111015 - Low sodium macaroni salad

Heart, diabetics, kidney, and other patients are told to restrict their sodium intake. I find it is really hard to find prepackaged food products that meets the criteria I have been given. Manufacturer's like salt because it preserves the product, and they think everyone likes the taste better.


Reduced sodium macaroni salad

My local grocery store deli macaroni salad label indicates nearly 500 mg of sodium. Since macaroni is a zero sodium product, the sodium added is entirely the sauce and the salt they add to it. Thus, I came up the the following recipe for macaroni salad that works for me. Also, it lets me attend "bring a dish" social events and with a dish I can safely eat. I notice that people seem to want extra helpings, so I think it is a workable recipe.


If you are on a low sodium diet, or just interested in better health, consider this recipe, or its popular alternatives described.

Ingredients for the low sodium macaroni salad

mg	Calories	qty	unit	ingredient	pct vol
500	240	4	tbsp	salad dressing (FF)	8%
0	0	1	tbsp	vinegar	2%
0	120	2	tbsp	sugar	4%
0	60	0.5	tbsp	olive oil	2%
0	5	0.5	cup	celery	16%
0	420	1	cup	macaroni- boiled	33%
0	3	0.5	cup	onions- diced	16%
110	13	0.5	cup	tomatoes- drained, diced	17%
Label compare ingredients: macaroni, tomatoes, onion, celery, salad dressing, sugar, olive oil, vinegar With a serving size of 1/2 cup, this makes 8 servings * macaroni swells to about double volume after cooking, per serving numbers given account for this

Prepare macaroni and chill

Place macaroni on stove top and cook for about 15-30 minutes, depending upon your elevation (higher altitudes require longer cooking times). You can test a sample of the macaroni by trying to mash it with a fork to ensure consistency is to your liking.

When cooked, drain water and placed drained macaroni in freezer or refrigerator to cool, while you mix the sauce.

Prepare sauce and other ingredients

Ingredient setup

In a small bowl, mix salad dressing, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly until sugar grains are no longer noticeably present and mixture is consistent. Place in refrigerator while you prepare final ingredients. If you prefer mayonnaise, you can use it instead.


Dice onion and celery to consistency you prefer. If you do not like one or more of these, you can omit them. They will not appreciably change Calorie or sodium content.

Mix components, chill, and serve

In a very large bowl or cooking utensil, place diced macaroni in bowl. Add sauce mixture and eggs. Place onion and celery over the other ingredients. Stir until macaroni, sauce, and other ingredients are thoroughly mixed. You can then place in smaller bowl for storing and transporting. It is best to chill it in refrigerator for one hour before serving. If the macaroni are too warm, the mixture will not be very consistent.


Store in refrigerator. It stores well. Salad dressing and eggs are highly susceptible to spoiling at room temperature, so keep any unused portion refrigerated for safety.

Sodium content comparison

This recipe makes eight half cup servings of macaroni salad. If you examine a prepackaged (store) product, you will find that most of them have a very high sodium content.

Comparisons and options table
1/2 cup	mg	Calories	mg reduced	Kcal reduced
Store macaroni salad*	490	180	0	0
this recipe	76	107	85%	40%
If you chop and five olives to the base recipe.
add olives	121	110	77%	39%
If you use fresh tomatoes or a no-salt added tomato product.
fresh tomatoes	62	107	87%	40%
If you double the sauce to the base recipe.
double dressing	138	137	72%	24%
If you add a cup of plain yogurt to obtain creamy style to the base recipe.
creamy option	88	121	82%	33%
*Depends on brand, ranges observed are 300 to 800 mg All options are baseline to the main recipe. If you want to mix options, you will need to calculate the differences and add the results to meet your preferred option. If you want salt added, suggest you use the low sodium seasoned salt. Use of regular salt defeats much of the purpose behind the effort.

A common request is to have olives added. Olives are low Calorie, but very high sodium. Others want a more creamy product and double, or more, the sauce portions. If you do this, it is an additional 70 mg sodium and a about 25 Calories for each added sauce portion. You can also add a cup of plain yogurt instead of adding additional sauce. This will make a very creamy macaroni salad.

When I bring the creamy macaroni salad to a party it goes fast and no one seems to notice it is low sodium. Remember that people will tend to avoid things they are told are "different." I prefer the not too creamy version, but find some will avoid it because it looks and tastes different.


If you have a no-salt added diced tomato or use fresh tomatoes, you will reduce the salt content in the salad.

Final issues

Final product

The salad tends to improve in flavor as time progresses and the spices mix into other ingredients. If you do not leave it out at room temperature, it will store for a week or more.


The store purchased option salt and other preservatives tends to cause its product to remain unspoiled longer, so I assume this version, if it is not eaten, will not last as long.


A common question about macaroni and potato salad is "why are they so high in salt." Simply put, they salt it. They salt the water that is used to cook the main ingredient. Then they salt the sauce mixture. The often add over 3,000 mg in just pure salt when they make it.

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Sam Martin
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