12 Low-Sodium Snacks That Are Still Satisfying

Salt is our absolute favorite, but it’s easy to overdo it. So easy, in fact, that about 90% of Americans overindulge on the regular, according to our friends at the American Heart Association. While we’re supposed to have only 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, we eat more than 3,400 milligrams. Eek.

“The vast majority of sodium we consume is in processed and restaurant foods,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in its Sodium Reduction Initiative. “Nearly nine in 10 U.S. children eat more sodium than recommended, and about one in nine children has raised blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.”

One of the main culprits of our sodium addiction: The snacks we turn to between meals are often packed with preservatives and way too much salt, the Food and Drug Administration reports, and the AHA specifically called out manufactured food as being responsible for 65% of our salt intake. At least we can feel a bit better about the meals we make from scratch at home, right?

Some sodium is a necessary ingredient for life—it helps control the balance of fluids in your system, sends nerve impulses and aids in muscle movement. “The human body can’t live without some sodium,” Harvard University writes in its Heart Letter. “It’s needed to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscle fibers (including those in the heart and blood vessels) and maintain a proper fluid balance. It doesn’t take much to do this. The Yanomamo people of the Amazon rainforest get by on just 200 milligrams of sodium a day (about the amount found in one-tenth teaspoon of salt).”

A little extra salt might not seem like that big of a deal, but in the long run, it can be pretty terrible. Too much sodium forces your body to hold on to water and makes your blood pressure rise. High blood pressure forces your heart, arteries, kidneys and brain to work double time, which could lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and even dementia, according to the UK Blood Pressure Association. The water retention can cause bloating (bye, skinny jeans), give you headaches and make you gain weight. It’s been linked to stomach cancer, too. 

It might be difficult to know if you should cut back on the salt, especially when you’re not the one preparing the foods you’re snacking on. There are a few things to look out for, though. First, check out those nutrition labels on the products you’re picking up at the grocery store—you might be shocked to see the sodium totals that end up flooding your system. Make a point, too, to pay attention to how you’re feeling during your typical day-to-day. Are you overly tired and noticing some bloat? Have you gained weight? Do you eat at restaurants often, where the food is delicious but swimming in salt?

If you’re nodding along to the above, don’t freak out. You’ve come to the right place.

We know what you’re thinking. And no, nixing the salt doesn't mean tasteless cardboard food, and it won’t limit you to only celery. Below, find out how to cut back and discover what you can munch on to replace those sodium-drenched snacks while still feeling satisfied.