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Low Sodium Diet

by | Dec 7, 2020 | Last updated Apr 17, 2023

Sodium is an essential nutrient that everyone needs in their diet, but unfortunately, many consume too much. That’s why a low sodium diet has become more prevalent in recent years. From decreasing high blood pressure to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, a diet low in sodium can prove to have several beneficial health effects – but not for everyone. Let’s dig into the specifics of this meal plan and how it may be able to help you boost your health!

What Is a Low Sodium Diet?

A low sodium diet is one that limits daily sodium intake.

Sodium is a mineral that we all need and is essential in several biological processes, including electrolyte function and maintaining fluid balance. It also plays an integral part in cellular homeostasis and other physiological functions, according to research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology

It is important to note that a low sodium diet does not entirely get rid of sodium. This is because we all need a steady supply of sodium – even if we need to limit the amount.

Most processed foods and nearly all restaurant foods contain a surprisingly high amount of sodium. Even items that sound healthy, such as salad, can be turned into a sodium bomb when adding cheese or high-sodium salad dressings, either at home or in a restaurant.

What Is Considered a Low Sodium Diet?

A low sodium diet often is characterized as one that keeps daily sodium intake at less than 2300 milligrams – or 2.3 grams – of sodium.

Dieticians, physicians, and the American Heart Association recommend that the daily limit should be 1500 milligrams, particularly for those who need to limit or control sodium intake for issues related to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart failure, and others.

One teaspoon of salt equals 2300 mg of sodium, so a daily intake of 1500 mg equals slightly more than a half teaspoon. This intake is what is considered a low sodium diet.

The 1500 mg limit can be challenging to achieve early on, but label reading and making smart food choices helps.

The problem is that sodium is hidden in many processed and restaurant foods that changing to a low sodium diet often requires making significant dietary changes.

Low Sodium Diet Definition

The formal low sodium diet definition is a diet that contains no more than 1500 to 2400 mg of sodium daily.

Health care providers may recommend a 2400 mg limit for those with no overt health issues that sodium negatively affects.

For those who already have diabetes, heart disease, or similar conditions, the recommendation likely will be that those individuals maintain a 1500 mg daily limit.

It’s common for blood pressure to increase with increasing age, so health care providers often recommend reducing sodium intake for older adults even if their blood pressure is within the normal range.

According to information provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “If you have high blood pressure or heart failure, you will likely be asked to limit how much salt you eat every day. Even people with normal blood pressure will have lower (and healthier) blood pressure if they lower how much salt they eat.”

Additionally, information from Harvard Health Publishing, a Harvard Medical School sector, shows that blood pressure goals change with age, suggesting a need for changing sodium intake goals for older populations. 

If your doctor has recommended you follow a low sodium diet, Noom is the perfect way to stay on track. Our personalized meal plans can help you eat more of what you love, while still following your doctor’s guidelines.

How Much Sodium in a Low Sodium Diet?

When asking how much sodium in a low sodium diet, the answer very often is, “It depends.” As stated above, age is a factor, and health care providers usually begin advising patients over the age of 50 to start reducing sodium intake even when there are no obvious health reasons for the change at the time.

Blood pressure increases with age, primarily because of structural changes in blood vessels, including the large arteries. According to information published in one study, if middle-aged individuals begin reducing sodium intake early on, some age-related hypertension can be avoided. 

A standard recommendation for upper sodium limits is 2400 mg daily among those who may have only mildly elevated blood pressure. For those who have diabetes – which adversely affects the circulatory system – high blood pressure or early stages of congestive heart failure, the upper limit will be 1500 mg.

The recommended amounts for sodium intake will vary by region as well. Research published in The British Medical Journal shows that the average sodium intake worldwide is usually between 3,660 mg – 4,000 mg a day. Specific general guidelines for reduced sodium intake in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada have changed to 2,300 mg – 2,400 mg a day.

Certain organizations recommend different levels of daily sodium intake as well. The American Heart Association recommends adults consume “no more than 2300 mg/day but suggests an ideal limit of 1500 mg per day for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure.” Additionally, the World Health Organization suggests individuals consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium every day. 

According to research collected and published in Electrolytes & Blood Pressure, “The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommended to reduce dietary salt intake as one of the top priority actions to tackle the global non-communicable disease crisis and has urged member nations to take action to reduce population-wide dietary salt intake to decrease the number of deaths from hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.”

No health care provider will advise eliminating sodium because it is thought that the body needs a minimum of 500 mg daily to maintain proper function in the processes in which sodium is so important.

American Heart Association Low Sodium Diet

The American Heart Association offers an informative program that allows individuals to ease into reducing sodium intake in their diets.

Called “Change Your Salty Ways in 21 Days,” the program is one in which individuals explore the “salty six,” which are the leading offenders in serving up vast amounts of hidden sodium.

Many don’t even taste salty! The American Heart Association’s low sodium diet is more of a lifestyle change combined with increased awareness than a restrictive “diet” that individuals have to follow rigidly.

The American Heart Association recommends a broadly varied diet of meat, vegetables, fruits, and grains from sources other than the baked goods that often contain incredibly high sodium levels. It also advises against consuming processed or cured meats.

A single two-ounce serving of processed deli meat can contain as much as half of the daily sodium target.

Benefits of Low Sodium Diet

There are many benefits of a low sodium diet. Even without having any of the conditions that call for an immediate reduction in dietary sodium, limiting sodium intake before doing so becomes a necessity.

Tastes change after you’ve been limiting sodium for a while. Though some foods laden with sodium don’t taste salty at all, following a low sodium diet for only a relatively short time can turn you into a salt tasting expert.

For example, canned soup is convenient and can be attractive on a cold evening when you don’t want to cook. Standard canned soup is also too high in sodium.

After a short time of reduced sodium intake, traditional canned soup becomes nearly unpalatable. Some who still use the reduced-sodium kinds claim that canned soup tastes more like a mouthful of ocean water.

Adults younger than 50 and limit sodium intake run less risk of developing age-related high blood pressure.

As sodium encourages fluid retention, reducing it assists in weight loss as well. It provides for those in any stage of congestive heart failure in which fluid collects around the heart and ankles can swell to unusual sizes. However, some researchers noted that more research is needed to determine if low sodium intake is associated with decreased heart failure risk. 

Research supports these facts as well. According to one study published in Clinical Medicine (London), “There is now compelling evidence to support salt reduction in hypertensives and a substantial body of evidence to support the salt reduction in the general population to reduce risk of death from cardiovascular disease. In specific diseases such as heart failure and chronic kidney disease, guidelines support the World Health Organization target for reduced salt intake at 5 g daily.” 

However, in research published in The New England Journal of Medicine, there is some question as to whether low sodium intake can benefit cardiovascular health. 

Even more, the researchers noted that reducing sodium intake could control hypertension in specific populations. 

Other research noted that decreasing sodium intake could reduce blood pressure without negatively affecting different blood lipid levels. According to the researchers, “Lower sodium intake is also associated with a reduced risk of stroke and fatal coronary heart disease in adults. The totality of evidence suggests that most people will likely benefit from reducing sodium intake.” 

There is also some evidence that decreasing sodium consumption may help some individuals go off certain medications, including antihypertensive drugs. However, more studies are needed to confirm these benefits. 

Additionally, some preliminary research has shown that a low sodium diet can be beneficial to skeletal health, specifically in postmenopausal women after six months of intervention. 

Going low sodium doesn’t mean bland. With Noom, you learn healthy ways to add flavor and variety to your meals.

What Can You Eat On a Low Sodium Diet?

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet beautifully outlines the types of foods that individuals following a low sodium diet should focus on.

Developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the diet’s focus was to manage high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions.

The DASH diet provides excellent guidelines but still makes statements such as “consume 6 to 8 servings of grain items daily.” According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, only on further investigation do you learn that doesn’t mean you can have a bagel in the morning and several other baked goods items throughout the day. Remember, one bagel may be large enough to account for two or three standard servings. 

Even so, the DASH framework provides an excellent foundation for achieving and maintaining a low sodium diet. You have to be careful with the dietary choices you make.

Foods to Avoid on Low Sodium Diet

The nasty and insidious thing about high sodium foods is that they’re laden with sodium long before you buy them. Following a low sodium diet is only loosely associated with avoiding the salt shaker.

It has far more to do with making good choices among processed or convenience foods.

Among the American Heart Association’s “Salty Six” – the food classes you need to avoid – are:

Cold Cuts and Cured Meats

Not all processed meats carry horrendous sodium levels, but most do. Salt has been essential in food preservation literally for millennia, but most cold cuts and cured meats contain far more sodium than required for preservation. Read the labels! That’s a task that takes much time at the outset, but you’ll discover that there are cold cuts and cured meats available that can fit nicely into a low sodium diet.

Pizza

Superficially, it has several of the primary food groups all piled together in a delicious and fun package. Sadly, it’s also laden and dripping in sodium. 

In most cases, the crust is high in sodium. The sauce could be a no salt added variety, but it rarely is. Cheese is loaded with sodium. And then there’s a healthy dose of high-sodium cured meat such as pepperoni. Even so, there are lower sodium varieties available. If you make it at home, you can reduce the sodium content of every single component.

Canned Soup

This is notoriously high in sodium. Worse, there is no need for it to be so high in sodium. Reject all standard canned soups, go with “healthy” alternatives, or better yet, just make your own. Plain old chicken noodle soup can contain a teaspoon – or more – of salt in a single can.

Although one study found that, “…in addition to fresh foods, diets higher in nutrient-dense canned food consumption can also offer dietary options which improve nutrient intakes and the overall diet quality of Americans,” most soups still contain high amounts of salt, even when labeled as low-sodium. 

Breads, Rolls, and Bagels

Here is where the grain requirement of the DASH diet falls flat without qualification. Salt is a vital ingredient lending control of yeast action and other chemical reactions in bread making, but most commercially prepared baked goods contain far more sodium than is required in processing. We don’t know why producers put so much sodium into commercial baked goods. The best choice of action is simply to avoid them.

Chicken

Chicken? The fully organic fresh chicken won’t contain added sodium, but most supermarket brands do. Again, read the labels. Fresh chicken may be “plumped up” with an injection of a salt solution. Any processed form such as nuggets, oven-ready filets, and others likely will contain a high level of sodium.

One way to reduce the sodium in fresh chicken is to rinse it and pat dry before cooking. This helps remove some of the excess salt solution. Noom helps keep you on track with a customized meal plan.

Burritos and Tacos

Restaurant foods are notorious for their high sodium contents, but even homemade burritos and tacos can decimate a low sodium diet if they include prepackaged seasoning packets. Those packets average about 411 mg of sodium in only two teaspoons. The better route is to make your seasoning mix with cumin, chili powder, oregano, and garlic powder. 

There are many conditions and disease situations that can immensely benefit from restricted sodium intake and following a low sodium diet over the long term. Several of those are discussed below.

Low Sodium Diet for Health

High Blood Pressure

It very likely is that the original low sodium diet was developed specifically for addressing high blood pressure.

A condition that affects almost one-third of all American adults, high blood pressure is a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease. By 2025, it is estimated that high blood pressure will affect at least 60 percent of American adults.

High blood pressure can damage blood vessels and is a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Blood pressure is measured regarding the force of blood movement against arterial walls. When blood pressure is too high, it can damage an array of organs, including the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.

Sodium’s input increases blood volume within the circulatory system by increasing the liquid component of blood.

Sodium isn’t the only culprit contributing to high blood pressure because lack of exercise, inherited risk and poor diets also are factors.

Reducing sodium is one weapon in the arsenal against high blood pressure, and the science is there to support it. One study found that “The close relationship between hypertension and dietary sodium intake is widely recognized and supported by several studies. A reduction in dietary sodium not only decreases the blood pressure and the incidence of hypertension but is also associated with a reduction in morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases.” 

Another term for high blood pressure is hypertension. All of the information addressing sodium’s contribution to high blood pressure applies to issues of hypertension, which is the medical term for high blood pressure.

There are pharmaceutical intervention drugs, but the single most influential weapon against hypertension is the low sodium diet for hypertension, known as the low sodium diet for high blood pressure.

Cardiovascular Disease

Since sodium intake has been associated with improved heart health, some research has connected low sodium intake and decreased cardiovascular disease risk. 

Unfortunately, some research suggests that specific individuals, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease following a low sodium diet. This may indicate the need for more research on the connection between sodium, fluid intake, and cardiovascular health. 

Cardiac Diet

A low sodium cardiac diet is one that follows healthy eating patterns while also limiting daily sodium intake.

An overall heart-healthy diet emphasizes a variety of vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, nuts and legumes, skinless poultry and fish, and non-tropical vegetable oils.

Red meat isn’t forbidden, but it is discouraged. If including red meat, limit the amount and choose the lowest fat options possible, as per The American Heart Association

Heart Failure

One of the congestive heart failure issues is that fluid collects around the heart and may cause swelling around the ankles. Taking in too much sodium leads to excessive water retention, worsening the fluid buildup associated with heart failure.

Adhering to a low sodium diet for heart failure can help keep swelling and high blood pressure under control and make breathing easier for heart failure patients.

Heart Healthy Diet

The Oklahoma State University Medical Center provides a guide for achieving a low sodium heart-healthy diet. An overall low sodium heart-healthy diet limits cholesterol and other fats and restricts sodium, according to information provided by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Weight Loss

Those adopting a low sodium diet often are pleasantly surprised to find that they lose weight rather rapidly in the first week or two. That’s the result of the body not retaining as much water in the reduced sodium environment.

It is typically temporary, but the effect will persist as long as sodium intake remains low. Low sodium diet weight loss is a loss of water weight rather than a loss of fat. 

If you want to lose weight for good, give Noom a try. We teach you how to make healthy, permanent changes to your lifestyle using psychology.

Low Carb Low Sodium Diet

There is some research evidence that a low carbohydrate diet that is also low in sodium can promote healthy blood pressure more than only a low sodium diet high in carbohydrates.

This is important for diabetics in that a high carbohydrate diet works against maintaining target blood sugar levels. A low carb, low sodium diet is a good option for many people.

Low Sodium Low Cholesterol Diet

A low sodium, low cholesterol diet is the classic heart-healthy diet that limits sodium and meats high in cholesterol.

Poultry and fish are much lower in cholesterol than beef, so a low cholesterol diet always limits the amount of red meat consumed over time.

Low Fat Low Sodium Diet

Diets high in fat have been linked to several types of diseases, all of which are common today.

Health care providers and researchers maintain that diabetes, heart disease, and even several types of cancers can be linked to diets high in fat.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a low fat, low sodium diet is the classic heart-healthy diet that helps avoid heart issues and provides other benefits.

Low Sodium Diet Guidelines

The easiest and most direct way to limit sodium intake is to avoid many processed foods such as canned soups, processed tomato products, and virtually all common snack foods.

Though increasing numbers of snack producers offer low sodium crackers, chips, and pretzels, the more common types can deliver hundreds of milligrams of sodium in a single serving.

The Centers for Disease Control offers easy to follow low sodium diet guidelines. According to these guidelines, “The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day as part of a healthy eating pattern. Based on these guidelines, the vast majority of adults eat more sodium than they should—an average of more than 3,400 mg each day.”

Current Heart Failure Reports noted in a research review that, “The available evidence suggests that recommending a 2.5 to 3 g sodium diet will meet nutritional needs and decrease the risk of hospitalizations.” 

Low Sodium Diet Foods

It may seem that adhering to a low sodium diet is similar to maintaining a diet of sticks and twigs. Still, there are many types of low sodium diet foods that are greatly enjoyable and widely available.

Plant-based products have no sodium that isn’t added. Most of the foods to avoid on a low sodium diet are highly processed or contain high sodium ingredients.

Overall, it can be best to follow the guidelines of the DASH Eating Plan. Focusing on vegetables, especially fresh ones, should be a large part of meals. If canned foods are used, it is essential to eat low or no salt levels, drain liquid, and rinse before preparing. 

Since most American diets contain processed food, one of the first steps to decreasing sodium intake is to remove these foods from the diet. These kinds of foods include: 

  • Pre-packaged rice
  • Frozen meals
  • Packaged baked goods
  • Soup
  • Canned beans
  • Canned vegetables
  • Fast food products
  • Powdered mixes

Some research suggests that each serving should contain less than 140 mg of salt if you want to consume packaged goods. When shopping, make sure to choose processed foods that are in low-sodium sections or have a “no salt added” label added. 

Fresh meats should also be a part of a low sodium diet, as marinated and canned meats can contain high amounts of salt. As such, it’s important to look at the nutrition labels for marinades, dressings, and condiments. Believe it or not, foods like ketchup, barbeque sauce, ranch, and balsamic vinaigrette may have a lot more salt than most think. 

Paying attention to how foods are prepared is also important. When cooking, add less sodium-heavy ingredients and try other spices. You can rinse food items like canned beans to reduce salt levels as well. 

Eating fresh, whole foods as much as possible will not only reduce your sodium intake but lead to a healthier you overall. Noom’s meal tracker can help you stay on the path to success.

Low Sodium Diet Food List

A low sodium diet food list is easy to compile. It consists of virtually every unprocessed fruit, vegetable, or nut, along with fish and poultry products that have not been treated with a salt solution.

Even chocolate is a low sodium food. Among processed foods, choose items that specifically claim to be lacking in sodium.

Low Sodium Diet Plan

Cook more often at home and use fewer processed foods or ingredients. Cooking at home allows direct control of how much sodium is added to dishes and avoids the high sodium surprises of packaged foods or restaurant meals.

Convenience foods have their place. Though most frozen dinners are very high in sodium, there are heart-healthy products that have no more than 600 mg of sodium in an entire meal, according to information from the Cleveland Clinic

Low Sodium Diet Meals and Low Sodium Diet Menu

It’s easy to create attractive and satisfying low sodium diet meals and maintain a low sodium diet menu without much effort after learning sodium’s most common hiding places. 

Developing a habit of reading labels helps. When selecting processed foods, always choose those that are low sodium or no salt added.

Low Sodium Diet Recipes

Nearly any recipe can become a low sodium recipe as long as it doesn’t contain ingredients inherently high in sodium. Spices and spice blends give great flavor. For a meat marinade, use ingredients with no salt added and some citrus juice or vinegar to provide some interest.

Though not as convenient as using a bottled marinade, it can be totally sodium free instead of filled with salt. Low sodium diet recipes are easy to create simply by not adding salt to any given recipe.

Let’s take a look at a few low-sodium recipes you can use. 

Lemon-Pepper Tilapia with Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 4 tilapia fillets
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • ½ pound of mushrooms
  • 1 chopped medium tomato
  • 3 thinly sliced green onions
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon of lemon-pepper seasoning

Directions

  1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add in the mushrooms and ¼ of the lemon pepper seasoning and cook until tender or about 4 minutes. 
  3. Add the garlic and cook the mixture for 30 more seconds. 
  4. Place the tilapia fillets on top of the mixture and sprinkle the paprika and the rest of the lemon pepper seasoning on top. 
  5. Cook the fisk until the meat is flaky, or about 6 minutes. 
  6. Top the dish with the tomato and green onion. 

One fillet from this recipe contains 173 mg of sodium. 

Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

Dough

  • ½ cup of whole wheat flour
  • 2 packages of yeast
  • 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic

Sauce

  • 1 can (14 ounces) of undrained diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon of pepper

Toppings

  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  • 1 cup of chopped zucchini
  • 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
  • ½ cup of green or red pepper
  • ¼ cup of chopped onion
  • 1 ¼ cups of shredded part-skim, low-sodium mozzarella cheese

Directions – Dough

  1. Mix the whole wheat flour, yeast, garlic powder, salt, and one cup of the all-purpose flour in a large bowl.
  2. In a small pan, mix the water and oil, then heat the mixture to 120-130 degrees. 
  3. After heating the water, add in the dry mixture and beat the mixture for three minutes. 
  4. Stir in the rest of the all-purpose flour to create a soft dough mixture. 
  5. Sprinkle flour on a board and place the dough on the board. After, knead the dough until it is smooth, or for about five minutes. During this process, add flour as needed. 
  6. Place the prepared dough in a greased bowl and cover. 
  7. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size or about 30 minutes. 

Directions – Pizza

  1. In a small pan, boil the sauce ingredients together. 
  2. Reduce the heat on the pan and let the mixture simmer, uncovered. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, or between 15 and 18 minutes. 
  3. Remove the sauce from the heat, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
  4. Take the risen dough and separate it into two pieces. Spread each of these pieces on a 12-inch pizza pan. 
  5. Poke the dough with a fork and bake until the bread is lightly brown or about 9 minutes. 
  6. While the dough is baking, saute the rest of the vegetables until they are tender. 
  7. After the crust is complete, spread the sauce on top, top with the vegetables and cheese. 
  8. Bake the pizza for between 12 and 15 minutes. 

One slice of this pizza contains 234 mg of sodium. 

Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of chicken cutlets
  • ½ cup of slivered oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of oil from the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
  • ½ cup of finely chopped shallots
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
  • ½ cup of dry white wine
  • ½ cup of heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper

Directions

  1. Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a pan with medium heat. 
  2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then add the meat to the pain. 
  3. Cook the chicken, turning over once, until browned, or about six minutes. Make sure the meat is cooked up to 165 degrees, then transfer the chicken to a plate.
  4. In the same pan, add the sun-dried tomatoes and shallots and cook for one minute. 
  5. Increase the heat to high, then add the wine. 
  6. Cook until the liquid is evaporated and make sure to scrape up any brown bits. 
  7. Reduce the heat level to medium, then stir in the heavy cream. 
  8. Simmer the liquid for two minutes, then return the chicken to the pan and coat the meat. 

Each serving of this dish, or three ounces of chicken and ¼ cup of sauce, contains 249 mg of sodium. 

Kale and Pistachio Pesto Spaghetti 

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of kale with the leaves and stems torn
  • 10 ounces of whole-wheat spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons of roasted pistachios
  • 1 clove of smashed garlic
  • 1 cup of fresh parsley leaves
  • ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of parmesan 
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. While the water is heating up, prepare a large bowl with ice water. 
  3. Add the kale to the boiling water and cook for two minutes, or until wilted but still green. 
  4. Transfer the cooked kale to the ice water, but keep the water boiling. 
  5. When the kale is cooled, drain and squeeze as much water as possible from the kale. 
  6. Coarsely chop the kale. 
  7. Cook the pasta completely in the reserved kale water, saving ½ a cup of the pasta water. 
  8. As the pasta is cooking, use a food processer to chop the pistachios and garlic finely. 
  9. Add in the kale and parsley until they are finely chopped. 
  10. Finally, add the olive oil, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into the mix. 
  11. Mix the cooked pasta with the pesto mixture. If the combination seems dry, slowly add in some of the saved pasta water. 

If you’re on a weight-loss plan, feel free to adjust the ingredients in these recipes to reduce total fat and calorie intake. Let Noom help you lose more weight today by teaching you how to choose the best foods for weight loss.

Low Sodium Diet Tips

Reading labels is the first step, along with cooking more at home while limiting high sodium ingredients. Eating at restaurants can be a problem, however.

Many chain restaurants post nutritional content of menu items online, so study those and become familiar with low sodium choices at your favorite restaurants. Don’t be fooled by healthy-sounding dishes.

How about a Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad from Chili’s? That comes in at a whopping 4720 mg of sodium, more than a three day supply on a 1500 mg low sodium diet plan.

Simply being informed can go a long way in establishing and maintaining a low sodium diet. You’ll know what you can eat on a low sodium diet and be able to use your new tips for healthier eating.