6 Low-Sodium Snacks That Dietitians Love

Monitoring your sodium intakes is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. With hypertension, or high blood pressure, being one of the leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke, taking a closer look at your everyday dietary habits, including your snacking choices, is a smart choice.

While fresh fruits and vegetables are great snack choices that fit nicely into a low-sodium meal plan, they aren’t always shelf-stable or portable when you’re on-the-go throughout the day. That’s where these 6 low-sodium snack choices come to the rescue. Not only have health and nutrition experts vouched for their deliciousness, but we’ve vetted them as well to make sure they meet our low-sodium, heart-healthy nutrition parameters. This means that they all contain no more than 240 milligrams of sodium and 2 grams of saturated fat per serving to help set you up for success. 

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Get ready to add these goodies to your market haul today!

Eggland’s Best Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs 

Long gone are the days eggs should be demonized… Phew! Eggs are actually a portable, nutrient-dense snack choice that pack over 13 essential nutrients. Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD, a Charleston-based registered dietitian, recommends Eggland’s Best Hard Cooked Peeled eggs since they come “peeled and ready-to-eat—no cooking, peeling or clean-up necessary!” Plus, she shares, “Not only do they have just 55 milligrams of sodium, making them a snack that is easy to enjoy for those managing their sodium intake, they also have 25% less saturated fat and double the omega-3 fatty acids versus standard eggs.” While conventional eggs are also a good option if that’s what you can get your hands on, the added benefit of omega-3s in this brand may also bode well for your heart health according to research in Advanced Nutrition.

Sierra Trail Bites – Peanut Butter

Peanut butter lovers, this one has your name all over it! Not only are the Sierra Trail Bites – Peanut Butter flavor a sodium-free snack, but they’re also made with simple, whole-food ingredients like dates, prunes, sunflower seeds and almonds. Manaker recommends this snack frequently, sharing, “Each serving has 3 grams of plant-based protein and 3 grams of fiber—two factors that support heart health. These bites are a great option for those who are focused on eating more fruit and nuts, as they can be enjoyed when on-the-go.”

Gimme Sea Salt Seaweed Snacks

Ever heard of umami? It’s a flavor naturally present in some foods that have savory notes that can help foods be lower in sodium while maintain great taste. One food that’s filled with umami: seaweed. In fact, Manaker shares the Gimme Sea Salt Seaweed Snacks are a top choice for her clients and contain only 40 milligrams of sodium per serving. Plus, the lack of sodium isn’t all this snack offers. It’s also packed with potassium, an important electrolyte that can help counteract the effects of sodium on your blood pressure. She notes this snack offers 70 milligrams of potassium per serving, in addition to an excellent source of vitamin B12 and iodine (two nutrients that vegan diets may be lacking).

Skinny Pop Popcorn 

Whole grains are a great idea to snack on thanks to the dietary fiber they contain. For example, popcorn offers an impressive 3 grams of fiber per serving. Plus, the Skinny Pop Popcorn brand has the perfect portioned snack bags that Toby Amidor, M.S., RD, CDN award-winning nutrition expert and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Health Shots, swears by. She writes, “If you’re looking to reduce your sodium intake, Skinny Pop Popcorn bagged popcorn is one I recommend. Popcorn is a delicious whole grain snack that can also help add fiber to your diet. One serving of this brand is also nearly 3 ½ cups to help keep you satisfied between meals.”

Harvest Snaps Baked Green Pea Snacks

While this wouldn’t count as a serving of veggies for your day, snacking on a serving of Harvest Snaps Baked Green Pea Snacks offers those who enjoy salty, crunchy snacks a better-for-you option with just 75 milligrams of sodium per serving. Amidor is a fan of this snack and shares, “This baked green pea snack is a good source of fiber, is packed with protein and also provides healthy fat. This trio of nutrients helps keep you satisfied and packs the nutrients you want in a heart-healthy snack.” Additionally, this snack is also gluten-free and contains no added sugar.  

Bada Bean Roasted Fava Bean Snacks

Fun fact: adding more legumes into your diet has shown to decrease blood pressure in those with type 2 diabetes. Plus, they’re generally just a stellar, cost-effective, nutrient-dense option to have on hand, snack time included. In fact, the Bada Bean Roasted Fava Bean Snacks deliver big on texture and taste. 

Amidor shares, “This roasted snack is made of fava beans and has a fabulous crunch—it’s a perfect swap for chips. The 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving it contains is more than most snacks on the market. Plus, both nutrients are what you want to look for in a heart-healthy snack. The sea salt, mesquite BBQ and sweet sriracha flavors all meet the sodium and saturated fat guidelines to make it perfect for those seeking a low-sodium snack.”

What to Look For in a Packaged Snack 

With the variety of options available in the snack category these days, it’s important to know what to look for when evaluating if a packaged snack is right for you. Dietitians encourage you to flip over the package, peek at the nutrition label and see if your snack of choices hits at least 2 of these marks:

• No more than 240 milligrams of sodium per serving. For those following a low-sodium diet, the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart-Check Guidelines are a great reference. Limiting sodium intakes in the snack category to under 240 milligrams or less per serving helps you maintain a lower total sodium intake throughout your day. 
• No more than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. Similar to sodium, it’s important to be mindful of the amount of saturated fat you’re getting from your packaged snacks. Excessive intake of saturated fats have been linked to heart disease and other chronic conditions, which is why the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) also recommend limiting intakes of this nutrient to no more than 10% of your daily calories.
• No more than 3 grams of added sugars per serving. Added sugars are also a nutrient over consumed in the standard American diet, which is why it’s recommended to limit your daily consumption of foods that contain high amounts of added sugars. Compared to the 10% or less of daily calories recommendation in the Dietary Guidelines, the American Heart Associate is more strict, recommending added sugar intakes to not exceed 25 grams per day for women and 36 grams per day for men.
• At least 3 grams of fiber per serving. Most Americans aren’t meeting the recommended daily fiber intakes of 28 to 34 grams per day, meaning every gram of this nutrient counts! Aiming for snacks that pack 3 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving will not only help you achieve your daily fiber intake goals, but will also help keep you fuller for longer. Plus, research shows that incorporating more dietary fiber may serve as an important dietary strategy to manage hypertension and heart disease risk.
• At least 3 grams of protein per serving. Protein plays an important role in helping us feel fuller from meals and snacks, making it a crucial nutrient to include if you’re looking to nosh on something that offers some staying power. While protein needs are based on age, gender and activity level, aiming for a snack that offers 3 grams per serving is a great start. 

The Bottom Line

Prioritizing whole foods and including a variety of fruits, vegetables and plant-forward proteins is recommended if you’re trying to watch your sodium intake. However, nutrition experts agree you don’t have to completely avoid packaged snacks to follow a low-sodium diet, either. In fact, there are a variety of low-sodium options on the market that have under 240 milligrams of sodium per serving and pack other good-for-you nutrients, like protein and fiber. Reading labels is important and can help you identify which snacks may be best for your personal health goals. If you need further help, work with a registered dietitian to tailor snacks for your individual needs.