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What is a No-Added-Salt Diet?

Pragya T Nov 20, 2018
If you wish to control high blood pressure, a no-added-salt or salt-controlled diet is an ideal decision. Here, we give you all the necessary information about the same.
In a no-added-salt plan, a person strictly avoids eating salt. This means no table salt or sea salt. All the dishes are made without any salt. The ingredients chosen have less amount of sodium in them, and are flavored with herbs, spices, condiments, and seasonings. A person following a this diet is advised to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Though the body doesn't need salt, it does need little amount of sodium which you can get by eating certain foods. Many times, doctor will recommend people who suffer from heart-related problems such a diet; which means decreasing the amount of table or sea salt intake.
But, why do people switch from their normal diet which contains salt to such a strict diet? After you've gone through the food list here, read the harmful effects and benefits of this diet plan.

Foods Low in Sodium

The next time you go for grocery shopping, keep these items in mind and do make it a point to include them in your diet.


● Apple 
● Apricot
● Avocado 
● Banana
● Blackberry
● Blueberry
● Cantaloupe
● Cherry
● Date
● Fig
● Gooseberry
● Grapefruit
● Grapes
● Guava
● Honeydew
● Kiwifruit
● Lemon
● Lime 
● Mango
● Nectarine
● Orange
● Papaya
● Peach
● Pear
● Pineapple
● Plum
● Starfruit
● Prickly pear
● Raspberry
● Tangerine
● Tomato
● Watermelon


● Broccoli
● Artichoke

● Asparagus
● Bell pepper
● Brussels Sprouts
● Cabbage
● Carrot
● Cauliflower
● Celery
● Chickpeas
● Chili pepper
● Collard green
● Corn
● Iceberg lettuce
● Crookneck squash

● Cucumber
● Eggplant
● Endive
● Green onion
● Onion
● Mushroom

● Napa cabbage
● Okra
● Potato
● Radish
● Red cabbage
● Spaghetti squash
● Rhubarb

● Romaine lettuce
● Rutabagas
● Summer squash
● Sweet potato
* The fruits and vegetables mentioned here contain 5 mg or less to 140 mg or less sodium.

Meats, Nuts, & Beans

● Fish
● Beef, lean 
● Chicken
● Eggs
● Peas & beans
● Nuts & seeds
● Pork, lean
● Shellfish
● Turkey breast w/o skin

Milk & Milk Products Cottage cheese

● Cream
Cottage cheese
● Ice cream
● Non-dairy creamers
● Yogurt, low-fat
● Milk, fat-free
● Skim milk
● Sour cream
● Soy milk
* All the items mentioned earlier should be unsalted and/or without salted tops. So, check the labels before purchasing them.

Breads, Grains, & Cereals

● Bagel 
● Whole grain bread
● Breadstick 
● Chips
● Corn tortilla
● Flour tortilla
● Muffins
● Noodles
● Oatmeal 
● Pasta 
● Popcorn 
● Pretzel 
● Rice 
● Roll

Dressings, Condiments, & Seasonings

● Basil
● Black pepper
● Canola oil
● Cayenne
● Chili sauce
● Curry powder
● Honey
● Light mayonnaise
● Margarine
● Paprika
Olive oil
● Peanut oil
● Sesame oil
● Vinegar
* All the aforementioned items should be unsalted and/or without salted tops.

Harmful Effects of Excess Salt

● Salt has been connected to many diseases and disorders, like cancer, asthma, stroke, Alzheimer's, and other cardiovascular diseases. Hence, many times, people suffering from such disorders are asked to cut on the amount of salt in their diet.

● When you eat too much salty foods, the body has to compensate for maintaining homeostasis.
Thus, a person becomes addicted, which is similar to the addiction of tea or coffee.

Eating table or sea salt through fast foods or using it in recipes means damaging the taste buds. Due to this, one can't enjoy the real taste of the dishes, or fresh fruits and vegetables.
● Salt is highly dehydrating to the body because excess salt in the bloodstream makes the body store it between cells till the kidneys can deal with it. Due to this, there is a burning effect on the tissue, because the cells protect itself by releasing water in the body to dilute the salt. Due to this, the cells lose water, shrink and lose their elasticity.
This leads to an imbalance as a result of low potassium.

As there is low amount of potassium in the body, more salt penetration in the cell walls occur and more water is released. This can lead to swollen cells and imbalance of their fluid. This calcifies and destroys the muscles valves and arteries of the coronary system.

Benefits of No-Added-Salt Diet

● Due to lowered intake of sodium, you can greatly lower the risk of a stroke because it helps to lower the blood pressure levels. Stroke can lead to permanent disability, and by reducing the intake of salt, you can greatly avoid such disorder.
● People who have a diet that is high on sodium have greater risk of getting stomach cancer. Because, excess amount of sodium in the intestines increases the conversion of nitrite preservatives, which increases the risk of stomach cancer. People on a low sodium or no-added-salt diet can greatly avoid stomach cancer.
● Lowering the intake of sodium helps in reducing the risk of kidney-related health issues.

● Many studies show that high intake of sodium can lead to heart diseases. Thus, you can greatly avoid any heart-related diseases by reducing the intake of sodium in their diet.
There are no known side effects of this diet. However, a person might suffer from some withdrawal symptoms and find the food bland, however as the taste buds adjust and repair, one will start enjoying the real taste of fresh foods. Also, to flavor foods one can always use herbs or a little amount of spices.
Disclaimer: This NutriNeat item is for informative purposes only, and should not be replaced for the advice of a physician/nutritionist.