Did you know that most people eat more than double the recommended amount of salt every day? And when we over consume on salt, we consume too much sodium too! In the long run, this can lead to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease. In many cases, a low-sodium diet meal plan can help your take control of your health and reduce these risks.
But you might think, if food has less salt, specifically sodium, then it’ll be boring and bland, right? Well, contrary to this perception, you can still enjoy tasty meals while eating a low-sodium diet. To give you more ideas on this, we’ve prepared a 7 day menu for your low sodium diet!
And if you want to know more about sodium and how to reduce salt consumption in your diet without following a specific plan, read about it in this section. Now, let’s get to the week’s low sodium meal plan!
7-day Low Sodium Diet Meal Plan
The first day is meal prep day for the whole week. So you’ll be preparing most of your meals for the week today. It will save you lots of time in the long run!
For Day 1, all of these meals will be repeating throughout the week. You can check this table for a summary of the recipes will be repeated throughout the week. We suggest that you prepare and cook meals for Day 1 and 2.
As a guide for your sodium intake, this meal plan has a total sodium content of 895.64 mg.
Tips to meet a 1600-kcal recommendation:
We suggest that for dinner, pair your pistachio crusted salmon with some Healthy Caesar salad low sodium low carb.
On day 2, you can choose to prepare the remaining meals, and store them properly in an airtight container. Remember to check out our food safety reminders while preparing your meals in advance.
As a guide for your sodium intake, this meal plan has a total sodium content of 1133.91 mg
Tips to meet a 1600-kcal recommendation:
For Day 2, you can pair your frozen yogurt breakfast bars with a Simple Breakfast Smoothie, both refreshing recipes to start the day.
Day 3 is a similar meal plan to Day 1, except for lunch. You’ll be having a high protein tofu poke bowl on this day. Low sodium, delicious, AND filling!
As a guide for your sodium intake, this meal plan has a total sodium content of 895.64 mg
Tips to meet a 1600-kcal recommendation:
We suggest that for dinner, pair your pistachio crusted salmon with some Healthy Caesar salad low sodium low carb.
When you cook for Day 4, all of the recipes on this day will be repeated later on in the week. Not sure what that means for you? It’s best to refer to this table when preparing your meals for the week so you can save even more time on meal prep.
As a guide for your sodium intake, this meal plan has a total sodium content of 1308.46 mg
To meet a 1600-kcal recommendation:
For breakfast, you can also pair 2 slices of White Bread with your Breakfast Bowls.
On Day 6, assuming that you’ve already prepared these recipes in advance, you’ll only have to reheat your meals and prepare a refreshing strawberry peach smoothie for snacks which will take you less than 10 minutes.
As a guide for your sodium intake, this meal plan has a total sodium content of 1427.45 mg
We’re nearing the end of the week, so for lunch you can try something different and prepare some grilled salmon and vegetable pasta. Another option is to prepare the ingredients for this at the same time you prepare the Pistachio Crusted Salmon and Pineapple BBQ Tofu Meal Prep. In this way, you can reduce the time for cutting and cooking.
As a guide for your sodium intake, this meal plan has a total sodium content of 1060.25 mg
You can finish the week with these delicious combinations on Day 7:
Not only that, but all of these meals for the day are all under 1500 mg of sodium!
As a guide for your sodium intake, this meal plan has a total sodium content of 1445.70 mg
To meet a 1600-kcal recommendation:
For breakfast, pair your pancakes with some Gordon Ramsay Scrambled Eggs 👨🍳
And for lunch, pair your 20 Minute Honey Garlic Shrimp with 1 cup cooked brown rice.
Lastly, for dinner, pair your Low Sodium Roast Beef & Gravy with Healthy Caesar salad low sodium low carb.
Below is a quick overview of the recipes that are repeated during the low sodium diet meal plan:
| Recipes | Number of servings to prepare | Day and meal planned |
| Frozen Yogurt Breakfast Bars | 3 servings | Day 1, 3 and 5 Breakfast |
| Low Sodium Roast Beef & Gravy | 2 servings | Day 1 Lunch and Day 7 Dinner |
| Low Sodium Kickin’ Chicken Tacos | 2 servings | Day 2 and 4 Lunch |
| HIGH-PROTEIN TOFU POKE BOWL | 2 servings | Day 3 and 5 Lunch |
| Healthy Caesar salad low sodium low carb | 3 servings | Day 1, 3 Lunch and Day 7 Dinner |
| Tuna Salad Roll Ups | 2 servings | Day 1 and 3 Snacks |
| Corn chips & guac | 2 servings | Day 4 and 6 Snacks |
| Strawberry Parfait | 2 servings | Day 2 and 7 Snacks |
| Tuscan Herb Pork Tenderloin | 2 servings | Day 2 and 5 Dinner |
| Pineapple BBQ Tofu Meal Prep | 2 servings | Day 4 and 6 Dinner |
Some food safety reminders
As mentioned earlier, this meal plan calls for some meals to be prepared in advance to save time. Here are some food safety tips to keep in mind when preparing meals in advance:
- Start with clean hands and surfaces.
- Use separate utensils, cutting boards, and cooking equipment if needed
- Use fresh ingredients and check expiration dates.
- Keep raw and cooked foods separate.
- Cook foods thoroughly and cool them quickly.
- Store meals in airtight containers with labels and dates.
- Thaw safely in the refrigerator, under cold water, or in the microwave.
- Reheat to 165°F (74°C) before eating.
- Use or discard leftovers within a safe time frame.
- Trust your senses – if it smells off, looks odd, or has mold, discard it.
What is Sodium?
Sodium is a mineral found naturally in certain foods and can optionally be added to your meals. The most common source of sodium is salt (sodium chloride). It plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure, and maintaining fluid balance in the body, nerve function, energy production and muscle contraction especially during exercise.
Why reduce sodium in the diet?
While sodium plays an important role in your body, the body only needs a small amount to be able to control blood pressure, nerve function and muscle contraction. The WHO recommends that we consume less than 2,000 mg per day of sodium and when you convert that to salt, it’s not a lot! In fact, it’s only 5 g of salt per day. Or just under a teaspoon. While the AHA, and National Kidney Foundation recommends that a healthy diet should not be more than 2300 mg of sodium per day. In reality, adults all over the world consume an average of 4,310 mg of sodium per day, or about 10.78 g of salt. Overconsumption of sodium has been linked to different health issues such as:
- High blood pressure
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Increased risk of kidney disease
- Obesity
- Gastric cancer
This is why reducing sodium in your diet can help reduce the risk of these health diseases from happening.
What is a Low Sodium Diet?
In a low sodium diet, the target is less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. While for certain health conditions such as high blood pressure and chronic kidney diseases, aiming for 1,500 mg of sodium per day is usually advised. For these cases, a lower sodium intake is often recommended with a low cholesterol intake as well, especially for those who have hypertension and higher risks of heart problems.
While this is the usual recommendation from health organizations, it is still ideal to consult with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian to determine the appropriate sodium intake level for your specific health needs.
How to cut down sodium in your diet
Did you know that more than 70% of the average sodium intake comes from packaged and prepared foods and not from the table salt that’s added during cooking or eating?
It’s no surprise that the majority of the sodium we consume comes from packaged and prepared foods. These products are preferred in the market due to their convenience. Because of this, it can be really overwhelming when thinking of what to eat on a low sodium diet, especially if you’re used to using sodium-rich condiments in your cooking. Here are some tips to help you get started on your low sodium diet:
1. Learn to read the label
Get into the habit of reading food labels carefully. Pay attention to the sodium content per serving size. Choose products labeled as “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no added salt.”.
💡Samung Food Tips:
When reading food labels, 140 mg of sodium per serving is considered “low sodium”. Sodium can be found in unexpected places, such as bread, cheese, condiments, and even breakfast cereals. Check labels and choose lower sodium options whenever possible. The FDA has some tips on how to lower your daily sodium intake by reading food labels. You can read that here.
Another tip is that here at Samsung Food, you can check the sodium content of a recipe under the Health Score section.
Alternatively, you can try to double check the ingredients that may have high sodium content and “Edit a recipe manually” and swap ingredients that have high sodium content to ones that lower sodium content. We have Food Swap guide here to give you examples on how you look for lower sodium containing ingredients for your next meal.
2. Choose Fresh Foods
Whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. The same goes for fresh meats, poultry, and fish. Buying them fresh can be the best examples of low sodium foods found in the grocery stores.
3. Limit Processed Foods
Processed and packaged foods like canned soups, canned fruits, beans and vegetables, pickled foods, frozen meals, deli meats, and snack foods often contain high levels of sodium. As we’ve previously mentioned, choosing to buy food fresh is the best way to cut down sodium.
4. Cook at Home
When you cook at home, you have more control over the ingredients you use in a low sodium diet or meal plan. Try exploring the use of herbs, spices, citrus juices, vinegar and other natural flavors without adding sodium to your food.
5. Rinse Canned Foods
If you use canned beans, vegetables, or tuna, rinse them thoroughly under running water before eating. This can help remove some of the excess sodium. Those brines can be heavy on the salt!
6. Be Careful with Condiments
Condiments like soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, and salad dressings can be high in sodium. Look for low-sodium options or reduce the frequency of adding them to your food.
7. Be mindful when eating out
Restaurant meals tend to be high in sodium. When dining out, ask for dishes to be prepared without added salt, or look for menu items labeled as lower in sodium. Or stick to the freshest items you can – salads, grilled meats, and so on.
8. Gradually Reduce Sodium
All of these tips may seem overwhelming at first, so try making changes or 1 or 2 tips at a time.
Low Sodium Diet Food Swap List
You can take note of these low sodium foods the next time you make your grocery list:
| Instead of: | Swap to: |
| Canned vegetables | Fresh or frozen vegetables steamed or roasted with herbs |
| High-sodium condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, hot sauce, canned gravy etc.) | Homemade salsas, and sauces and herbs and spices Recipe examples: Low-Sodium Easy Homemade Salsa Low Sodium BBQ Sauce |
| Regular soy sauce | Low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos |
| Canned soups | Low-sodium or sodium-free broth for homemade soups |
| Packaged seasoning blends | Homemade spice blends without added salt |
Here are some of the best low sodium snack ideas:
| Instead of: | Swap to: |
| Packaged snacks | Fresh fruits Vegetable sticks and hummus Recipe examples: Fruit Snacks Recipe Strawberry Parfait Vitamin C Packed Strawberry Orange Banana Smoothie Frozen Yoghurt Bark |
| Store-bought trail mix | Homemade Trail Mix |
| Regular cheese | Low-sodium cheese |
| Store-bought popcorn | Lightly salted or plain popcorn prepared at home |
| Store-bought chips | Homemade chips Rice cakes Plain crackers or crisps |
FAQs on Low Sodium Diet
Foods to avoid on a low-sodium diet include processed and packaged foods (such as canned soups, deli meats, and frozen dinners), salty snacks, fast food, and high-sodium condiments (like soy sauce and teriyaki sauce).
To achieve this, make sure to read our tips on how to cut down sodium in your diet. You can also check our 7-day low sodium diet meal plan to have an idea how to stay under 1500 mg of sodium per day.
Yes, you can eat eggs as part of a low-sodium diet. Eggs are naturally low in sodium, and you can consider cooking them without any added salt.
While reducing sodium intake can have health benefits, it’s important not to eliminate sodium completely, as it is an essential nutrient for the body.
Yes, you can enjoy desserts on a low-sodium diet by choosing options that are naturally low in sodium or making homemade treats with low-sodium ingredients.
