Low Sodium Hot Sauce: 50+ Options from a Dietitian

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A common misconception is that a renal diet means giving up all of your favorite foods. But this couldn’t be further from the truth! There are many low sodium hot sauce options available to those on a renal diet, it’s just a matter of where to look for them. In this article, we list out dietitian-approved low sodium hot sauce options and where to find them.

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Sodium in the Diet

The general healthy eating guidelines for sodium are less than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day.

While this may sound like a lot, most people get 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day.

The recommended sodium intake for those on a renal diet is between 1,500-2,400 mg of sodium per day. Working with a dietitian will provide guidance on individual needs.

Learn more about sodium here.

Why is too much sodium bad?

Eating too much sodium can lead to health complications including;

  • high blood pressure
  • heart disease
  • cardiovascular disease
  • heart attack
  • stroke

High blood pressure is the second highest cause of chronic kidney disease.

Low Sodium Hot Sauce: 50+ Low sodium, very low sodium, and salt-free hot sauce options

Defining Sodium Labels

Let’s quickly define some of those labels you’ll come across when looking for hot sauce and other foods.

Low sodium is 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving, or under 5% DV (daily value).

Very low sodium is 35 milligrams or less per serving.

Sodium-free is less than 5 milligrams per serving.

Reduced sodium is 25% less sodium than the original product. That means it may not actually be a low sodium option!

Light in sodium or lightly salted means there’s at least 50% less sodium compared to the original product. The same goes for this one; it doesn’t mean low sodium!

No salt added or unsalted means there was no salt added to the product. However, it may still contain natural sodium.

Sodium in Hot Sauce

Generally, most hot sauces have around 124 mg of sodium per teaspoon. Some are over 200 mg per teaspoon, which means a tablespoon can be more than a meals’ worth of sodium.

Sriracha has slightly more than standard hot sauces; around 138 mg of sodium.

And for those on a renal diet, there are plenty of low sodium hot sauce options that have much less sodium.

Types of Hot Sauce

It can seem overwhelming when looking at hot sauce options in the grocery store. That’s because there are not only so many but different types! Here’s a breakdown of the types of hot sauce and common ways to use them.

Sriracha

Sriracha is made using red chiles, vinegar, sugar, and garlic. It is often used in Asian dishes like stir fry or pho.

Picante

Picante sauce recipes include tomatoes, chiles, spices, vinegar, and garlic. It can be used in Tex-Mex style foods like quesadillas or fajitas.

Louisiana-Style

Louisiana-style hot sauce is made with red jalapeños, cayenne peppers, vinegar, and salt. It can be used in dishes like gumbo or jambalaya.

Chili Garlic

Chili garlic sauce ingredients include red chiles, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch. It is often used in Chinese and Indian cuisine. It’s similar to sriracha, but with a thicker texture.

Harissa

Harissa is made with dry red chilies, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. It can be used in North African dishes like couscous or tagine.

It also makes for a great spicy spread on a charcuterie board or with some crusty bread. Harissa is available as a jarred sauce or spice mix.

Chili (Green or Red)

Green and red chili sauces are made with – you guessed it – green or red chiles. It also includes tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, sweetener, and other spices.

They can be used in Tex-Mex style dishes like enchiladas or burritos, as well as chili con carne.

Gochujang

Gochujang is a Korean chili paste. It’s made with red chili pepper flakes, rice flour, fermented soybeans, and salt. Its thicker texture is great to spice up stews, soups, and marinades.

However, it’s typically high in sodium. Limit the amount used to stick to a low sodium diet.

Low Sodium Hot Sauce List (140mg or less)

There are many different brands of low-sodium hot sauce available on the market. Here are plenty of options.

Very Low Sodium Hot Sauce List (35mg or less)

Next is a list of hot sauces that qualifies as being very low sodium. These can be better options than the low sodium since they may have just 10% or less compared to the low sodium hot sauce choices.

Salt-Free Hot Sauce List (Less than 5 mg)

Lastly, there are some sodium-free hot sauce options available! These are a great option for those that mind having no salt in their hot sauce.

Hot Sauce on a Renal Diet

While hot sauce can be a condiment for a healthy renal diet, there are a couple of other things to consider besides sodium.

Potassium

Many low sodium foods will use potassium chloride as a salt substitute. Check the label and proceed with caution if you need to follow a low potassium diet.

Read more about a low potassium diet here.

Phoshorus

It’s not common for hot sauces to have phosphorus. However, check the ingredients list for phosphate additives and avoid these as much as possible.

The hot sauce options above did not have phosphates listed at the time of publication. However, companies can change their product formula without notice or warning. Check the labels to be safe.

Read more about a low phosphorus diet here.

Summary

There are a lot of low sodium hot sauce options, despite many on the market being too high in sodium. Low sodium means less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Additionally, there are also very low sodium (under 35 mg) and sodium-free (under 5 mg) hot sauces available, which can be a better choice.

Stick to the serving size to keep your hot sauce low sodium. Eating more than that may take it out of the low sodium range.

Look for phosphorus and potassium additives in a hot sauce ingredients list. These are important to limit or avoid if you have kidney health issues.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Board-Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition | Website | + posts

Jen Hernandez is a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in renal nutrition. She has nearly a decade of experience with kidney disease patients in all stages - from stage 1 through kidney transplant. Jen writes on the blog of Plant-Powered Kidneys to help reach and teach more kidney patients about how they can enjoy more foods in a plant-based diet while protecting kidney health.

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9 thoughts on “Low Sodium Hot Sauce: 50+ Options from a Dietitian”

  1. Willie

    I just checked my Tabasco Sauce bottle label, and it states that there are only 35mg of sodium per serving and 1% DV. I was wandering why it didn’t make the cut.

    Reply
  2. James

    Minas spicy harissa should be in the very low sodium category given it’s 1 Tbsp for 65mg of sodium, so effectively 22 mg per tsp

    Reply
    1. Jen Hernandez RDN, CSR, LDN

      Thanks for pointing that out, James. I moved it to the very low sodium category and converted to tsp. 🙂

      Reply
        1. Jen Hernandez RDN, CSR, LDN

          Thanks for sharing, Craig! This list is definitely not comprehensive, but there are plenty of options to choose from. We will update it! 😊

          Reply
    1. Jen Hernandez RDN, CSR, LDN

      Hm, interesting! The ones I’ve come across are 110mg, sometimes higher. But this is a great example of how a company can change their recipe without notice. 😉

      Reply

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