Salt and seasonings have come a long way! There are now more options than ever for kidney patients of all stages from salt, salt substitutes and herbal seasonings. But which of these choices is best for kidney patients who need to watch their salt and potassium intake? Check out the list below to get the dish on some old favorites and new products on the market.

• Papa Dash - tastes like salt, but has less than half of the sodium content and contains no potassium. Not currently sold in stores. To order by phone call (800) 333-0005. 
• Diamond Crystal Salt Sense® - contains 33 percent less sodium than common salt and has no potassium.
• Sterling Lo-Salt Mixture® - a blended salt substitute which contains 115 mg of sodium and 150 mg of potassium per quarter teaspoon.
• Also Salt  - a newer product that contains 43 percent less potassium than other brands such as NuSalt, Morton Salt Substitute and No-Salt.
• Mrs. Dash®  - offers 12 salt free blends with 5-15 mg of potassium per quarter teaspoon. 
• Benson's Salt Free Seasonings - the newest company to provide salt-free herbal seasonings. Their new product, Table Tasty, is a no-potassium, sodium substitute blend. The target audience for this product is the dialysis community.

Using salt substitutes and salt-free herbal blends is a great way to ensure food is still tasty without all the sodium and potassium.

This article originally appeared in the November 2008 issue of AAKP Diet Tips & Bits.