Low Sodium Diet for Heart Health: Cooking, Recipes, Healthy Food

The Low Sodium Diet Website has Low Sodium Recipes to help keep your heart healthy. Let us provide you with low sodium diet information, sodium content and salt intake for your health and heart. Here you'll find some low sodium meals, low sodium foods and salt substitute for hypertension and your lower high blood pressure diet that are not only tasty but quick and easy to make. We're always adding more good food low sodium cooking, sodium foods and recipe ideas for eating healthy, so check back often.

Why are people on Low Sodium Diets?

Penne Pasta Marinara Recipe for Low Sodium Diet

Low Sodium Diet Penne Pasta Marinara

Category: Low Sodium Pasta Recipes

1 Package Trader Joe's Brown Rice Organic Penne Pasta
12 Ounces Chicken Breast (218mg sodium)
1 Large Onion, Chopped and Diced (10mg sodium)
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped
1/8 Cup Chopped Celery (21mg sodium)
1/4 Cup Chopped Carrots (12mg sodium)
8 Ounces Del Monte Low-Sodium Canned Corn (20mg sodium)
1 Container (750g) Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (60mg sodium)
3 Tablespoons of Contadina No-Salt Added Tomato Paste (18mg sodium)
8 Ounces Trader Joe's Artichoke Hearts, Canned (420mg sodium)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon NoSalt Salt Substitute
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasonings
1/4 Teaspoon Kroger Chili Powder (10mg sodium)
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Grated Kraft Parmesan Cheese (186mg sodium)

Cook the Penne Pasta noodles according to package instructions.
or until tender but firm. Drain and set aside.
Chop Chicken Breasts into pieces.
Heat olive oil in large pot.
Add the Chicken pieces and Sauté over a medium heat.
After 5 minutes, add onion, celery, carrots, corn, garlic, cumin,
Chili Powder, AlsoSalt, and pepper.
Sauté over medium heat for another 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the Chopped Tomatoes and Tomato Paste
Drain the excess water from the Artichoke Hearts and mix in.
Add the Penne Pasta noodles.
Stir in Sugar, Italian Seasonings and Parmesan Cheese.
Add Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy your Low Sodium Diet Recipe for Penne Pasta!

Pasta makes great choice for a Low Sodium Diet because it has a very small amount of sodium and no fat nor cholesterol. Pasta does have protein, but is quite often served with varieties of cheese, chicken or meat. Italian Recipes for pasta dishes can be a good food for Healthy Eating. Adding different kinds of fresh or no-salt added canned vegetables to your meal plan is an excellent low sodium diet practice that is very smart for your heart. Spaghetti Pasta are round thin strands; the word comes from the Italian, meaning "strings". Penne are large macaroni in the shape of a tube that are cut on a diagonal. Farfalle Pasta are bow-tie shaped pasta noodles. Serving Pasta Recipes with fresh vegetables or high-fiber natural, low sodium foods can make a heart healthy meal that is rich in vitamins and minerals and also makes a delicious healthy diet meal.

Click for more Low Sodium Cooking and Low Sodium Meals

Sodium Content of Dairy Foods for Low Sodium Diet

Dairy Foodsand milk contain both saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are the fats that increase cholesterol levels. People following a low sodium diet should try to avoid foods that are high in saturated fats. When selecting milk and dairy products for your low sodium diet, try to choose low sodium dairy foods that are low-fat. Many food manufacturers are now offering low fat or reduced sodium healthy heart brands of yogurt, cheese, and milk. To help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet, look for milk that is 1% low-fat. You can also try skim milk for drinking or cooking recipes. Note that skim milk may be slightly higher in sodium, it is lower in fat and cholesterol than whole milk which is higher in fat than other milks. The whites of the egg are not high in fat and cholesterol and are often recommended for low sodium diets, though egg yolks should be avoided as they have higher amounts of cholesterol per serving. For cooking recipes that have need of eggs, a low cholesterol egg substitute may be used in low sodium diet recipes when baking or preparing healthy food for meals.

Low Sodium Diet Foods

Dairy Products Sodium Content

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Butter (salted) 1 teaspoon 40
Buttermilk one cup 260
Cheese (american) 1 oz 443
Cheese (blue cheese) 1 oz 400
Cheese (brick cheese) 1 oz 150
Cheese (colby) 1 oz 170
Cheese (cheddar) 1 oz 175
Cheese (feta) 1 oz 325
Cheese (gruyere) 1 oz 100
Cheese (parmesan - grated) one tablespoon 93
Cheese (swiss) 1 oz 74
Cottage Cheese one cup 918
Cream Cheese one tablespoon 43
Eggs one 62
Egg Alternative (egg substitute) 1/8 cup 40
Half and Half one tablespoon 8
Milk (whole milk) one cup 120
Milk (1% low-fat) one cup 115
Milk (2% low-fat) one cup 115
Milk (skim) one cup 138
Sour Cream one tablespoon 8
Yogurt one cup 115
 


More: Low Salt Diet and Low Sodium Recipes information

Lasagna Recipe : Low Sodium Diet Italian Recipes

Lasagna Recipe: Low Sodium Diet Recipes

category: pasta recipes low sodium

8 oz. Lasagna Pasta noodles, cooked
1 Pound Lean Ground Beef (320mg sodium)
1 Container (750g) Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (60mg sodium)
1 Cup Ricotta cheese (207mg sodium)
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (186mg sodium)
1/2 Pound Part Skim Milk Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 Cup diced Onions
4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
4 Tablespoons fresh Basil, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon AlsoSalt salt substitute
1/2 Cup White Wine
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Cook Lasagna noodles according to package directions
or until tender but firm. Drain and set aside.
Prepare the Lasagna sauce in a large pan or skillet,
over medium to high heat, saute the garlic and onion
in the olive oil for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the ground beef, oregano, AlsoSalt and black pepper
and saute for 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes
until the wine is practically evaporated.
Add the Pomi tomatoes, oregano and basil, lower heat and
simmer the sauce for about 35 to 40 minutes.
Well grease a 9x12 baking pan and arrange the first layer of
lasagna noodles with a layer of the beef and tomato sauce,
ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
Add alternating layers of noodles, sauce and cheese.
When pan is full, finish up with a top layer of sauce.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake in a pre-heated
oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves 5 to 6

Enjoy your Low Sodium Lasagna Recipe!

Italian Low Sodium Diet Recipes

Cooking Italian Low Sodium Diet Recipes for pasta can also be a great resource for Vegetarian Diets. Adding Vegetarian Recipes to your diet is an excellent low sodium diet practice that is very smart for the heart. Penne are large macaroni tubes that are cut on the diagonal. Farfalle are bow tie shaped pasta noodles. Serving Pasta Recipes with green vegetables or spinach can make a very tasty heart healthy meal rich in vitamins and folic acid, whichis great for healthy eating.

Click for more Low Sodium Cooking and Low Sodium Meals

Low Sodium: Heart Healthy Low Salt Diet

Low sodium diets are often recommended to help reduce high blood pressure. A common source of sodium in your diet is salt added to foods. A low sodium diet limits the amount of sodium in your diet to no more than 2400 milligrams per day. This is less half the amount of sodium in the average diet.

Low Sodium Nutrition: Recipes and Cooking

You can reduce the amount of sodium in your diet by doing the following:

  • Read labels carefully. Look for any form of sodium or salt and choose foods that have less salt.
  • Avoid eating fast foods. Fast foods are normally very high in salt, as are many other restaurant foods. When eating at restaurants, choose fish, vegetables or salads.
  • Eat at home. It's almost impossible to control the amount of sodium in foods prepared by others.
  • Avoid processed foods. Fresh meat, produce, fish are normall low in salt and sodium. Highly processed meals such as frozen dinners and canned soups are often high in sodium.
  • Don't add table salt to food.

Sodium Label guidelines set by the FDA

Food labeling has been standardized by the U.S. government's National Labeling and Education Act. Nutrition labels and a list of ingredients are required on most foods. This way it is easier make a selection of healthy low-salt foods and low sodium meals. If you can't tell how much sodium is in a product, ask your doctor or dietitian, to show you how to read food labels and apply the information when selecting foods for your low sodium or reduced sodium diet.

Sodium-free

Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving

Very low-sodium

35 milligrams or less per serving

Low-sodium

140 milligrams or less per serving

Reduced sodium

Usual sodium level is reduced by 25%

Sodium and your Diet

Sodium is a mineral found naturally in many foods. Most people eat far more sodium each day than they really need. Your health care provider may recommend that you limit your sodium intake to less than 2400mg of sodium per day. Following a low-sodium diet can help control high blood pressure hypertension and also help reduce the retention of too much water in the body.

Sodium Content of Foods

Sodium Content: Vegetables

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Asparagus 4 spears 7
Avocado one 20
Beets one cup 84
Broccoli one cup 24
Carrots one cup 50
Celery 2 stalks 70
Corn one cup 28
Cucumbers one cup 2
Eggplant one cup 4
Fennel Bulb one cup 45
Green Beans 1/2 cup 2
Iceburg Lettuce 2 leafs 4
Lima Beans 1 cup 5
Mushrooms one cup 4
Onions one cup 6
Peas 1 cup 4
Potato one 7
Radishes 5 6
Spinach one cup 43
Squash one cup 8
Tomato one 15
White Beans 1/2 cup 2
Yams one 12
 

Sodium Content: Fruits

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Apples one 1
Apricots 2 1
Banana one 1
Blackberries one cup 0
Cantaloupe one cup 28
Cherries 1 oz. 1
Cranberries 1/2 cup trace
Dates 5 1
Dried Prunes 5 2
Grapes one cup 3
Grapefruit one 0
Oranges one 1
Peaches 1 0
Raisins one cup 18
Strawberries one cup 2
Watermelon one cup 6
 

Sodium Content: Proteins

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Beef Liver 4 oz. 80
Chicken (dark) 4 oz 100
Chicken (light) 4 oz 88
Egg one 62
Beans one cup 4
Freshwater Fish 4 oz 74
Ground Beef 4 oz 80
Ham 4 oz 1700
Hotdog one 585
Lamb 4 oz 74
Peanuts 1 oz 228
Pork Bacon one slice 155
Pork loin 4 oz 74
Ribs 4 oz 105
Salmon 4 oz 62
Shellfish 4 oz 400
Shrimp 4 oz 238
T-bone Steak 4 oz 80
Tuna in water 4 oz 400
Turkey (dark) 4 oz 87
Turkey (light) 4 oz 72
Veal 4 oz 78
 

Sodium Content: Grains

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Bran flakes 3/4 cup 220
Cooked Grain Cereal 1 packet 250
Corn Flakes 1 cup 290
English Muffins one 360
Hamburger Bun one 241
Pancake one 430
Pasta 1 cup 7
Rice one cup 4
Shredded wheat one 0
Waffles one 230
White Bread 2 slices 246
Whole Wheat Bread 2 slices 320
 

Sodium Content: Dairy Products

Food Serving Size Sodium mg
Buttermilk one cup 260
Cheese (american) 1 oz 443
Cheese (cheddar) 1 oz 175
Cheese (grated parmesan) one tablespoon 93
Cheese (swiss) 1 oz 74
Cottage Cheese one cup 918
Cream Cheese one tablespoon 43
Milk one cup 120
Milk (1%) one cup 115
Yogurt one cup 115
 

Low Sodium Diet Planner

When planning your low sodium or low salt diet, you should choose foods following these general guidelines for a healthy and nutritional diet:

Vegetables
five servings per day
Fruit
five servings per day
Proteins
three servings per day
Grains
five servings per day
Dairy Products
two servings per day

Sample Low Sodium Diet Menu

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Fresh Fruit Roast Turkey Grilled Chicken
Low sodium cereals Fresh carrots Steamed vegetables
Milk Apple sauce Baked Potatoes
Low sodium bread Low sodium crackers Salad with low-sodium dressing

Low Sodium Recipes and Seasoning

Always try to use fresh ingredients and foods with no salt added. Stay away from processed foods such as canned soups, vegetables, frozen dinners, and gravy sauces. If you're eating processed foods, then use only low sodium canned soups and fresh or frozen, no salt added salt canned vegetables.


Eating Out: Low Sodium Dining Out

When eating out at restaurants, choose steamed fish, chicken, vegetables or salads.

Salt Alternatives

Ask your doctor about using salt alternatives or a low sodium salt substitute. Salt alternatives often contain potassium which may cause harmful interactions if you are taking certain medications.