The nurse is performing discharge teaching to a client newly diagnosed with hypertension and high cholesterol. Which statement by the client indicates that the nurse’s teaching was effective?
“I need to buy canned foods that are low in sodium.”
“I can substitute lean sirloin for my homemade fried chicken.”
“I will take a can of soup to work for lunch instead of eating a burger.”
“Frozen dinners are better for me than eating in the cafeteria at work.”
Number 1 is correct.
Canned foods tend to be high in sodium, so low-sodium or no-salt-added versions are a better diet choice for this client. Red meat is high in saturated fat, so it is not a better substitute than fried chicken. Red meats and fried foods should be eliminated from the diet or eaten sparingly. Canned soup is high in sodium unless labeled otherwise; the client needs to select low-sodium varieties. Frozen foods are another sodium-rich category unless otherwise labeled. The client needs to understand that processed foods (frozen foods, canned goods, and boxed items such as crackers) should be avoided as much as reasonably possible. Learning to read labels will help the client lower sodium intake.
