Mineral / electrolyte diet - sodium - 100mmol
This document is part of the ACI Diet Specifications for Adult Inpatients. It is not to be used for patient education.
Aim
To limit total sodium intake to 100mmol (2300mg) per day.
Characteristics
Limits foods high in sodium.
Indications
- hypertension
- congestive heart failure
- acute or chronic renal failure
- liver disease with ascites.
Nutritional adequacy
Nutritionally adequate.
Precautions
No salt sachets are provided on meal trays.
If more than four slices of bread are served per day, a lower-sodium bread may be needed to meet the daily restriction.
Paediatrics
Suitable for use in paediatrics when combined with an age-appropriate diet
Suggested meal structure
- Breakfast: < 20mmol (460mg)
- Morning tea: < 10mmol (230mg)
- Lunch: < 30mmol (690mg)
- Afternoon tea: < 10mmol (230mg)
- Dinner: < 30mmol (690mg)
- Supper: < 10mmol (230mg)
Specific menu planning guidelines
| Allowed | Not allowed | |
|---|---|---|
| Hot main dishes | <15mmol (345mg) sodium per serve Plain roasted and grilled meat, fish and poultry Some egg dishes | ≥15mmol (345mg) sodium per serve (e.g. bacon, sausages, pies, smoked fish, silverside, some mornays, lasagne, quiche, cheese-based dishes) |
| Sauces, gravies | Sauces and gravies with <5mmol (115mg) sodium per serve Apple, mint and cranberry sauces | Commercial sauces mixes |
| Starchy vegetables / pasta / rice | Plain steamed, roasted or mashed potato (<2mmol (46mg) sodium per serve) Plain rice and pasta, unsalted noodles | Any rice, pasta, noodle or potato dishes with >2mmol (46mg) of sodium per serve. e.g. Potato wedges, scalloped potato Fried rice |
| Vegetables | All others | Any vegetables served with cheese or white sauce or with added salt |
| Soups | <6mmol (138mg) sodium per serve | All other soups |
| Sandwiches | <20mmol (460mg) sodium per serve | ≥20mmol (460mg) sodium per serve (e.g. ham, silverside, cheese sandwiches) |
| Salads, dressings | <18mmol (414mg) sodium per serve including dressing | ≥18mmol (414mg) sodium per serve (e.g. ham, silverside, cheese salads) Canned vegetables |
| Breads, cereals | All breads ≤400mg sodium per 100g Breakfast cereals ≤400mg sodium per 100g (e.g. Weet-Bix™, rolled oats, muesli, All-Bran®) | Breakfast cereals >400mg sodium per 100g |
| Spreads | Regular butter and margarine Jam, honey, marmalade Peanut butter with no added salt | Vegemite™, Marmite™, salted peanut butter |
| Hot breakfast choices | Plain boiled, poached or scrambled eggs and omelettes, prepared with no added salt | Bacon, sausages, canned spaghetti and canned baked beans Egg dishes prepared with salt |
| Fruit | All fruit | - |
| Yoghurt | All Yoghurt | - |
| Desserts | <8mmol (184mg) sodium per serve Milk-based desserts, ice-cream, jelly | ≥8mmol (184mg) sodium per serve (e.g. many commercial desserts and pastries) |
| Milk and cheese | All milk Ricotta and cottage cheese Swiss cheese | Semi-hard and hard cheese (unless within food group and meal limits) |
| Beverages | Tea, coffee, cordial, soft drinks Milo powder®, drinking chocolate Fruit juices Unsalted tomato or vegetable juice | Salted tomato and vegetable juice |
| Biscuits | Plain crackers and biscuits with <4mmol (92mg) sodium per serve (e.g. Milk Arrowroot™, Morning Coffee™, rice cakes) | >4mmol (92mg) sodium per serve of two biscuits or portion-control pack (e.g. Jatz™) |
| Miscellaneous | Herbs, spices, vinegar, lemon wedge Unsalted nuts, pepper Sugar, sweetener, cream | Salted nuts, olives Monosodium glutamate (MSG), salt sachets Potato crisps, salted popcorn |
References
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. NUTTAB Online searchable database: foods that contain sodium. [accessed 16 May 2024].
- Dietitians Association of Australia. Nutrition manual. 9th ed. Canberra: DAA; 2014.
- American Dietetic Association. Nutrition care manual. Chicago: ADA; 2009. [accessed 17 March 2010].
- National Heart Foundation of Australia. Position statement: the relationships between dietary electrolytes and cardiovascular disease. 2006.
- Queensland Health. Low salt diet. 2015. [accessed 13 Aug 2015].
- European Association for the Study of the Liver. EASL clinical practice guidelines on the management of ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and hepatorenal syndrome in cirrhosis. Journal of Hepatology 2010 vol. 53: 397–417