 2
Chicken, cooked, without skin 60 to 80
Chicken pot pie, commercial 411
Chickpeas, dry 8
Chicory 7
Chili con carne, canned with beans 531
Chili powder with seasonings 1574
Chocolate, plain 4
Chocolate syrup 52
Clams, raw soft 36
Clams, hard, round 205
Cocoa, dry 6
Cocoa, processed 717
Coconut, fresh 23
Coffee, instant, dry 72
Coffee, beverage, 1
Collards, cooked 25
Cookies, Fig bars 252
Cookies, oatmeal 170
Cookies , plain 365
Corn, sweet, cooked 0 (regular canned 236)
Cowpeas, dry, cooked 8
Crabmeat, canned 1000
Crackers, Graham 670
Crackers, saltines 1,100
Cranberry juice or sauce 1
Cream 40
Cucumber 6
Dates 1
Doughnuts 500
Duck 74
Eggplant, cooked 1
Egg, whole, raw 74 (whites 152, yolk 49)
Endive, curly 14
Figs 2
Flounder 78
Flour 2
Fruit cocktail 5
Gelatin, dry 0 (sweetened, ready-to eat 51)
Grapefruit, fresh, canned or juice 1
Grapes 3
Haddock, raw 61 (battered 177)
Heart, beef 86
Herring 74
Honey 5
Honeydew melon 12
Ice cream, vanilla 87
Jams and preserves 12
Jellies 17
Kale, cooked 43
Lamb, lean 70
Lard 0
Lasagna 490
Lemon, juice or fresh 1
Lettuce 9
Lime, fresh or juice 1
Liver, beef 184
Liver, pork 111
Lobster 210
Macaroni, dry 2 (commercial with cheese 543)
Margarine 987
Milk 50
Milk, buttermilk 130
MIlk, evaporated 106
Milk, dried 549
Molasses, light 15 (Dark 96)
Muffins, plain 441
Mushrooms 14 (canned 400)
Mustard, prepared yellow 1,252
Mustard greens 18
Nectarine 6
Noodles, dry 5
Nuts, in shell 1 (processed nuts may contain high amounts of salt)
Oil, corn 0
Okra, 2
Olives, green 2,400
Onions, green 5 (mature 10)
Orange peeled, juice, canned or juice 1
Oysters, raw 73
Pancakes 425
Papayas, raw 3
Parsley 45
Parsnips, cooked 8
Peaches 2
Peanuts, roasted 5 (salted 418)
Peanut butter 607
Pears 2
Peas, cooked 2 (regular canned 236)
Peas, dried 40
Pecans, shelled 0
Peppers, green 13
Perch 79
Pickles, dill 1,428
Pickles, relish, sweet 712
Pie 250 to 450
Pie crust, baked 617
Pike, walleye 51
Pineapple, raw or canned 1
Pizza, cheese 702
Plums 2
Popcorn, salted with oil 1,940
Pork 65
Pork, cured ham 930
Pork canned ham 1,100
Potatoes, baked, boiled or french fried 2 to 6
Potatoes, mashed salted 331
Potato chips, up to 1000
Pretzels 1680
Prunes 4
Pumpkin, canned 2
Radishes 18
Raisins, dried 27
Raspberries 1
Rhubarb 2
Rice, dry 5 (cooked salted 374)
Rolls, bread or sweet 400 to 550
Rutabagas 4
Rye wafers 882
Salad dressing 700 to 1300
Salmon 64 (canned 387)
Sardines, canned 400
Sauerkraut 747
Sausage, pork 958
Sausage, Frankfurter 1,100
Sausage, Bologna 1,300
Scallops, 265
Shrimp 150
Soup, canned 350 to 450
Spaghetti, dry 2
Spaghetti with meatballs, canned 488
Spinach, raw 71 (cooked 50)
Squash 1
Strawberries 1
Sugar, white 1 (brown 30)
Sunflower seeds 30
Sweetpotatoes 12
Syrup 68
Tapioca, dry 3
Tomato 3 (canned 130)
Tomato ketchup 1,042
Tomato juice, canned 200
Tongue, beef 61
Tuna in oil 800
Turkey, 82
Turnips 34
Veal 80
Vinegar 1
Waffles 475
Walnuts 3
Watermelon 1
Wheat germ 827
Yeast, compressed 16 (dry , active 52)
Yoghurt 46
Page generated by: Alec N. Salt, Ph.D.,
Cochlear Fluids Research Laboratory,
Washington University, St. Louis
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