High Sodium Foods to Avoid During the Holidays

Learn which high sodium foods to avoid during the holidays, including the surprising sodium sources that show up frequently on our holiday menus.

The holidays should be about spending time with friends and family, relaxing, and celebrating—not stress over sodium. If you’re living a low sodium lifestyle, navigating the holidays can be tricky because many of the foods and dishes we love at this time of year can contain far more salt than people realize. The season is often packed with celebrations, but it can also be packed with high-sodium foods that can easily send your actual salt intake soaring past your recommended daily sodium intake. Combine that with the high sodium content in processed food, restaurant foods, and packaged convenience foods like store-bought gravy, canned broth, cured meats, and even dinner rolls, and you could have a recipe for disaster.

Why This Matters:

Even a small amount of sodium here and there quickly adds up. The average American already consumes about twice the recommended amount of sodium each day, often without even realizing it. Learning where sodium hides and choosing healthier options is one of the best ways to protect your heart health, especially if you’re managing heart disease, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure.

Even dishes that don’t taste salty can contain a lot of sodium, including gravy, casseroles, frozen meals, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, and instant pudding mixes—Banana Pudding lovers beware! This can be especially challenging for people with health conditions like heart disease, chronic kidney disease or those with chronic disease risk factors. With a little planning—and some tasty low-sodium options—you can celebrate the season without the unwanted sodium spike.

High Sodium Foods to Avoid During the Holidays

Many holiday favorites rely on salt, sodium chloride, and salty ingredients to add flavor or to extend their shelf life. The result can be a high-sodium meal that can cause fluid retention and raise your risk of high blood pressure or even increase the risk of heart attack, especially if you’re dealing with chronic health problems.

Here are common holiday ingredients known for high sodium levels:

• Cured Meats: Those bountiful platters of cheese and meat shaped like flowers are gorgeous to look at, but just 1 oz of prosciutto can contain more than 340 mg sodium. Steer clear of cold cuts, charcuterie, like prosciutto and pancetta, fresh meat and poultry injected with seasoning solutions or brines, bacon, sausage, and ham. A 3 oz serving of Honeybaked Ham can contain more than 1000 mg sodium. If ham is your deal-breaker, you can enjoy a 2-oz serving of their Thin ‘n Trim Honey Baked Ham contains significantly less, 280 mg sodium.

• Packaged Sides: Boxed products like stuffing mixes, gravy packets, canned vegetables, and instant potatoes make it easy to get your meal on the table quickly, but they can be loaded with sodium. Look for reduced sodium or lower sodium versions or no salt added canned vegetables. One serving of Stovetop Stuffing (chicken flavor) contains 420 mg sodium. The lower sodium version contains 260 mg sodium.

• Canned and Bottled Goods: Store-bought broths, soups, and sauces often contain hundreds of milligrams of sodium per serving. Fortunately, there are plenty of low sodium broths, canned soups, and sauces to choose from.

• Breads and rolls: Just one slice of bread or a dinner roll can include a surprising percentage of your sodium daily value. In fact, one slice of regular sandwich bread can contain more than 200 mg sodium. That’s 400 mg sodium just from the bread in a sandwich. Lower sodium breads and rolls make sandwiches possible for those of us living low sodium.

• Snack foods: Everybody loves a good snack, but chips, salted nuts, crackers, and party mixes can mean danger for your daily sodium limit. One serving of potato chips can contain 200 mg sodium or more. Look for chips or popcorn that’s lightly salted or unsalted. Check out my list of low sodium snacks for more inspiration.

• Dairy products: Dairy is an important part of a healthy diet, but some of your favorites – cheese, cheese spreads, and creamy dips – can be notoriously high in sodium. Choose from lower sodium cheeses, like goat cheese and fresh mozzarella, and avoid processed or aged cheeses.

Choosing fresh foods, fresh meats, fresh ingredients, and fresh produce helps cut down on hidden salt and gives you more control over what goes on your plate.

Simple Ways to Avoid These Foods

1. Read the nutrition labels carefully.
The nutrition facts label reveals exactly how much sodium is in each serving. Look for lower-sodium foods, and low-sodium versions of your holiday staples. Compare brands during every shopping trip because sodium levels vary widely and can change frequently without notice.

2. Watch out for misleading terms.
“Less sodium” or “reduced sodium” doesn’t necessarily mean low sodium. It only means it has less salt than the original—not that it meets the dietary guidelines for a low-sodium diet. Confused about what low sodium labels mean? Check out this post.

3. Choose flavor boosters instead of salt.
Use herbs, spices, garlic, pepper, vinegar, or lemon juice instead of adding salt or salty condiments. These will brighten the flavor of your dish and help your taste buds adapt to food with less salt over time.

4. Build your plate with fresh, naturally low-sodium foods.
Fill half your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables. Add lean proteins with a small amount of sodium, like roasted turkey or fresh meats that haven’t been brined.

5. Make homemade whenever possible.
Whether you’re making everything from salad dressing to gravy, homemade versions let you skip unnecessary salt and avoid additives like sodium benzoate or excess preservatives. If homemade isn’t an option – and sometimes it isn’t – choose products with the lowest sodium content.

FAQs on Avoiding High Sodium Foods During the Holidays?

What are the worst high-sodium foods during the holidays?
Cured meats, packaged mixes, canned broths, dips, and store-bought sauces tend to contain the highest amount of salt and added preservatives.

How much sodium should I aim for each day?
Health experts at the American Heart Association recommend those with heart issues limit sodium to no more than 1,500 mg per day. Each person is different so always check with your doctor before making any changes to your diet and sodium intake. Your limit may be lower or higher depending on other health issues you may be experiencing.

Why do I need to think about eating too much sodium?
Too much sodium is bad for your heart and excess sodium from salt consumption increases risk factors for heart disease and other conditions.

How can I enjoy holiday foods without eating too much sodium?
The easiest way to manager the sodium content of your food is to prepare your own dishes using fresh ingredients. Skip salty add-ons and compare sodium levels on food nutrition labels.

Are store-bought lows sodium products a good idea?
Many are! Look for low sodium options in broth, sauces, and condiments—but always check the nutrition labels because some “low-sodium” items still contain a surprising amount of salt.

Have Questions About This or Other Low Sodium Topics?

Navigating the holidays on a low-sodium diet doesn’t have to be stressful. If you have questions about sodium levels, swaps, or cooking with less salt, drop your questions in the comments. I’m here to help you choose the better choice for every celebration and keep your meals full of flavor—not sodium. Leave a comment or email me with questions.