How to Eat a Low-Sodium Diet for the Newly Diagnosed

It is imperative for heart failure patients to learn how to eat a low-sodium diet. I wanted to share what I have learned over the past several years.

Low-sodium diet for heart failure

If you are a new patient here are a few overall thoughts:

1. Some cardiac rehab programs have classes included, which can include learning about low-sodium diets.
2. Read ALL labels. Salt is hidden in canned goods, processed goods, tortilla wraps, etc. Many ingredients contain salt that you might not realize. The Salty Six is a infographic from the American Heart Association on popular foods which contain a lot of salt. ¹
3. A teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Many recipes are not low-sodium so watch what you are adding to your foods.
4. In my experience, salt is a flavor enhancer. Taking it away does change the way food tastes. It took me AT LEAST a few months to begin to adjust, and start tasting the nuances of food's natural flavors. Please just accept it, curse that you have to do it, and carry on. You do not have to like it, but you do have to do it. I would say give it at least 6 months before you come to any judgments on whether food is still totally "bland" without salt. In the meantime, try to look at it as an experiment in flavors and you are learning about a whole new way of eating.
5. Even after my taste buds adjusted, salty foods still tasted (and taste) good. Even now I crave crackers and spreadable cheese, tuna melt's, flavored chips, and more, to just name a few. If people around me are eating it, I want it too! So, while it gets easier, for me it has never been easy. However, sodium has an impact on how I feel, so (for me) it's not easy but worth doing!

Try to create flavor!

So if salt is a flavor enhancer, how can you create flavor without salt? Below are ideas to start. If you are new to this, try to embrace the journey instead of a destination...

• Think about highlighting an ingredient's natural flavors without salt. For example, instead of salting raw tomatoes, try roasting tomatoes. Roasting brings out vegetables' flavors. Same thing with charring if you are making homemade salsa, for example. Try looking at low-sodium cookbooks to get ideas.
• Think about the other flavors to incorporate. The 7 elements of taste are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umani,fat, and spicy. For me, spicy was a great place to start. Sour was the second flavor I have learned to embrace, and there are many vinegars that you can play around with.
• To kick it up a notch, think about incorporating multiple flavorings at the same time.
• Instead of recipes for seasonings, I found it easier to find herbs and spices that I like then incorporate as I found enjoyable. A few basic (dried) spices to start with are smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic power, and onion powder. For fresh herbs I have found that dill and cilantro add a punch. Parsley as well, but I personally would not run out to the store to buy some if you do not have it on hand...
• Once you get the 5 flavors mastered above, there are also nuances. For instance, smoky is another flavor I've learned to embrace and adobe can add smokiness in addition to heat.
• There are vegetables that are higher in sodium content as well! Think about celery, beets, kale and spinach (among others). Consider utilizing to add a bit of saltiness if your dish needs some balance. Celery in chicken salad is a great idea, for instance.

Managing a low-sodium diet can be challenging!

If you are newly diagnosed with heart failure hopefully some of these thoughts can help you navigate the journey of a low-sodium diet. If you already have experience navigating eating a low sodium diet, feel free to share your tips in the forum below!