Diet Chart For low sodium
Last Updated: Dec 05, 2024
About
Sodium is the mineral found naturally in the foods. The level of sodium in our body is directly linked to the blood pressure and our heart’s health. It plays an important role in maintaining the fluid level in our body, in and around our lungs, legs, and heart.
A low sodium diet is a major player in the health of the person. It has control over aspects such as kidney function and blood pressure. The low sodium diet can have another approach to the high potassium diet. The sodium intake with low potassium to counter the side-effects allows the cells to absorb more sodium in them which leads to several complications. Make sure you fight the salt shaker with an avocado, spinach and sweet potato-foods and fruits with high potassium content.
The crucial low sodium diet comes into picture when you have a medical history of blood pressure and heart complications. The most exerted and efficient solution is to control the sodium i.e. salt consumption of the body. Pre-packaged foods with salt as the key preservative are the major sources of sodium intake and hence should be avoided at all costs.
Low sodium diet will add spice to your lifestyle by changing it to a healthier one. Replace salt with olive oil, and herbs to make up for the low salt.
The diet chart provided will help you monitor your sodium intake and limit it to 2300 mg per day.
Diet Chart
Sunday | |
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1 cup Milk + Veg Omlet (2 egg whites) + 4-5 almonds |
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 Apple |
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | 1 cup Parboiled Rice + Daal (1/2 cup) + Fish Curry (1/2 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4 Fresh Lime |
Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | 1 cup vegetable soup |
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Dum Aloo (1 cup) + Salad (1 serve) with 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Monday | |
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1/2 cup Vegetable Poha + 3-4 walnuts |
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 cup Watermelon |
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | 1 cup Rajma + 1/2 cup Cabbage n Potato + 1/2 cup cucumber raita + 1 cup rice + onion salad + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | 1 cup sprouts salad |
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Drumstick n Potato Curry (1 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Tuesday | |
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 2 Moong Dal Cheela + Chacch (1 glass) + 4-5 almonds |
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 cup Pomegranate |
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | 2-3 Chapati + Chana Dal (1/2 cup) + Fish Curry (1/2 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | 1 cup Aloo chat |
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Baked Pumpkin (1/2 cup) + Fried Lady's Finger (1/2 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Wednesday | |
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1 cup Vegetable Suji + 3-4 walnuts |
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 cup Orange |
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | 2-3 Chapati + 1 cup Palak Paneer + Salad (1 serve) + 1 Roasted Papad + 1/4th Fresh Lime + Raita (1/2 cup) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | 1/2 cup Sauteed Soy chinks with Tomato n Onion |
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Snake Gourd Curry (1 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Thursday | |
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1 cup Vegetable Upma + 4-5 almonds |
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 cup Papaya |
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup) + Masoor Dal (1/2 cup) + Cauliflower n Potato Curry (1/2 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | 1 cup vegetable soup |
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Pointed Gourd Curry (1 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Friday | |
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1 cup Milk n cornflakes + 3-4 walnuts |
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 cup Cantaloupe |
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | 2-3 Chapati + Moong Dal (1/2 cup) + 1 Roasted Papad + Fish Curry (1/2 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | 1 omlette |
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Mix Veg Curry (1 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Saturday | |
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 3 Vegetable Idli + 1 cup sambhar + 4-5 almonds |
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 Banana |
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup) + Chicken curry (1 cup) + Potato n Drumstick curry (1/2 cup) + 1/4th Fresh Lime + Carrot n Cucumber Salad (1 serve) |
Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | 1 cup sprouts salad |
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Methi Aloo Curry (1 cup) + Salad (1 serve) + 1/4th Fresh Lime |
Food Items To Limit
Below is a list of foods that should be avoided with low blood pressure- Limit high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread; Fried or oily foods- samosas, kachori, puri etc., refined foods like- pancakes, table sugar, muffins, cakes, pastries etc., as these foods are high in processed carbs that results in too much sugar in the blood which is dangerous and how the body converts and stores sugar as fat as a defense mechanism so it is necessary to avoid the above mentioned foods.spicy foods, alcohol and alcoholic beverages.
Do's And Dont's
Do's: To help prevent blood pressure from dropping sharply after meals, eat a moderate size healthy meal.
- Caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee or tea with meals may help temporarily raise your blood pressure.
- Add nutrient-rich complex carbohydrate foods in your diet such as Brown rice, grains (quinoa, buckwheat, and whole-wheat), fruits (apples, berries, and bananas, but avoid canned fruits), vegetables (broccoli, leafy greens, and carrots), nuts, and beans.
- Increased intake of sodium salt (Himalayan rock or sea salt, not table salt) can help people with low BP.
- Increased fluid intake increases the volume of the blood in the body, additionally help prevent dehydration.
- Wearing stockings that cover the calves and thighs help to keep the blood in the upper body for too long without making a dip in the blood pressure.
Don'ts':Limit high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread. Because eating high carb diet may cause a sharp drop in blood pressure.
- Excess consumption of caffeinated beverages (like tea & coffee) should be kept in moderation, because it is also diuretic thus might lower blood pressure afterwards.
- Excess sodium salt intake is not advisable, be in moderation.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- Since dizziness and light-headedness are symptoms of low blood pressure be very cautious while changing your body positions, especially, when suddenly getting up from a sitting position or bed.
Food Items You Can Easily Consume
Foods one can easily have in low BP are listed below- cereals- brown rice, parboiled rice, quinoa, whole grains etc. Pulses such as bengal gram, red gram, green gram, black gram; fruits and vegetables- green leafy vegetables like spinach, fenugreek, etc, carrots, kiwis, peaches, holy basil leaves (tulsi), garlic, pomegranate, sweet potatoes, raisins, avocado, bananas, kale, spinach, red bell peppers, fruit juices, licorice (mulethi) etc., milk and milk products- milk, yoghurt and/or curd, coffee; nuts and seeds- seasame and/or pumpkin seeds, raisins, almonds, extra table salt.
References
- Kolata G. Value of low-sodium diets questioned. Science (USA). Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations [Internet]. agris.fao.org. 1982. [Cited 27 June 2019]. Available from:
- Mayer J. Low-sodium diets. Postgraduate medicine. 1971 Jul 1;50(1):49-52. [Cited 27 June 2019]. Available from:
- SCHROEDER HA, GOLDMAN ML, FUTCHER PH, HUNTER M. Low sodium chloride diets in hypertension: effects on blood pressure. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1949 Jun 4;140(5):458-63. [Cited 27 June 2019]. Available from:
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