2 Gram (2,000 mg) Sodium No Added Sugar Nutrition Plan Choosing low-sodium foods will help reduce swelling caused by fluid retention. Sodium is found naturally in many foods. Often you cannot see or taste it. Salt is about one-half sodium. Salt is used to preserve foods and to add flavor. You need a small amount of sodium each day. However, a normal diet will provide enough sodium for your body even if you avoid salt and salty foods. Reading a Food Label  Check serving size. All the information on the label is based on this portion. In this example, a serving size is ½ cup and there are 4 servings in this container.  Choose foods that contain less than 250 mg of sodium per serving. In this example, ½ cup of this food contains 300 mg of sodium.  The mg of sodium per serving provides more helpful information than the Percent Daily Value.  If a food contains 250–500 mg sodium per serving, consider eating ½ of a serving size. Food Label Information      For foods without food labels, avoid foods that list salt as one of the first 5 ingredients. “Sodium-free” or “salt-free” means less than 5 mg of sodium per serving. “Very-low-sodium” means 35 mg or less of sodium per serving. “Low-sodium” means 140 mg or less of sodium per serving. “Reduced sodium” means that foods are altered to reduce the usual level of sodium by at least 25 percent. These foods may still contain too much sodium. Choose foods that contain less than 250 mg of sodium per serving.  “Without added salt”, “unsalted”, and “no added salt” are terms used for foods once processed with salt but now processed without it. Products labeled with these terms must list the amount of sodium per serving. 2011 Baylor Health Care System – Simmons Transplant Institute Food Group Foods to Choose Foods to Avoid Milk & milk products              Whole, 2%, 1%, and skim milk Sugar-free chocolate milk or drink Evaporated milk Dry milk powder Cream or “No-Added Sugar” ice cream Plain or sugar-free flavored yogurt Homemade sugar-free pudding Low-sodium cheese or 1 oz./day of cheddar, swiss, or mozzarella Cream cheese Meats  Fresh (unprocessed) including beef, chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, pork, veal, lamb  Organ meats  Low-sodium canned tuna or salmon  Eggs or egg substitute  Dried beans, peas, and lentils  Unsalted nuts and seeds  Regular or low-sodium peanut butter  Tofu  Frozen meals containing less than 500 mg sodium Fruits  All fresh, canned, frozen, and dried fruits  All 100% fruit juices without added sugar Vegetables     Fresh vegetables Frozen vegetables without a sauce “No Salt Added” canned vegetables “No Salt Added” canned tomato paste, puree, and sauce  Low-sodium vegetable juices  Low-sodium pickles  Unsalted potato chips 2011 Baylor Health Care System – Simmons Transplant Institute Buttermilk Dutch processed hot chocolate Instant pudding Processed cheese or cheese slices (such as American cheese, Velveeta)  Cheese spreads or dips (such as Cheez Whiz, queso)  Cottage cheese  Canned, cured, smoked, processed or dried meats  Corned beef or beef jerky  Kosher meats  Sausage, bacon, ham  Regular canned tuna or salmon  Hot dogs  Luncheon meats (such as bologna, salami)  Canned beans, peas, and lentils (such as pork and beans)  Salted nuts and seeds  Frozen meals containing more than 500 mg sodium  Regular canned vegetables  Vegetables in a cream or butter sauce  Pickles (including dill, bread and butter, and sweet pickles; pickle relish)  Vegetable juices (such as tomato or V-8)  Any vegetable in a brine (such as sauerkraut, pickled beets, jarred jalapenos)  Packaged potato products (such as au gratin potatoes, scalloped potatoes, instant potatoes)  Potato chips, tater tots Food Group Foods to Choose Breads & Grains  Bread (including regular, whole           wheat, rye, and low-sodium bread) Rolls, English muffins, and bagels Hamburger or hotdog buns Croissants Corn and flour tortillas and unsalted tortilla chips Low-sodium crackers Graham crackers and rice cakes Dry cereals containing less than 250 mg sodium per serving and without added sugar Old-fashioned and quick-cooking hot cereals without added sugar Rice (white and brown) and pasta Unsalted popcorn and pretzels Foods to Avoid  Bread or rolls with salted tops  Cheese breads  Products made with regular baking powder or soda (such as biscuits, cornbread, quick breads)  Salted corn chips  Salted crackers  Instant hot cereals  Packaged rice, pasta, or stuffing mixes  Salted popcorn and pretzels  Pancakes and waffles Fats  Regular or low-sodium margarine and butter  Regular, reduced-calorie, or lowsodium mayonnaise  Low-sodium salad dressing or oil and vinegar; regular salad dressing containing less than 200 mg per serving (2 tablespoons)  Vegetable cooking oil or shortening  Sour cream; non-dairy creamer  Homemade gravy prepared with allowed ingredients  Regular salad dressing containing more than 200 mg per serving (2 tablespoons)  Fat back  Salt pork  All types of olives  Dips Desserts & Sweets  “No Added Sugar” desserts  Sugar-free gelatin, popsicles, fruit ices, frozen yogurt, and ice cream  Sugar-free jelly  Sugar substitute, low-sugar syrup  Homemade sugar-free custard and pudding  All other desserts Beverages  Water (including tap, flavored, bottled, and sparkling water)  Sugar-free carbonated beverages  Sugar-free fruit-flavored drinks  Tea and coffee  Vegetable juices (such as tomato or V-8)  Sports drinks (such as Gatorade or POWERade) 2011 Baylor Health Care System – Simmons Transplant Institute Food Group Foods to Choose Foods to Avoid Miscellaneous  Homemade soup made with allowed ingredients  Canned or packaged low-sodium soup, stock, broth, or bouillon  Baking ingredients (such as flour, corn meal, corn starch, low-sodium baking powder, cream of tartar, cocoa powder, baking chocolate, yeast)  Baking powder and baking soda when used in small amounts for baking  Lemon, lime, and other natural flavorings  Vanilla and extracts  Vinegar  Fresh or dried chili peppers  Spices and cooking herbs (such as pepper, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley)  Dry mustard  Hot sauce  Low-sodium condiments (such as low-sodium catsup, mustard, barbeque sauce, steak sauce)  Homemade salsa made with allowed ingredients  Regular canned or packaged soup  Regular stock, broth, or bouillon  Seasonings containing sodium (such as salt, lite salt, celery salt, garlic salt, onion salt, seasoned salt, lemon pepper)  Meat tenderizers  Monosodium glutamate (MSG)  Regular condiments (such as catsup, mustard, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, steak sauce, taco sauce, teriyaki sauce, tartar sauce, worchestershire sauce)  Prepared salsa  Salt substitutes (such as NoSalt, NuSalt, Lite Salt) Avoid salt-softened water and over-the-counter medications that contain sodium. Many low sodium foods are available in grocery stores. Look in your grocery store for low-sodium seasonings, sauces, canned foods, crackers, cheese, and more. 2011 Baylor Health Care System – Simmons Transplant Institute