Low Sodium Pantry: Broth

If you are transitioning to a low sodium diet, then you are probably paying close attention to food labels. And you have probably noticed that many of your pantry staples and convenience items are full of sodium. One of the more obvious pantry culprits is broth, with a cup coming in at a whopping 850 mg. Fortunately, there are some really great low sodium options out there. I will round up a few of the broths that are staples in my pantry.

Herb Ox Sodium Free Broth

Herb Ox Sodium Free Bouillon

You can buy these little powder bouillon packets in either beef or chicken. As the name implies, they have zero sodium, but they do contain potassium chloride (a salt substitute). If your diet limits your intake of potassium chloride, or you don’t like the flavor of salt substitutes, you may want to steer clear of this one. I keep it on hand, but use it sparingly since we don’t really like the tang that comes from salt substitutes.

Pacific Organic Low Sodium Broth

Pacific Low Sodium Broth

At only 70 mg per cup in the Chicken and 140 mg per cup in the Beef, these broths are a great alternative to their full sodium cousins (or cuzzints depending on where you’re from). The flavor is good, but not quite as “meaty” as Swanson (see below). It is definitely a great find and a good pantry staple for a low sodium diet.

Swanson Unsalted Broth

Swanson Unsalted Broth

Swanson unsalted broths are my personal favorites. They have a deep chicken (or beef!) flavors, and are very low sodium options at only 45 mg in a cup of the chicken and 75 mg in the beef. Make sure that you get the unsalted – not the lower sodium, as the latter packs over 500 mg per cup of chicken broth and about 400 mg in a cup of beef.

Other Options

Since we live in a rural area, there are some products that we just do not have available locally. For example, Trader Joe’s sells a low sodium chicken broth with only 70 mg per cup and I have read very positive things about it. Unfortunately, the nearest Trader Joe’s is 200 miles away, so I have not been ale to test it. If you have a Trader Joe’s – do me a favor and try this broth. It might be your new best friend.

As always – check, check, check your local labels. You might be surprised to find a really great product that you can buy exactly where you are.

Is there a great broth that I am missing here? Do you have any great local finds? Tell me in the comments!