I love chili—it’s my favorite comfort food! This low-sodium chili recipe keeps me feeling full and is packed with nutrients like B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, fiber, and protein. Everyone has their own take on chili, but one thing we all agree on is that it needs to be flavorful! This version uses lean ground beef, no-salt-added beans, unsalted broth, tomato paste, and bold spices for a delicious and healthy twist.
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Table of Contents
What is a low sodium diet?
For most people, eating less salt is key to a low sodium diet. The American Heart Association recommends keeping sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day. This may seem like a lot but it’s actually only 1 teaspoon of salt (1).
Remember, the goal is never to avoid sodium completely. Our bodies need some salt to function normally. Instead, the goal is to avoid too many foods that are high in sodium.
Why is a low sodium diet important?
A low sodium diet is important because too much salt can make your body hold on to extra water. For those with kidney disease, this extra water makes your kidneys work harder and can make the condition worse. But that’s not all – a high salt diet can set off a wave of health complications, from high blood pressure and forming painful kidney stones to increasing the risk of strokes and heart disease. Cutting back on salt isn’t just a small challenge but a big step towards protecting your overall health.
Main Sources of Sodium in Our Diets
You might think, “I don’t add salt to my food, so I’m following a low sodium diet.” Most of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed, and restaurant foods, not the salt shaker (2).
To make truly low-sodium meals like chili, it’s important to know how to choose lower sodium ingredients.
How to Grocery Shop for Low Sodium Chili Ingredients
Packaged foods often have nutrient claims that show how much of a nutrient, like sodium, is in each serving. Check out the table below for examples of sodium claims on food labels (3).
Beans
When buying canned beans, choose ones labeled ‘Low Sodium’, ‘Reduced Sodium’ or ‘No Salt Added’. While not completely sodium-free, they have less salt. Whichever you end up buying, always make sure to rinse the beans before cooking to remove extra sodium and enjoy their natural flavor for a healthier meal!
Tomatoes
Canned tomato products can vary in sodium content, so it’s important to choose wisely. Using ‘Low Sodium’, ‘Reduced Sodium’ or ‘No Salt Added’ options allows you to control the sodium in your recipe while still enjoying the rich flavor of tomatoes.
Here is a comparison of sodium content in different tomato products:
- Fresh tomatoes: 0 mg sodium
- Canned Tomatoes:
- Rotel Original No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies: 37.5mg sodium per canKroger No Salt Added Tomatoes: 52.5mg sodium per canHunt’s Diced Tomatoes: 700mg sodium per can
- Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic: 1050mg sodium per can
- Tomato Paste:
- Simple Truth Organic No Salt Added Double Concentrated: 35mg sodium per 2 tablespoonsKroger: 20 mg sodium per 2 tablespoons
- Hunt’s: 25mg sodium per 2 tablespoons
Chili Seasoning
Most pre-mixed chili seasoning you get at the grocery store is loaded with sodium.
- McCormick Original Chili Seasoning Mix has 350 mg sodium in 1/3 tablespoon
- Kinder’s Woodfired Chili Seasoning has 730 mg sodium in 2 teaspoons
- McCormick Chili 30% Less Sodium Chili Seasoning has 220 mg sodium in 1 tablespoon
BUT, Dash Salt-Free Chili Seasoning Mix *has 0mg sodium for the entire package!
Here is a table to help you understand what those claims about sodium actually mean.
| What the Package Says | What is Actually Means |
|---|---|
| Salt-Free or Sodium-Free | Less than 5mg sodium per serving |
| Very Low Sodium | 35mg of sodium or less per serving |
| Low Sodium | 140mg of sodium or less per servings |
| Reduced Sodium | At least 25% less sodium than the regular product |
| Light in Sodium or Lightly Salted | At least 50% less sodium than the regular product |
| No-Added-Salt or Unsalted | No salt is added during processing, but these products may no tbe salt/sodium-free unless stated |
Low Sodium Chili Ingredients
When it comes to chili, everyone has their own special way of making it. Some keep it traditional, while others get creative. My recipe not only includes the classic ingredients you associate with chili but also shakes things up with clever substitutions that might just become your new favorite. Get ready to discover a fresh twist on a timeless dish!
Protein
The protein you pick for your chili is up to you. I stick with ground beef for a classic chili and use 93/7 lean ground beef—93% lean meat and 7% fat. It’s a healthier choice than higher-fat options like 85/15 but keeps that rich, meaty flavor.
If beef isn’t your thing, you can try other lean proteins instead.
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup dry Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
- 2-4 cans of beans (or 3-4 cups of cooked beans)
- 1-2 cups of dried lentils (or 2-4 cups of cooked lentils)
- 1/2 to 1 cup uncooked quinoa or barley
Beans
Beans are controversial when it comes to chili, but I’m a fan. They add a creamy texture and are packed with fiber, which is great for digestion and preventing diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers (4,5).
If you aren’t a bean person, never fear! You can get fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women need about 25 grams of fiber daily, while men need 38 grams. Want to know how much fiber you need? Check out the Dietary Guidelines for Americans or ask a dietitian (6).
Vegetables
I like to keep my chili vegetables simple, using easy-to-find options like yellow onions, celery, and red bell peppers. Tomatoes are a great addition too, whether fresh, canned no-salt-added, or no-salt-added tomato paste. These low-sodium choices fit perfectly into the recipe. Plus, they add fiber, making the chili both healthy and hearty.
How to Serve Low Sodium Chili
Once your chili is ready, you can serve it as is, but why not make it more fun? Adding toppings can also add more flavor to low sodium chili with minimal extra sodium.
You could try a great low-sodium cornbread recipe or add other tasty toppings!
- Cheese
- Chopped onion
- Fresh jalapeno
- Fresh cilantro
- Avocado chunks
- Lime juice
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Cornbread (try my low sodium cornberead!)
- Hot sauce
Low Sodium Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93/7 lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion peeled & chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 15oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup dried chopped onion
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne optional
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar optional
- 2 1/2 cups unsalted beef broth
- 1 15oz can no-salt-added dark red kidney beans drained & rinsed
Instructions
- Heat a Dutchoven or large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef, break it into piecesas it cooks, and brown until no pink remains. Lean ground beef produces a smallamount of fat when cooking. Leave it in the pot. We will use it to sauté thevegetables.
- Add theonion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot, cover with a lid, and sauté forabout 5 minutes, until softened.
- Lower theheat, add seasonings (salt, chili powder, dried onion, oregano, cumin, garlicpowder, paprika, cayenne—optional, red wine vinegar), and stir for 1 minutes oruntil fragrant. If your chili mixture is dry, add ¼ cup water to the pot toprevent the spices from burning. You’ll notice a brown crust forming at the bottom of the pot while you’re cooking.Fear not! That’s added flavor that will be incorporated into the chili.
- Add 2 ½ cupsof broth to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot until the crust hasreleased at the bottom.
- Pour in whole can of diced tomatoes, including the liquid.
- Next,increase the heat, and bring to a boil.
- Add the beans to the pot once the broth boils. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. For thicker chili, remove the lid andsimmer longer in 10–12-minute increments.
- Serve withyour favorite toppings and enjoy!
