Low-Sodium Diet for Kids

A child's body needs only a small amount of salt for proper health. According to easy-kids-recipes.com, when a child's diet has too much sodium, he's at greater risk for high blood pressure and heart disease. A diet high in sodium also can lead to fluid retention or bloating, which causes swelling in the legs and feet. UCSF Medical Center finds that the average American eats five or more teaspoons of salt a day, which is 20 times what the body needs.

Cooking With Kids

Make a list of all the foods the child is eating during the day, both at home and away from home. Take note of the sodium amounts in the foods so you can determine how much salt to eliminate from their diet.

Start by removing processed foods from the child's diet, along with fast food. Have the child assist with cooking home-cooked meals, which, according to the UCSF Medical Center, are naturally lower in sodium (since the person controls the cooking, she can also control the amount of salt that is added). By letting a child cook with you, he'll learn essential cooking techniques and start learning about measurements.

Use less than the suggested amount of salt in a recipe or replace salt with a different ingredient such as onion powder, paprika or a no-salt substitute. Remove salt from the dining table while eating.

Low-Sodium Grocery Shopping

When purchasing items at the grocery store to assist with a low-sodium diet for kids, avoid canned and dried food items. These contain large amounts of sodium. Snack foods, dips, sauces and salad dressings also contain large amounts of sodium. Replacing salad dressings with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar aides in lowering sodium.

Purchasing low-sodium broths to use in creating homemade soups with fresh vegetables creates a healthy meal option. Plain rice and pastas, not those found in a box mix, are also low-sodium options that can be topped with fresh chopped tomatoes and basil.

Have the child help find food items containing the lowest amounts of sodium while shopping to create a low-sodium food hunt in the grocery store. This includes the child in making healthy food choices.

Meal Preparation

Cooked proteins can be prepared without added sodium, making them healthy, low-sodium options. Grilling foods creates added taste without sodium. Lunch meats and deli meats should be avoided---they're high in sodium. Purchasing large cuts of meat, such as a roast beef or turkey breast, and then preparing it at home will provide meat you can use to create healthy, low-sodium sandwiches.

For snacks, popcorn with a dusting of sugar and pepper instead of salt is a healthy option, along with unsalted roasted nuts. There are many desserts that are made without salt, such as gelatin and fresh whipped cream.