Nutrition Guidelines

Low Sodium Diet for Infants, Toddlers, and Children General Guidelines Many people with NDI follow a 300-500 mg sodium per day diet. (Compare this to the 2000 mg sodium per day guideline that is recommended for most Americans.) A diet pattern with 500 mg sodium per day should include foods from all food groups. Select foods low in sodium by following some general guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid:

• Softened water (water treated in a softener) can contain large amounts of sodium. Don’t use softened water for ice cubes or for food preparation.
• Kosher meats and poultry are soaked in salt water. Look for low sodium Kosher products.

A QUICK “RULE OF THUMB”… Use the values below to make a quick estimate of sodium intake. (These are values for foods that are prepared without salt and/or are reduced or low sodium products.)

Milk/Dairy Products – 80 mg sodium per cup
Breads and Cereals – 80 mg sodium per 1/2 cup
Meat (plain) – 25 mg sodium per ounce
Vegetables – 15 mg sodium per 1/2 cup
Fruits – trace amounts of sodium

At this age, children should begin to explore new tastes and textures… slowly. It is a good idea to introduce one solid food at a time. Commercially prepared foods for this age group are generally low in sodium. Read the food label to make sure the foods your infant is eating are low in sodium. Do not add salt to baby food when making it at home. As your baby is introduced to 2nd and 3rd foods and progresses to table foods, pay close attention to the sodium content of foods. Many 3rd foods (especially meats) have more than 100 mg sodium per serving.

Combination foods (for example, meat and rice dinners) have too much sodium too — sometimes more than 200 mg sodium per serving. Because the sodium content of similar foods varies between brands, food labels are the best source of information about sodium content.

Your infant should be eating a variety of foods and exploring new textures. Gradually decrease the number of strained foods your child is offered and begin to introduce chopped, well-cooked vegetables. Slowly introduce a few table foods. As your child is able to grasp foods and bring them to his/her mouth, offer more finger foods. Foods with less than 35 mg sodium per serving Remember, the amount of sodium can vary between brands — always read the label.

Food Serving, Size, Amount of Sodium

Infant formulas – e.g. Similac, Enfamil, Prosobee, Isomil, 1 ounce, 5-10 mg
Infant rice cereal

• dry 1 Tbsp, dry, 1 mg
• Prepared with whole milk,  1/2 ounce (~1 Tbsp), 6 mg

Single ingredient “First Foods”
#fruits mixed with tapioca, etc. may be higher

• Fruits, 1 jar, 0-10mg
• Fruit Juices, 4 ounces, 0-7 mg
• Vegetables, 1 jar,  0-30 mg

Well-cooked, mashed vegetables
# Most fresh and frozen vegetables are low in sodium. Check the sodium content of frozen vegetables; some are soaked in brine. # Canned vegetables are high in sodium unless specified on the label.

• Carrots, 1/4 cup sliced, 1 medium, 25 mg*

Meat (baby food)

• Plain, cooked, chopped meats, 1 ounce, 25 mg*
• Junior meats, 1 jar, 120 mg*
• Strained meats, 1 jar, 58 mg*

Crackers and Cookies

• Arrowroot cookie, 1 cookie, 15-25 mg
• Melba toast, 2 pieces, 33 mg
• Keebler Zwieback – Nabisco, 1 piece, 10-15 mg

Note: *NOT low in sodium As progress from 2nd to 3rd foods to Graduates, sodium increases. Most 3rd foods and Gerber Graduate foods have more than 100-200 mg sodium per serving. No ham, au gratin potatoes, beef… See Bowes and Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used for the nutrient (including sodium) contents of other foods.

Foods with less than 35 mg sodium per serving. Remember, the amount of sodium can vary between brands — always read the label.

Food, Serving Size, Amount of Sodium

Grains (Crackers, Cereals, Pasta)

• Low sodium bread, 1 slice
• Cooked cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat – not instant) 3/4 cup, cooked, 1-2 mg
• Puffed Rice, 1 cup, 0-1 mg
• Low sodium saltine crackers – Premium 5 crackers, 35 mg
• Rice – white or brown (not flavored) 1/2 cup, cooked, 5 mg
• Potatoes (plain), 1/2 medium potato, 5 mg
• Pasta – macaroni (no salt added during cooking) 1 ounce (1/4 cup), dry, 2 mg
• Pasta – egg noodles (no salt added during cooking) 1/2 cup, cooked, 5 mg

Fruits, Juices, Vegetables

• Fruit Juices, 1 ounce, 1 mg
• Fruit (fresh, frozen, or canned): applesauce, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, fruit cocktail, grapes, kiwi, mandarin oranges, nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, strawberries, tangerines… ¼ cup, 0-5 mg
• Fun Snacks, 1 pouch, 23 mg
• Vegetables – fresh Some vegetables are not low in sodium (e.g. celery and carrots). Canned vegetables are high in sodium unless low sodium is specified on the label. 1/4 cup, 0-5 mg
• Vegetables – frozen • Check the sodium content of frozen vegetables; many are soaked in brine. Avoid frozen “medleys” and “combinations” with seasonings or sauces. 1/4 cup, 10-20 mg
• Prego no-salt-added pasta sauce, 1/4 cup, 25 mg*

Meat

• Ground beef, 1 ounce, 25 mg
• Chicken, 1 ounce, 25 mg
• Pork loin, 1 ounce, 20 mg

Note: * NOT low in sodium Foods NOT low in sodium

Food, Serving Size, Amount of Sodium

Crackers, Breads, Cereals

• Saltines (regular), 5 crackers, 190 mg
• Animal crackers, 5 crackers, 50 mg
• Graham Crackers – Honey Maid, 1 square, 45 mg
• Teddy Grahams, 5 crackers, 30 mg
• Cheerios, 1 cup, 280 mg
• White bread, 1 slice, 120 mg

Milk, Dairy Products

• Milk 8 ounces (1 cup) 122 mg
• Yogurt 4 ounces 150 mg
• Ice cream 1/2 cup 40-50 mg

Label Reading Tips… How to Find the Hidden Sodium
How to Read a Food Label

Reading food labels is the only way to be sure of the sodium content of foods. The sodium content must be listed on the package – it is usually on the nutrition information panel. Food manufacturers change ingredients all of the time; make it a habit to READ THE LABEL.

nutrition facts

• The label lists the amount of sodium per serving of food (not per package or container).
• Ingredients are listed in decreasing order by weight – if salt or sodium appears on the ingredient list at all, make sure it is near the end.

What the Label Really Means

If the label says… It means…

• Sodium free… salt free
• Very low sodium… Low sodium
• Reduced sodium… Light in sodium
• Unsalted… No added salt Less than 5 mg sodium per serving
• Less than 35 mg sodium per serving… Less than 140 mg sodium per serving
• At least 25% less sodium than the original product… At least 50% less sodium than the original product
• No salt added during processing (not necessarily sodium-free)… Ingredients that shout HIGH IN SODIUM!

Baking soda Brine Disodiumphosphate Garlic salt, Onion salt Monosodium glutamate (MSG) Salt Sodium alginate Sodium benzoate Sodium caseinate Sodium citrate Sodiumhydroxide Sodium nitrate Sodium pectinate Sodium proprionate Sodium sulfite

How to Evaluate the Sodium Content of Favorite Recipes

1. Examine the ingredients.
   1. What is the sodium content of packaged ingredients? (Read the labels of the ingredients you will use.)
   2. What is the sodium content of other ingredients?
   3. Examine any ingredients used in preparation.
2. Total the approximate sodium content for the entire recipe.
3. Divide the total sodium content by the number of servings the recipe makes.
   1. Make sure the serving size listed on the recipe is the same as what will actually be served.
4. Does this food fit into your child’s food pattern?
   1. If he eats this, how much sodium will be “left” for the rest of the day?

How to Adjust the Sodium Content of Favorite Recipes

Identify the “high sodium” ingredients.

Can these ingredients be omitted?
What low sodium ingredients can you use as substitutes?
Do the changes make the recipe acceptable? (Evaluate the modified recipe to make sure.)

NDI Sodium Content of Selected Foods

Selected High Sodium Foods …and Low Sodium Alternatives. INSTEAD OF HIGH SODIUM FOODS TRY THESE ALTERNATIVES

Food (serving size) Amount of Sodium

CONDIMENTS AND MISCELLANEOUS FOODS

• Baking powder, regular (1 teaspoon) 400-550 mg
• Baking powder, low sodium (1 teaspoon) 5 mg
• Baking soda, regular (1 teaspoon) 1370 mg
• Butter or margarine, regular (1 Tablespoon) 70-160 mg
• Unsalted butter (1 Tablespoon) 0 mg
• Garlic salt (1 teaspoon) 1480 mg
• Garlic powder 1 mg
• Pancake syrup (1 Tablespoon) 17-60 mg
• Molasses (1 Tablespoon) 7-11 mg

CANNED FOODS

• Regular pasta sauce (1/4 cup) 125-275 mg
• Prego no salt added pasta sauce (1/4 cup) 25 mg
• Peanut butter (2 Tablespoons) 150-250 mg
• Adams unsalted peanut butter (2 Tablespoons) 0 mg
• Tomato sauce (1/4 cup) 150-370 mg
• Hunt’s no salt added tomato sauce (1/4 cup) 12 mg

SNACK FOODS

• French fries (small order) 150-700 mg
• Frozen, unsalted french fries (3 ounces) 10-20 mg
• Nuts, dried & salted (1 ounce) 120-250 mg
• Nuts, dried, unsalted (1 ounce) 3-10 mg
• Nuts, honey roasted (1 ounce) 30-90 mg
• Popcorn, microwave (3 cups) 135-500 mg
• Popcorn, air popped, unsalted (3 cups) 1 mg
• Popcorn, oil popped (3 cups) 300 mg
• Potato chips (1 ounce) 170-300 mg
• Unsalted potato chips, Tim’s Cascade (1 ounce) 5 mg
• Rice cakes, flavored (1 regular, 5 mini) 25-120 mg
• Quaker, unsalted rice cakes (1 regular) 1 mg
• Saltine crackers (1 cracker) 40-70 mg
• Premium low sodium saltine crackers (1 cracker) 7 mg

GRAINS

• Prepared baking mixes (1 cup) 1500 mg
• Wheat flour (enriched white or whole wheat) (1 cup) 3-6 mg
• Self-rising flour (1 cup) 1600 mg

Sodium Content of Selected Foods High in Sodium

Condiments and Miscellaneous Foods

• Bacon bits (0.25 ounces) 220 mg
• Barbeque sauce (1 Tbsp) 150-200 mg
• Bouillon (1 cube) 1200 mg
• Salad Dressing (1 Tbsp) 125-280 mg
• Garlic and onion salt (1 tsp) 1480 mg
• Ketchup (1 Tbsp) 150-200 mg
• Low sodium ketchup (1 Tbsp) 95 mg
• Mustard, prepared (1 tsp) 65-80 mg
• Olives (1 medium) 35-100 mg
• Pickle relish (1 Tbsp) 120-165 mg
• Pickles, sweet or dill (1 large) 330-830 mg
• Regular soy sauce (1 Tbsp) 500-2000 mg
• Reduced sodium soy sauce (1 Tbsp) 300-830 mg
• Rennin Tablets (1 tablet) 260 mg
• Sauerkraut (1 Tbsp) 100 mg
• Steak sauce (1 Tbsp) 250-300 mg
• Worcestershire sauce (1 Tbsp) 200-250 mg

Canned Foods

• Vegetables (1/2 cup) 215-800 mg
• Meats; e.g., – vienna sausage (3 pcs) – deviled ham (1/3 cup) 450 mg 700 mg
• Soup (1/2 cup) 490-860 mg
• Tuna/salmon (1/3 cup) 250-325 mg

Snack Foods

• Brownie (2 inch square) 50-150 mg
• Cake (1/12 cake) 115-430 mg
• Gelatin (1/2 cup, prepared) 40-70 mg
• Onion rings (8-9 rings) 430 mg
• Pretzels (1 ounce) 500-700 mg
• Tortilla (corn) chips (1 ounce) 150-300 mg

Fresh Vegetables

• Beet greens (1/2 cup) 175 mg
• Beets (1/2 cup) 65-200 mg
• Carrot (1 med, 1/4 cup cooked, sliced) 25 mg
• Celery (1 stalk) 70 mg Chard (1/2 cup) 160 mg
• Greens (dandelion, kale, mustard, rutabaga) (1/2 cup) 15-30 mg
• Spinach (1/2 cup) 30-65 mg
• White turnips (1/2 cup) 40 mg

Frozen Vegetables

• Corn (1 ear) 25 mg
• Peas (1/2 cup) 70-120 mg
• Lima beans (1/2 cup) 50 mg
• Mixed vegetables (1/2 cup) 40-300 mg

Meat and Meat Products

• Bologna (1 slice) 225-400 mg
• Ham (1 ounce) 300-500 mg
• Roast chicken (1 slice, lunchmeat) 250-350 mg

Eggs and Dairy

• Cheese (1 ounce) 200-500 mg
• Egg, chicken (1 large) 60-65 mg
• Egg substitute (1/2 cup) 50-100 mg
• Pudding (1/2 cup) 130-450 mg

Notice the wide ranges for foods like french fries, salad dressing, and canned and frozen vegetables. The sodium content of even some “reduced sodium” items (e.g., soy sauce) can vary widely. Always read the label to be sure foods are low in sodium! Jazz up a meal with sodium-free spices & herbs Basil Cilantro Parsley Curry Garlic Rosemary Chili powder Ginger Thyme

Infant 6 month old 7.5 kg (16 lbs.)

Sample Meal Pattern:

• Less than 300 mg sodium, 750 calories of energy, 15 grams protein.
• 28 ounces human milk or infant formula
• 4 Tablespoons dry infant cereal
• 4 ounces fruit juice
• 5 Tablespoons strained fruit

Infant 10 month old 9 kg (20 lbs.)

Sample Meal Pattern:

• Less than 500 mg sodium, 900 calories of energy, 30 grams protein.
• 20 ounces infant formula
• 8 Tablespoons dry infant cereal
• 4 ounces junior fruit
• 4 ounces junior vegetables
• 3 ounces junior meat
• 1 Zwieback cracker
• 1 ounce chopped chicken – prepared without salt
• 1 Tablespoon mashed green beans (not canned)
• 1/2 medium banana
• 2 Tablespoons sorbet

Toddler 18 month old 13 kg (29 lbs.)

Sample Meal Pattern:

• Less than 500 mg sodium, 1200 calories of energy, 35 grams protein. (This meal pattern does not provide an adequate amount of calcium or iron. A child following this pattern should receive a calcium supplement and a general children’s multiple vitamin and mineral supplement.)
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup oatmeal (not instant) with raisins, sugar, and cinnamon
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup melon
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 slice low protein bread with unsalted butter and jelly
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 3 low sodium saltine crackers
• 1-1/2 ounces chicken
• 1/4 cup mixed vegetables (not frozen)
• 1/2 cup rice Young Child

4 year old 20 kg (45 lbs.)

Sample Meal Pattern:

• 1800 calories of energy, less than 500 mg sodium, 40 grams protein (This meal pattern does not provide an adequate amount of calcium or iron. A child following this pattern should receive a calcium supplement and a general children’s multiple vitamin and mineral supplement.)
• 16 ounces whole milk
• 8 ounces apple juice
• 2 slices low sodium bread with jelly and unsalted butter
• 1 cup puffed rice cereal
• 2 ounces hamburger, prepared without salt
• 1 pouch fruit snacks
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken noodle soup
• 5 low sodium saltine crackers
• 3/4 cup green beans, with unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sorbet
• 1 graham cracker
• 1 medium apple
• 1 medium banana

American Heart Association, Low-Salt Cookbook. 175 low sodium recipes, including tips on cooking techniques and ingredient substitution.
This book can be purchased at your local bookstore or you can borrow it from the library. To find out more information on where to purchase the book directly from the publisher, please visit American Heart Association Cookbooks.

The NDI Foundation does not endorse nor is compensated for the links below but provide them as a service to NDI families.

• Healthy Heart Market
• MegaHeart
• Low Sodium Cooking
• Low Sodium Living
• Salt Watcher