Have you been told by your doctor that you need to limit your sodium intake, but you love your snacks and have no idea what you can have or what would qualify as a low sodium snack?
We frequently turn to prepackaged snacks because they are quick and convenient. But unfortunately often times quick and easy means high in sodium.
Read on to find out what would constitute a low sodium and snack and some great ideas to get you started!
Daily sodium intake
The American Heart Association recommends that people consume no more than 2300 milligrams of sodium per day. On average, Americans consume closer to 3400 milligrams per day!
Surprisingly, most of this excess sodium comes from prepackaged and highly processed foods, not from shaking on the extra salt.
The qualifications of low sodium snacks
Just because most excess sodium intake comes from prepackaged foods, does not mean there are not good options that can keep you within the recommended allowance of sodium. When shopping for different kinds of foods, you may notice different health claims on the packaging. Did you know that there are qualifications of what companies are allowed to state on the packaging?
When it comes to sodium, there are several different health claims you may notice on different packages. See below for the assortment of claims related to the sodium content in foods.
When choosing a prepackaged snack, try to choose one that is less than 140 milligrams per serving. This will help keep within your daily recommended intake.
Low Sodium Snack Ideas
Here is a list of some simple snack ideas to consider for home, at work, or on the go!
- Hummus and fresh cut veggies – 5 mg
- Peanut butter with apples or celery – 5 mg
- Nature Valley Crunchy Granola bar – 140 mg
- Roasted and Unsalted Almonds – 0 mg
- Smoothies made with fresh fruits and veggies – 0 mg
- Chobani Greek yogurt – 55 mg
- Skinny Pop 100 calorie popcorn – 75 mg
- Lightly Salted Harvest Snaps – 75 mg
- CLIF Bar – 130 mg
- No Salt Added Utz Potato Chips – 5 mg
All of the above sodium contents are based on one serving size. Keep in mind, if you have more than one serving, the amount of sodium will also increase.
Who should consider low sodium snacking?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly half of adults have been diagnosed with hypertension and only 22% of those people have it under control.
In conclusion…
Everyone can benefit from paying attention to the amount of sodium in their diet and in their snack foods. While it may be a challenge to limit sodium intake to 2300 mg or less per day immediately, every small change can make a difference. Focus on one small change at a time.
Be sure to check out some other heart healthy info!
