Help Friend with Low Sodium Diet (Solved)

MoSiAc

A friend of mine recently recovered from a viral attack on his heart which did similar damage as a heart attack, his doctor said he has to go on a low sodium diet and I want to help but I'd really like to know if anyone on here is on a low sodium diet of any kind and what foods worked well with salt substitutes and things of that nature.

I know we won't be able to go out and eat really anymore considering where we live doesn't have much in the low sodium choices, but I don't mind cooking for my group of friends as long as I can get some idea's for tasty low sodium or even no sodium recipies.

Thanks

Forbe!

Well, I'm on a low sodium diet for my blood pressure, but mine isn't nearly as severe a case.

I still eat beef and pork on occasion, but pretty much have replaced everything with chicken/turkey/fish/tofu.

Also, lots and lots of vegetables. A lot of canned vegetables and soups have high sodium content, but usually there are lower sodium versions offered. Really, it's not like it is a huge change of life style. Your friend will just have to start reading the back of boxes and labels, and start looking things up online to determine how much sodium each has. A lot of sodium content isn't always apparent in the flavor.

EggyToast

Hot sauce is a great salt substitute. There's such a wide variety of hot sauces, too, that even people who aren't that tolerant of heat can usually find something. I put hot sauce on my eggs now and go light on the salt and they're delicious -- I don't even notice the lack of saltiness.

MoSiAc

He love hot sauce, but we thought there was a lot of sodium in it, I'll have to look into it more.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Afaik lots of hot sauce have a lot of salt in them

Solandra

We're in a similar position of reducing sodium; here's what we're doing in addition to reading labels:

- Cook fresh, not canned or frozen - and if you have to go canned or frozen, read the label before you buy. If you look at frozen chicken and meats they're frequently injected with a solution of some sort to preserve flavor, etc - it's mostly salt.
- Amp up the other seasonings.
- Don't use salt when you cook.
- Use complimentary foods with intense flavors.

EggyToast

1 tsp of Tabasco has 30mg of sodium. For comparison, 1 tsp of salt is about 2300mg.

Which is why it's a good substitute -- you only need a little bit.

wmelon

My lady friend is on a low sodium diet. She uses Potassium Chloride instead of Sodium Chloride when cooking or eating. it doesn't taste QUITE as salty, but it's not bad. Personally I think she takes it to the extreme as she refuses to eat anything that contains over 20 mg of sodium.

hamdingers

I had to go lower sodium this year for chest pains. I have to say - when I stick with it it's like a whole new me.

Most low-salt options are not as good as the regular options, but the Low Salt Lays are as good/better than regular Lays. For other things I couldn't give up, I learned to respect serving sizes more.

Nova_C

Serving sizes are the enemy.

I've gone low sodium as well because of my heart and the biggest mistake to make is not to calculate the total amount of sodium in a package. Most of those serving sizes are bullshit. For example, I had a consultation with a dietician recently and he showed me a soy sauce he had found that he thought was a good low sodium soy, except the serving size was 2.3ml. (!)

What I do is I calculate the total amount of sodium in a package. As in, I divide the gross weight/volume of what I'm buying by the serving size, then multiply the sodium in a serving by the result. The body only needs approximately 500mg of sodium a day and a good low sodium diet won't exceed 1200 or 1300mg per day, so I ask myself if I want to put that much sodium into my body.

The answer is usually 'no'.

If you're in Canada, it sucks because foods sold in Canada have some of the highest sodium content in the world. Stay away from prepared foods of any kind and always always always check your sauces because almost all of them are loaded with sodium.

urahonky

This is probably my best way to help. One of my family members had a very weak heart and this book is what we used for the most part. It was well worth the price. There are some great recipes in here. The sandwich buns on 444 are useful for just about anything. We used them for sloppy joes, tuna salad, etc.
Low Sodium Cook Book

On a side note, your friends can even look online and get no sodium baking powder and baking soda to make baking goodies a little healthier.

MoSiAc

Thanks for all the selections. I think I'll go ahead and mark this solved and collect the info out of it, friend had to go back into the ER on Friday because of worsening problems.

Wiley

Be sure to check any meds your friend is on for interactions with salt substitutes. Some medicines restrict the bodies ability to regulate potassium which can be really bad if you use large amounts of salt substitutes.