Mineral and Electrolyte Management - Sodium

Nancy McDaniel M.D.

If your child suffers from congestive heart failure as a result of a congenital heart defect, the amount of sodium in the diet will probably need to be restricted. Too much sodium in the diet can put a strain on your child's heart, as excess sodium will cause your child to retain excess fluid.

In order to cut down on sodium, it will take more than throwing out the salt shaker. Salt is found in many foods we eat, even if they don't taste salty.

General Guidelines to Lower the Amount of Sodium in the Diet:

  • Use no salt in cooking and add a little salt at the table, or use a little salt in cooking and no salt at the table.
  • Substitute herbs and spices, herbal mixtures like Mrs. Dash, for table salt to flavor foods. Remember that some spices such as garlic salt, onion salt and MST (monosodium glutamate) are high in sodium.
  • You may consider using salt substitutes, however, (only if discussed with your child's doctor, as some salt substitutes contain potassium!)
  • Offer your child more home-prepared meals instead of canned, frozen, and packaged meals.

The following list reviews additional guidelines for limiting sodium:

Meats, Fish, Poultry

Choose fresh or frozen products: chicken, turkey, fish, beef, lamb, pork and veal. Frozen dinners with less than 600 mg sodium per dinner.

Limit processed luncheon meats such as bologna, salami, pastrami, sausage, bacon, hot dogs, ham, salt pork, canned, salted, cured or smoked meats, poultry or fish.

Dairy

Choose liquid, reconstituted dry or evaporated milk, yogurt or low sodium cheeses such as Swiss mozzarella, grated parmesan; other low-sodium cheeses.

Limit buttermilk, American cheese, hard parmesan cheese, bleu cheese, romano, processed cheese, feta cheese, cheese spread or sauces and creamed cottage cheese.

Vegetables

Choose fresh or plain frozen vegetables. Use no salt added or low-sodium canned vegetables, or drain and rinse canned vegetables.

Limit regular canned vegetables, especially canned tomato products, cooked beans/legumes and vegetable juices (V-8). Sauerkraut, vegetables cooked with salt pork or bacon. Regular, sweet or sour pickles, relish or olives.

Fruits

Choose any fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit, or any fruit juice. All fruits are acceptable!

Starches

Choose regular or salt-free breads, unsalted or low sodium snack foods, and dry cereals with less than 250 mg per serving.

Limit crackers, chips, pretzels, nuts and popcorn with salt toppings. Quick breads with self rising flour or commercial instant mixes. Commercially seasoned rice and noodle dishes (unless you modify the amount of seasoning added).

Fats

Choose oil, margarine, mayonnaise, low-sodium salad dressings or home-made salad dressings.

Instead of bacon, bacon grease, salt pork, fat back, commercial salad dressings, salted nuts.

Soups

Prepare homemade soups using low sodium bouillon cube or homemade broth. Use reduced sodium canned soups sparingly.

Limit regular canned soups, dry packaged soup mixes or soups made with regular bouillon cubes.