Heart disease health centre

Heart failure: Low-sodium eating

One of the most important things a person with heart failure can do to improve their health is to reduce the amount of sodium (salt) in their diet. Sodium is a mineral found in many foods. It helps keep normal fluids balanced in the body. Eating too much salt causes the body to keep or retain too much water, worsening the fluid build-up associated with heart failure.

Following a low-sodium diet helps control high blood pressure (hypertension), swelling and water build-up (oedema), and/or decrease breathing difficulties for people who have kidney, heart or liver problems. If you have heart failure, you should consume no more than 2,000 mg (two grams) of sodium per day.

This guide will help you recognise which foods to stay away from, give you helpful cooking tips, as well as help you make healthy food choices when dining out.

Sodium content of food

The following table illustrates how much sodium certain foods contain.

Food	Serving Size	Milligrams sodium
Bacon	1 medium slice	155
Chicken (dark meat)	100g roasted	87
Chicken (white meat)	100g roasted	77
Egg, fried	1 large	162
Egg, scrambled with milk	1 large	171
Dried beans, peas or lentils	1 cup	4
Haddock	85g cooked	74
Halibut	85g cooked	59
Ham (roasted)	100g	1300 to 1500
Hamburger (lean)	100g grilled medium	77
Hot dog, beef	1 medium	585
Peanuts, dry roasted	30g	228
Pork loin, roasted	100g	65
Roast lamb leg	100g	65
Roast veal leg	100g	68
Salmon	85g	50
Shellfish	85g	100 to 325
Shrimp	85g	190
Spareribs, braised	100g	93
Steak, T-bone	100g	66
Tuna, tinned in spring water	100g chunk white	300
Turkey (dark meat)	100g roasted	76
Turkey (white meat)	100g roasted	63

Dairy Products
Cheese	30g	443
Buttermilk, salt added	1 cup	260
Cheddar cheese	30g	175
Cottage cheese, low-fat	1 cup	918
Milk, whole	1 cup	120
Milk, skimmed or one per cent	1 cup	125
Swiss cheese	30g	75
Yoghurt, plain	1 cup	115

Vegetables and vegetable juices
Aubergine, raw	1 cup	2
Aubergine, cooked	1 cup	4
Asparagus	6 spears	10
Avocado	1/2 medium	10
Beans, white cooked	1 cup	4
Beans, green	1 cup	4
Broccoli, raw	1/2 cup	12
Broccoli, cooked	1/2 cup	20
Butter beans	1 cup	5
Cabbage	1/2 cup chopped	12
Carrot, raw	1 medium	25
Carrot, cooked	1/2 cup	52
Celery	1 stick raw	35
Corn (sweet, no butter/salt)	1/2 cup boiled	14
Cucumber	1/2 cup sliced	1

Lettuce	1 leaf	2
Mushrooms	1/2 cup (raw or cooked)	1 to 2
Onion, chopped	1/2 cup (raw or cooked)	2 to 3
Peas	1 cup	4
Potato	1 baked	7
Radishes	10	11
Spinach, raw	1/2 cup	22
Spinach, cooked	1/2 cup	63
Squash	1/2 cup	4
Sweet potato	1 small	12
Tomato	1 medium	11
Tomato juice, canned	3/4 cup	660

Fruits and fruit juices
Apple	1 medium	1
Apple juice	1 cup	7
Apricots	3 medium	1
Apricots (dried)	10 halves	3
Banana	1 medium	1
Dates	10 medium	2
Grapes	1 cup	2
Grape juice	1 cup	7
Grapefruit	1/2 medium	0
Grapefruit juice	1 cup	3
Melon	1 small piece	14
Orange	1 medium	1
Orange juice	1 cup	2
Peach	1	0
Prunes (dried)	10	3
Raisins	1/3 cup	6
Strawberries	1 cup	2
Watermelon	1 cup	3

Breads and grains
Bran flakes	3/4 cup	220
Bread, whole wheat	1 slice	159
Bread, white	1 slice	123
Cooked cereal (instant)	1 packet	250
Corn flakes	1 cup	290
Muffin	1/2	182
Pancake	1 (7-inch round)	431
Roll, hamburger	1	241
Rice, white long grain	1 cup	4
Shredded wheat	1 biscuit	0
Spaghetti	1 cup	7
Waffle	1 frozen	235

Pre-Prepared Food
Canned soups	1 cup	600 to 1,300
Canned and frozen main dishes	230g	500 to 2,570

Note: These are sodium content ranges - the sodium content in certain food items may vary. Please contact your dietitian for specific product information.

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