Do you know that the average American will consume 3,400 mg of sodium a day? The average recommended amount for healthy adults is 2,300 mg per day, but for people on dialysis or living with CKD varies from 750 mg to 2,000 mg per day. When you have kidney disease, your kidneys may have trouble balancing the sodium and water in your body. Too much sodium can make you feel thirsty, cause fluid gain and lead to high blood pressure. Salt is mostly sodium so it’s important to learn how to reduce the amount of salt in your diet when you’re on dialysis. Learn new tips like walking on the outer isles of a grocery store and choosing fresh kidney-friendly foods whenever you can. Use spices to make your food tasty! Paprika, chili powder, basil, rosemary and garlic powder are all spices that you can use instead of adding salt. Avoid sodium traps by reading the food labels, choose foods with a percentage daily value of less than 10% for sodium. Look out for foods with sodium free or low sodium labels and stay away from reduced sodium or lite in sodium labels because they can still be high in potassium. Cut back on convenience foods and packaged or frozen meals and try your best to avoid fast food! Your dietitian can provide you with more information to help you feel the best.