Low-sodium Shopping

Sep 24, 2000

Molly Martin

YOU MIGHT THINK, given that more than 43 million Americans have high blood pressure, there'd be a decent selection of tasty, low-sodium foods readily available in supermarkets and restaurants.

Perhaps not enough of those 43 million folks are trying to follow a low-sodium diet to create sufficient demand, despite pretty undeniable evidence that reducing sodium intake can cut blood pressure significantly. That, in turn, can reduce risk of stroke and heart attack.

Demand for such foods might soar if everyone, even those who didn't have high blood pressure, took the low-sodium road. It's a good idea, judging from a National Institutes of Health study released in May that concluded all Americans can decrease their chance of developing high blood pressure by cutting salt intake in half.

Rather than wait for a deluge of delectable low-sodium products, we asked readers for their current favorites. Some who responded have hypertension; others restrict sodium because of other health conditions. Here's a selection of their recommendations. We've listed them by sources they cited, though of course many products may be available at other stores. Remember to read labels, since what may seem low sodium to some people might not be low enough for others with more tricky medical considerations.

Here are some reader recommendations for low-sodium shopping:

Trader Joe's (which offers an eight-page list of its no- and low-sodium products): Unsalted potato and tortilla chips. Roasted garlic and fire-roasted chili salsas and pico de gallo fresh salsa. Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast and thighs. No-salt-added albacore tuna. Organic spaghetti sauce with mushrooms. No-salt peanut butter. Pitted tart cherries. Miscellaneous jellies and jams. Unsweetened apple sauce. No Pudge! fudge brownie mix. Gingeroos chewy cookies with crystallized Australian ginger. Ginger animal cookies. No-salt-added cereals. Hansens pop.

Top Foods: Borden's MBT very-low-sodium instant beef or chicken flavor broth packets. S&W low-sodium canned tomatoes and garbanzo and kidney beans. Bearitos low-fat, no-salt-added refried beans. Hunt's no-salt-added tomato paste, sauce and ketchup. Haggen no-salt-added tomato sauce and peeled whole tomatoes. Maple Grove Farms of Vermont fat-free, poppy-seed dressing. Green Garden fat-free, basil balsamic vinaigrette. Original Boca Burgers.

Safeway: Low-salt Triscuits, Wheat Thins and Ritz crackers. Cascade Pride very-low-sodium bread. Lucerne low-sodium Swiss cheese. Assorted S&W frozen stir-fry vegetables and canned tropical fruit salad and fruit cocktail. Hunt's no-salt-added ketchup. Lucerne frozen fudge bars.

QFC: Del Monte no-salt-added canned spinach. Allen no-salt-added canned collard and mustard greens. Herb Ox chicken and beef bouillon. Campbell's low-sodium soups. Newman's Own organic unsalted round pretzels.

Larry's Market: Enrico's garlic salsa and no-salt-added spaghetti sauce. Low-sodium mustard. Low-sodium dill pickles.

Fred Meyer: Health Valley no-salt-added soups, chili and broth.

Thriftway, Puget Consumers Co-op: Eden organic beans.

Whole Foods: The Spice Hunter salt-free spice mixes.

Costco: Fat-free fruit bars.

Fast-food restaurants: Request a batch of fries without salt.

Miscellaneous: Old-fashioned Quaker oatmeal. Barbara's (and other) shredded wheat. Dried beans. Del Monte canned, no-salt green beans. Frozen soy beans without pods. Black Swan Jaipur dressing. Kozlowski Farms' Royal Tomato Basil dressing. Westbrae natural organic beans and other Westbrae products. Erin's low-salt, low-fat popcorn. Salt-free Swiss Lorraine cheese. Cascade no-salt potato chips. Unsalted nuts (in bulk). Low-sodium V8. Balsamic vinegar. Florida Natural grapefruit juice. Oregon Chai tea. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (spray, tub, sticks). Planter's unsalted peanuts. Power Ade. Schilling no-salt seasonings.