Best Low Sodium Meal Delivery in 2020 - Reviews and Buying Guide
How many times have you tried to minimize the intake of salt and failed in that process? While there is no escaping the fact that the American diet includes too much salt, an average person consumes nearly 3,400 mg of sodium per day.
Meals packed with salt gradually increase the risk of numerous health-related conditions, such as hypertension, stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, and many more. For that reason, people are becoming more aware of the risks and resort to low sodium meal delivery services.
Forget the common misconception that reduced consumption of salt leads to a lack of flavor.
And, instead of spending countless hours in the kitchen, trying to come up with salt-free dishes, kick back and relax, while eating healthy and delicious food.
Now, here are a couple of companies that might be the best options for a low-sodium diet.
Let’s check them out!
1
- Variety of options
- Delicious salt-free recipes
- Convenient cooking
- Organic
- Prepared Meals
Avg. Meal Price: $11.49 | Shipping Cost: $6.99 | Delivery Areas: 47 states
4.9
2
MealPro
- Plenty of options
- All-natural ingredients
- Free of GMOs, antibiotics, and hormones
- Suitable for athletes
Avg. Meal Price: $7.99 | Shipping Cost: $0 – $9.99 | Delivery Areas: 48 states
4.8
3
Mom’s Meals
- Gluten-free
- Vast selection of recipes
- Affordable
- Commitment-free ordering
Avg. Meal Price: $6.99 | Shipping Cost: $14.95 | Delivery Areas: 48 states
4.7
4
Balance By Bistro MD
- Tasty and delicious food
- A diverse selection of meal programs
- Customizable plans
- Free consultation with dietitians
- Chef-approved menu
Avg. Meal Price: $10 | Shipping Cost: $19.95 | Delivery Areas: 48 states
4.6
5
Magic Kitchen
- A lot of meal options to choose from
- Budget-friendly
- Fresh and natural ingredients
- Chef-prepare and a la carte menu
- Well-balanced recipes
Avg. Meal Price: $12 | Shipping Cost: $18.95 | Delivery Areas: anywhere in the continental US
4.5
6
Factor75
- Ready-made dishes
- Suitable for people with a healthy lifestyle
- No commitment
- Save time and mess
Avg. Meal Price: $12 | Shipping Cost: $18.95 | Delivery Areas: anywhere in the continental US
4.5
7
Fresh N’ Lean
- Two vegan plans
- Organic ingredients
- Free delivery
- Flexible subscription
Avg. Meal Price: $9.99 | Shipping Cost: Free | Delivery Areas: 50 states
4.4
8
Silver Cuisine by BistroMD
- Nine meal plans
- More than 150 items
- Healthy-focused recipes
- Ready-made
- Microwave-friendly
- Ready in six minutes
Avg. Meal Price: $12.50 | Shipping Cost: $19.95 | Delivery Areas: 48 states
4.4
9
Fresh Meal Plan
- Five meal plans
- Plenty of healthy choices
- No commitment
- Frozen, pre-made recipes
- Budget-friendly
Avg. Meal Price: $9.99 | Shipping Cost: Depends on location | Delivery Areas: The continental U.S.
4.3
10
Home Bistro
- Plenty of options to choose from
- No commitment
- Suitable for various health conditions
- Individual and bundle recipes
Avg. Meal Price: $17.66 | Shipping Cost: $6.99 | Delivery Areas: 48 states
4.2
* All the listed prices are purely informative and subject to change. Even though we strive to place the most accurate figures we can find, some products could display an outdated price. That’s why you should always check the site for the final cost.
Top 10 Low Sodium Meal Delivery Service Review
Sun Basket - Vegan
We could say that Sun Basket pioneered this type of service in the States. They provide its customers with a delicious menu, a wide range of organic meal kit options, and easy recipes that take approximately 30 minutes to prepare.
When it comes to meal selection, customers can choose between 18 weekly options, many of them featuring low-sodium dishes, while being heart – checked certified. Sun Basket’s lean & clean plan has less than 800mg of salt, while, on the other hand, heart – checked recipes contain less than 600mg of sodium, which complies with the American Heart Association’s guidelines.
Additionally, this company is exceptionally proud of the fact that they use only organic ingredients, including locally-sourced, farm-fresh fruits and veggies, sustainably-sourced seafood, and high-quality cuts.
Moreover, you get to pick different types of kits, according to your needs and dietary preferences—all ingredients and premeasured and packed in insulated boxes to maintain optimal freshness. However, if a low-sodium diet isn’t your thing, you can choose other meal plans Sun Basket offers.
In this case, you could go for vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, the Mediterranean, gluten-free, and many more.
- Variety of options
- Delicious salt-free recipes
- Convenient cooking
- Organic
- Prepared Meals
MealPro - Protein High
MealPro is a meal-delivery service that provides healthy and ready-made meals, which you customize according to your taste and preference. Considering this company aims to offer a healthy alternative to home-cooking, it sources the real ingredients that are sustainable, fresh, natural, GMOs, antibiotic, and hormones-free.
Now, in terms of menu, you get to choose between two meal boxes, featuring 18 or 21 dishes. However, there is no particular meal plan, such as vegan, paleo, or vegetarian; therefore, you need to rely on their meal description. Each recipe contains a “nutritious facts” chart, where you can review the type of ingredients, diet type, and potential allergens.
For that matter, this could be a good thing, since you can choose options that suit your taste, and modify them to fit your needs. MealPro’s menu contains a couple of vegetarian dishes while focusing on low-sodium intake, as well. Their dishes hardly ever go over 200mg of sodium per meal.
All recipes are microwave-friendly and come in insulated boxes designed to keep your food cool and fresh.
- Plenty of options
- All-natural ingredients
- Free of GMOs, antibiotics, and hormones
- Suitable for athletes
Mom's Meals - Low-carb
It has been two decades since Mom’s Meals delivery service started offering its support to people suffering from various illnesses, seniors, and individuals managing different chronic conditions. This Iowa-based company provides ready-made, freshly prepared, homestyle meals across the U.S. therefore, it makes independent living easier for people who find it challenging to cook.
This food company offers a variety of meal plans, such as heart-friendly, gluten-free, cancer-support, vegetarian, diabetes-friendly, low-sodium, and many more. Now, in terms of carbs, Mom’s Meals feature ≤ 75 gr carbohydrates recipes that meet national guidelines of the American Diabetes Association.
Carefully selected ingredients will help you maintain the appropriate level of blood sugar while managing diabetes. For that reason, the diabetes-friendly plan is often associated with low-carb meals (follow for more meal delivery service picks).
Additionally, Mom’s Meals contain less than 700 mg of salt per dish, which might be crucial for individuals on a low-sodium diet. The food comes packed in microwave-friendly containers. Moreover, the company’s trucks deliver boxes to your doorstep, while each package is insulated to maintain the freshness of the ingredients.
- Gluten-free
- Vast selection of recipes
- Affordable
- Commitment-free ordering
Full Review Is Coming Soon…
Balance By Bistro MD - Gluten-free
Balance by BistroMD is all about offering healthy recipes that are designed for specialty diets. You have to agree that convenient food and healthy dieting rarely go hand-in-hand; however, this company tries really hard to prove us wrong.
While a team of dietitians and doctors plans their flash-frozen meals, professional chefs prepare everything from scratch. Balance by BistroMD offers a variety of meal plans which are made to improve your health while focusing on particular health issues.
Therefore, you have an opportunity to choose between nine meal plans; they include heart-healthy, low-sodium, gluten-free, menopause, diabetic, low-carb, Mediterranean, dairy-free, and vegetarian.
These days, there are many gluten-intolerant and gluten-sensitive individuals who require a special diet. For that matter, Balance by BistroMD prepares recipes with fresh and gluten-free ingredients and aims to satisfy your nutritional needs.
Their gluten-free program has more than 90 meals to choose from, which prevents metabolic dysfunction while enhancing digestive health.
- Tasty and delicious food
- A diverse selection of meal programs
- Customizable plans
- Free consultation with dietitians
- Chef-approved menu
Magic Kitchen - Senior-friendly
It seems that getting delicious cooked meals shipped to your home has never been easier, especially when you reach a certain age. For that reason, Magic Kitchen decided to focus on seniors and make their life a bit more comfortable.
This customer-friendly meal delivery service offers pre-made dishes suitable for various tastes, as well as dietary preferences. Even though many food companies provide diverse meal options, Magic Kitchen goes the extra mile to accommodate just about every specialized diet plan out there.
Therefore, you can choose between gluten-free, MK signature meals, senior meals, diabetic-friendly, portion-controlled, dairy-free, low-sodium, low-fat, low-carb, renal diet, dialysis-friendly, vegetarian, best sellers, and shelf-stable meals.
Now, when it comes to senior meals, they are nutritious, healthy, easy to make, and delicious. Additionally, recipes are designed according to your health condition and lower in sodium. Moreover, you get to choose between two menu options, chef-prepared dishes, and a la carte items.
In terms of the order, there is no commitment or contract, while they offer meals for every budget. Once you finalize your order, food will arrive within three business days to your doorstep. You can heat them in a microwave, or use an oven.
- A lot of meal options to choose from
- Budget-friendly
- Fresh and natural ingredients
- Chef-prepare and a la carte menu
- Well-balanced recipes
Full Review Is Coming Soon…
Factor75 - Paleo
Factor 75 is a meal subscription service that might be a suitable choice for people who are looking for a healthy option with a rotating weekly menu. The interesting thing about this food company is that they combine nutritional science with a culinary experience, to bring their customers the premium-made meals.
So, whether you are on a paleo, keto, or gluten-free diet, you can select a wide range of recipes, while focusing on a healthy lifestyle. To this end, all Factory 75 meals are entirely ready-made and fresh; they just need to be heated up and plated.
Due to a vast selection of recipes, you’ll never get bored with their choice, while saving time on cooking. Factor 75 offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options while paying attention to particular allergen restrictions.
When it comes to the paleo plan, it features high-protein meals made without unprocessed cooking oils, refined sugars, dairy, and grains.
You can pause your delivery up to four weeks, just make sure to do so before the cut-off date.
- Ready-made dishes
- Suitable for people with a healthy lifestyle
- No commitment
- Save time and mess
Fresh N’ Lean - Plant-based
Fresh N’ Lean is an organic meal delivery service that aims to satisfy individuals who want to stay fit and energized. Its diverse menu features all-natural ingredients while offering 100% gluten-free, low-sodium recipes.
Five carefully crafted meal plans, such as Protein +, Paleo, Keto, Vegan Low-Carb, and Vegan Standard, will ensure you have a diversity of food on your plate each time you order meals. Additionally, customers get to choose between two ordering options, meal plans, and a la carte menu, without subscribing to the service.
If you used to prepare meals, then you know how important natural and organic ingredients are. Luckily, Factor 75 uses completely organic produce that will do wonders for your health and waistline.
On the other hand, due to the low-sodium content, their recipes are suitable for seniors and all people suffering from various health conditions. Moreover, vegans and vegetarians will enjoy eating Factor 75 meals, since this company provides plenty of plant-based options.
- Two vegan plans
- Organic ingredients
- Free delivery
- Flexible subscription
Full Review Is Coming Soon…
Silver Cuisine by BistroMD - Heart Healthy
If you are suffering from heart-related conditions, finding a suitable meal delivery service isn’t an easy task. However, Silver Cuisine by BistroMD might be one of the choices to explore. While this company mostly targets seniors, it has specially designed plan for people with heart diseases.
Their meals are based on the American Heart Association’s recommendations for sodium, calories, saturated fat, and total fat. Therefore, each recipe has less than 3.5 grams of saturated fat and 600g of sodium.
Silver Cuisine by BistroMD features more than 150 items on their menu so everyone can find food suitable for their dietary preferences. Dishes are cooked in small batches and flash-frozen to maintain optimal freshness.
The food arrives frozen and individually wrapped to your doorstep, while each recipe contains heating instructions. For instance, all dishes can be heated within six minutes in a microwave, or 30 minutes in the oven.
Customers get to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as plenty of snacks.
- Nine meal plans
- More than 150 items
- Healthy-focused recipes
- Ready-made
- Microwave-friendly
- Ready in six minutes
Fresh Meal Plan - Keto
Going Keto means limiting your net carb intake to 20g per day. So, people who are struggling with type 2 diabetes, or want to lose some weight might benefit from this type of nutrition.
Therefore, Fresh Meal Plan aims to provide its clients with a diversity of options while mostly focusing on healthy recipes. You can order traditional, paleo, keto, vegan, lean and mean, and a la carte items.
Now, when it comes to keto, Fresh Meal Plan offers recipes high in healthy fats, with a moderate amount of protein, and low in carbs so that your body can utilize energy from fats, instead of resorting to carbohydrates.
Weekly rotating menu ensures you have plenty of choices, while each plan starts at six dishes per week; however, this company usually recommends having the more popular option, which includes a 10-meal plan. Additionally, you can customize each order by adding more protein.
- Five meal plans
- Plenty of healthy choices
- No commitment
- Frozen, pre-made recipes
- Budget-friendly
Home Bistro - Mediterranean
Home Bistro is a Mediterranean-inspired meal delivery service that prides itself on its ability to prepare meals you could only find in world-class restaurants. While they are genuinely committed to providing healthy food options, this company also offers recipes made of fresh ingredients and free of preservatives.
On the other hand, if you require a special dietary menu, and have issues with blood pressure, heart disease, or are just looking to lose some pounds, then Home Bistro might have a solution for you. Considering the Mediterranean diet, it mostly offers a plant-based approach, loaded with healthy fats, omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, as well as fruits and vegetables.
Alternatively, this service offers five more meal plans, including paleo, heart-healthy, vegetarian, diabetic-friendly, and body shred, which target a particular dietary preference.
While shopping for recipes, you can place individual orders, or go for a bundle, which is slightly cheaper. All individual meals are designed to be boiled in their bags for optimal reheating or can be heated in a microwave. Each dish comes with specific heating instructions.
- Plenty of options to choose from
- No commitment
- Suitable for various health conditions
- Individual and bundle recipes
What You Should Look for In a Single Meal Kit Delivery
Fresh Ingredients
Like with any food service, fresh ingredients are the core of this industry. However, it all depends on how much you are willing to pay. For instance, companies that provide organic produce will charge more per meal than services that offer all-natural ingredients.
These days, more often than not, meal delivery companies resort to locally-grown ingredients or even grow fruits and vegetables on their own. Therefore, you should navigate towards these if you want to ensure a delicious and rich flavor of your food.
Nutritious Recipes
Just because some meal is low in sodium, it doesn’t mean it can’t be nutritious. Regardless of the meal delivery service you choose, it should provide enough nutrients to satisfy your daily requirements.
Each recipe needs to contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, proteins, and carbs to keep you going throughout the day.
Convenient Preparation
Well, the point here is to have your meal ready under 15 minutes, but it all depends on whether you choose a meal kit delivery service or food delivery company. If you are one of those who enjoy cooking, then a meal kit might be a suitable solution. You will get pre measured ingredients, instructions on how to prepare a recipe, and you will have your lunch or dinner plated within 30 minutes.
On the other hand, if you live in a fast-paced environment and need your food ASAP, then a meal delivery service might be a better option. Here you receive ready-made dishes, which are microwave-friendly and ready in approximately six minutes.
Flexible Subscription
Every business owner understands the importance of customer satisfaction. Therefore, almost any food company offers a flexible subscription. So, if you don’t like their recipes, you can cancel anytime.
However, if you are dealing with forced subscription plans, then run as soon as you can.
Cost and Pricing
There have been many misconceptions that price determines the quality, but that’s not always the case. Of course, if you want premium ingredients, grass-fed meat, and wild-caught fish, then you’ll have to pay extra, but it doesn’t mean that locally-grown produce is bad.
Due to a competition on the market, everyone is stepping up their game by offering affordable and budget-friendly recipes that are equally good, and don’t lack quality, flavor, nutrient content, or freshness of ingredients.
Sodium Intake Guidelines
Sodium is a mineral commonly found in food, and also known as salt. While this mineral plays a significant role in maintaining a balanced level of fluid in the body, its overuse might lead to heart failure and numerous health-related conditions.
Therefore, it’s crucial to follow some general sodium guidelines to avoid significant health issues.
- Try limiting fluid and salt intake, to control and prevent the amount of fluid around your lungs, heart, and legs.
- Too much fluid will make your heart work extra hard and may increase blood pressure.
- Avoid all food that has more than 600mg of sodium.
What is a Low-sodium Diet?
We can’t avoid salt since it’s found in most foods we eat – fruit, veggies, meat. However, plant-based ingredients generally have less sodium than animal-based products. Out of habit, when cooking, a lot of people add salt as a seasoning, which in some cases is wrong.
Considering that diet high in sodium is linked to numerous conditions, many healthcare professionals recommend a specific dietary regime to treat high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney failure.
Therefore, healthy individuals shouldn’t consume more than 3000mg of sodium per day. But, when it comes to people who already have some health condition diagnosed, salt intake should be much lower, for instance, 600mg per day.
Pros and Cons of a Low Sodium Diet
When it comes to pros and cons which concern the low-sodium diet, it’s essential to know the risks, but also advantages that might benefit your lifestyle.
Advantages:
- May reduce blood pressure – as many experts state, the moderate reduction of salt intake for up to four weeks can lead to a significant decrease in blood pressure.
- Minimizes the risk of cancer – too much salt is linked to several types of cancer, including stomach.
- May improve dietary habits – there are too many foods that are incredibly high in sodium. Therefore, if you limit your daily intake, then you may develop better nutritional habits.
Disadvantages:
- Weakened immune system – salt keeps bacteria away from your body so the low-sodium diet might weaken the immune system.
- Reduced muscle function – the lack of sodium in your diet may restrict healthy muscle contractions.
- Creates hot flashes – salt can help regulate your body temperature.
Who Would Benefit from a Low Sodium Diet?
People With Heart Problems
Salt-free diets are commonly recommended to people with a particular heart condition. When heart function is compromised, it causes kidneys to work harder, which leads to water and sodium retention.
Therefore, eating too much salt retains fluids in your body and can cause complications in people with heart conditions, like shortness of breath.
Kidney Disease Sufferers
Kidney disease, or also known as CKD or kidney failure, is a condition where kidneys aren’t able to remove an excess of water or sodium from your body.
When the level of fluid becomes too high, it can further damage already weak and fragile kidneys. Therefore, it’s crucial to pay attention to your daily salt intake.
People Who Are Hypertensive
Hypertension or high blood pressure leads to many health-related conditions, such as stroke and heart disease. For that matter, recent studies have confirmed that diet high in salt causes elevated blood pressure.
Salt-free Diet Food Guide
What to Eat
- Frozen or fresh veggies (don’t add sauces) – broccoli, peppers, greens, cauliflower, and so on
- Frozen, dried or fresh fruits – pears, bananas, apples, berries, etc.
- Beans and greens
- Frozen or fresh meat and poultry
- Frozen or fresh fish
- Healthy fats
- Eggs
- Salt-free soups
- Baked goods and bread – whole wheat
- Dairy products
- Raw nuts and seeds
- No-sodium snack food
- Low-sodium drinks
- Low-sodium condiments
- Salt-free seasonings
What to Avoid
- Fast and comfort food
- Salty snacks
- Frozen lunches and dinners
- Processed meat
- Canned and salted products
- Cheese and cheese sauces which contain sodium
- Salty soups
- Baking mixes
- High-sodium bread and baked products
- Boxed meals
- Side dishes high in sodium
- Particular drinks
- Salt blends and seasoning
- Pickled vegetables
- Commercial sauces such as tomato, salsa, and salad dressings
Low Sodium Diet Tips
If you want to follow sodium-free diet tips, then it might be challenging to make your meals tasty. On the other hand, you can use a couple of tips and tricks that can intensify your recipe’s flavor without compromising your health.
- Lemon juice can be a great replacement for salt
- Try adding new spices
- Prepare meals with fresh herbs
- For salad dressings use olive oil and citrus juices
- Ginger and garlic can be great seasonings for homemade soup
- Sprinkle snacks with a mix of herbs
- Resort to fresh produce
- Prepare a salt-free marinade with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, ginger, and honey
Why You Should Subscribe to a Meal Delivery When You are in a Low Sodium Diet
There are many reasons why you should subscribe to a low sodium meal delivery service; however, it stands out that these companies are experts in providing delicious salt-free menus. With this type of diet, it can be hard to make a meal, and at the same time following all the recommendations, without compromising the taste.
But meal delivery services offer you a variety of recipes, and different ingredients, which you can experiment with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there low sodium frozen meals?
The majority of recipes you find these days are frozen; however, not all of them are created equally. When choosing a frozen meal, make sure it has less than 600mg of salt, less than 3g of saturated fat, and less than 500 calories.
On the other hand, be careful about empty calories because the dish should contain plenty of proteins, minerals, and vitamins, as well as veggies and whole grains, to keep you sated longer.
Is a low sodium diet suitable for seniors?
Healthy individuals, over 50 years old, should consume around 2,300mg of sodium per day. However, many of us pass this recommended limit, which leads to many health-related conditions. Especially seniors fall into a risky category, and a diet free of salt might help them improve their lifestyle and minimize the effects of sodium.
Are there restaurants that offer low sodium meals?
While you may not be able to find restaurants that provide low sodium meals on every corner, you can find dining establishments that offer substitute items on your request.
Conclusion
When on any type of restriction plan, such as low-sodium, it’s natural to feel trapped, or out of choice. However, nowadays, there are a lot of companies which can offer you delicious menus, featuring plenty of tasty and mouthwatering dishes.
Whether you want to experiment with the ingredients, or relax and just enjoy your meal, you can choose between meal kit delivery services, or traditional food delivery companies. We have reviewed a couple of them, and we hope they will satisfy your overall requirements.
Save time on cooking and grocery shopping, since now you can prepare lunch or dinner in less than five minutes.
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