When you shop for food

Unlike canned and processed foods, fresh foods have no added salt and are better for you. When you’re food shopping:

• Choose fresh foods when you can.

• Read food labels before buying packaged foods. Check the label’s nutrition facts for sodium amounts and servings per package. Remember to check the sodium content of drinks as well as food.

• Try to pick packaged foods with a sodium content of 140 mg (milligrams) or less per serving.

• Don't choose foods with more than 400 mg of sodium per serving.

• Choose canned, frozen, or fresh vegetables without added salt or seasoning.

• Choose fresh or frozen poultry, seafood, and lean meats. Cook them at home instead of buying prepared or ready-to-eat products.

Season instead of salt

Try the seasonings and foods listed below to season without sodium.

• Basil: tomatoes, squash, eggplant, soups, fish

• Curry: soups, rice, lentils, chicken

• Dill: beets, cucumbers, green beans

• Garlic: sauces, beans, vegetables, meats, fish

• Ginger: carrots, chicken, cooked fruit, white sauces

• Lemon: asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, spinach, fish

• Mint: cold soups, salads, fruit dishes

• Oregano: eggplant, chicken, salads, sauces

• Thyme: chicken, fish, lean meats, soups, stews

Food that has salt added during cooking tastes less salty than if salt is sprinkled on it at the table. So use half the amount of salt you want to have in your food during cooking, and sprinkle the other half on the food at the table.

Don't use seasoned salt or salt substitutes. They may contain sodium or potassium. Potassium is another mineral people with kidney disease are often told to limit.