Recommended Low-Sodium Staples and Kitchen Tools

Most of the system happens in your usual grocery store. These are the staples that can be hard to find locally, the tools that make cooking from dried beans and whole spices easier, and the salt substitutes chapter 3 compares.

Low-sodium staples

Check the label against the traffic-light thresholds in chapter 2; brands vary.

• No-salt-added canned beans

  The backbone of half the dinners; 5 to 20 mg sodium per serving instead of 250 to 400.

  See options on Amazon
• No-salt-added canned tomatoes

  For sauces, soups and braises without the 100 to 250 mg per half-can of regular tins.

  See options on Amazon
• Reduced-sodium soy sauce

  Still salty, so measure with a teaspoon; about 550 to 600 mg per tablespoon instead of 900 to 1,000.

  See options on Amazon
• Salt-free seasoning blends

  For the nights you will not mix your own (chapter 3 has six recipes). Check that salt is not the first ingredient.

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• Nutritional yeast

  Savory, cheesy flavor with almost no sodium, for pasta, popcorn and roasted vegetables.

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• Dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms

  Pure umami for stews, gravies and the risotto; soak and use the liquid as stock.

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• Sumac

  A tart spice that reads almost like salt on grains, salads and chickpeas.

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• Unsalted nuts

  For snacks and toasting; salted nuts carry 90 to 180 mg per handful.

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Salt substitutes

Do the potassium safety check in chapter 1 before using any of these.

• Potassium-enriched salt

  Part sodium chloride, part potassium chloride; the type used in the SSaSS trial. About a third of the sodium of table salt.

  Not for people with kidney disease or taking ACE inhibitors, ARBs, potassium-sparing diuretics or potassium supplements, unless their doctor agrees.

  See options on Amazon
• Potassium chloride salt substitute

  Sodium-free; bitter for some people, so many mix it half and half with ordinary salt.

  Same potassium caution: ask your doctor first if anything on the chapter 1 list applies to you.

  See options on Amazon

Kitchen tools

• Electric pressure cooker

  Dried beans in 25 to 35 minutes, without the sodium of canned.

  See options on Amazon
• Spice grinder

  Whole spices ground fresh carry more aroma, which is what replaces salt.

  See options on Amazon
• Digital kitchen scale

  Labels give sodium per 100 g; weighing your portion makes the label checker exact.

  See options on Amazon
• Fine grater (rasp)

  Citrus zest, garlic, ginger and a teaspoon of parmesan where you taste it.

  See options on Amazon

Prices and availability change on Amazon. This page is educational and is not medical advice; talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement.