Renal Low Sodium Diet

Your kidneys process and get rid of waste and toxins that accumulate in your body. With kidney disease, they do not properly process or dispose of wastes and toxins, including salt. Lowering the salt or sodium in your diet can help your kidneys function better and can decrease your risk of edema (swelling from water retention), uremia and renal failure.

Sodium in Your Diet

• Normal sodium use is around 1,100 to 3,300 mg per day, though many of us consume much more. A low-sodium diet is 400 to 1,000 mg per day. Talk to your doctor about how much water and fluids you should consume on a low-sodium diet, and also about monitoring your potassium levels.

  Eliminating sodium from your diet is not just getting rid of table salt. Sodium is also found in monosodium glutamate (MSG), in food preservatives such as sodium benzoate and is added to most processed foods.

Eat Fresh

• Begin your low-sodium diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. Most fruit has very little sodium--a grapefruit and a lemon have only 1 mg each. While sodium amounts are higher in some vegetables, such as celery (126 mg raw) and spinach (71 mg raw), most vegetables have only trace amounts and sodium can be reduced if you cook by steaming. In addition, the fiber in fruits and vegetables helps your body process waste more efficiently.

Avoid Canned and Processed Foods

• Most canned goods contain large amounts of sodium, including many that say "low salt." Sodium content can be reduced by rinsing the can's contents--as with canned corn, peas and beans--but you are still better off with fresh produce or fresh-frozen produce that has no sauce. Most canned soups and instant soups, even those labeled low salt, have too much sodium in them.

  Since commercially prepared breads, bagels and muffins have both salt and preservatives in them, one solution is to try salt-free whole-wheat matzo crackers.

  Bacon, ham, lunch meats, processed meats and frozen dinners contain a lot of sodium. So do many cheeses--exceptions are mozzarella cheese, Swiss and ricotta. And stay away from salty snack foods and soda, particularly cola drinks. Seltzer is a better alternative, with a little fruit juice for flavoring.

Use Herbs, Spices and Lemon

• Your meals do not need to be bland or boring on a low-sodium diet. Cook with lots of garlic, onions and fresh tomatoes. Herbs such as basil, oregano, chives, dill, sage and rosemary can add wonderful flavor. And a little lemon juice adds zing to almost everything.

Sample Menu for a Renal Low Sodium Diet

• For breakfast, drink fresh orange juice with puffed wheat cereal, a soft-boiled egg, coffee (not instant) and milk for coffee and cereal. Total sodium is under 200 mg.

  For lunch, eat a tomato, cucumber and lettuce salad with oil and vinegar and 6 oz. of cooked chicken breast. A piece of unsalted whole wheat matzo, cranberry juice and a fruit yogurt are good for dessert. Your meal total is about 200 mg of sodium.

  For dinner, try steamed cauliflower, okra and squash, a half pound piece of baked salmon and 1 cup of cooked brown rice. Add a seltzer with lemon, fresh fruit for dessert and your total sodium is under 200 mg.

  This makes your total for the day around 600 mg of sodium and also allows for snacks during the day like raw carrot and celery sticks, or a fruit smoothie in the evening.