Breakfast, they say, is the most important meal of the day. It’s also one of the easiest to control and eat low-sodium consistently. Below are some easy options for you whether you are having a sit-down breakfast or need a quick option on-the-go.
- Oatmeal: Oatmeal is extremely healthy, delicious and has no sodium. I like to whip up a batch of overnight oats and eat it the entire week, but you can also microwave single servings in the microwave. Oatmeal has zero sodium but milk has between 25 -100mg depending on how much milk you add to your oatmeal. Please see our Oatmeal recipe and Overnight Oats recipes for more details. (Do be wary of the pre-made instant oatmeal packets especially ones that are flavored. These are usually very high in sodium.)
- Cream of Wheat: Cream of Wheat is a delicious meal. Add some cinnamon, bananas or other fruit along with some sweetener and you have a great breakfast. I make mine with water and add splash a milk for a very low-sodium breakfast.
- Fruit: A couple of pieces of fruit or a fruit salad can make a delicious breakfast and most fruits have little to no sodium.
- Egg Breakfast: Eggs have a natural sodium level of 70 mg per egg. A scrambled egg or two with pepper and some fruit on the side makes a delightful breakfast. You can even have a slice of bacon or two if you chose a lower sodium option like Jennie O’s Turkey Bacon (130mg per silce) or Kroger Lower-Sodium Bacon (160mg per slice). If you have the time you can also make hash browns or potatoes. Made from scratch potatoes do not have any sodium. There are also some frozen options that are low in sodium like Ore-Ida’s Potatoes O’brien (15mg per ¾ cup) or Ore-Ida’s Shredded Hashbrowns (25mg per 1 ¼ cup).
- Egg Cups: Egg cups are customizable and easy to meal prep. You scramble up twelve eggs add pepper, your favorite veggies like bell pepper and spinach and add a sprinkle of Swiss cheese (which is the lowest sodium cheese around 40 mg per serving) and cook in the oven. (See our Egg Breakfast Cup recipe for more specific instructions.)
- Yogurt: If you’re not a big egg fan or you’re not used to eating them without salt, yogurt is another alternative. Most yogurt is relatively low-sodium but, the lowest sodium yogurt I’ve found are Dannon’s Light and Fit Yogurts at 45mg per serving. If you are lactose intolerant So Delicious has a Coconut yogurt alternative that is around 30mg per serving and Silk has yogurt made out of Almond Milk that range from 60-80mg of sodium per serving depending on the flavor.
- Cereal: If you’re a cereal person, Frosted Shredded Mini Wheats and its other variations are a great option. At 10mg per serving plus the 100-150mg of sodium for the milk would put you at under 200mg of sodium for breakfast. Kashi has a couple delicious versions of Shredded Wheats with different flavors, like Berry. Their Autumn Wheat and Cinamon Harvest both have 0mg of sodium!
- Granola Bars: Granola Bars are great for breakfast too, but you have to choose the right ones. My favorites are KIND bars. There are a handful that are low-sodium, but others are higher. My favorite is the Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bars (20mg). The Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate (20mg) is another option. Sunbelt Bakery Oats and Honey Bars are also delicious (50mg). There are others I’m sure, just be sure to read your labels!
These are all easy low-sodium breakfasts to get started with. If you don’t see your favorite breakfast here, take a look at some of our Breakfast Recipes, or learn how to adapt your own recipe through our Adapting Recipes page.