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15 Satisfying Low Sodium Snacks for High Blood Pressure

by Kaitlin Williams Eckstein MPH, RDN, LDN | Last updated Sep 12, 2023 | Published on Sep 12, 2023 | Heart Health

What are good low sodium snacks to eat if I have high blood pressure?

Sodium. We’ve all heard about it. Packaged foods, convenience foods, restaurant foods, snack foods, sauces and condiments…can all be significant sources of sodium. Does that mean cutting it out of your diet? Not necessarily. But for some, reducing sodium can be beneficial.
 
If you are monitoring your blood pressure or have been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure), you may want to consider watching the sodium in your meals, and opting for low sodium snacks.
 
Maybe your doctor told you your blood pressure is high so you need to cut out the salt. Maybe you’ve started reading labels and feel like there is sodium in EVERYTHING. How in the world are you supposed to cut it out?
 
Well the first thing to recognize is a low sodium diet is around 1500-2000 mg of sodium per day. So trying to eliminate it completely is impossible and unnecessary.
 
Now these numbers may seem like a lot, but according to the FDA, the average American consumes about 3400 mg of sodium per day. So reducing to 2000 mg or less can make a difference!
 
So let’s shoot for the middle ground, 1800 mg of sodium in a day. So if we break that down into 3 meals and 2 snacks, that gives us about 500 mg per meal, and 150 mg per snack. Of course, you can distribute this however you like, but for the purposes of this low sodium snacks blog, we’ll aim for around 150 mg of sodium per snack.
 
I also wanted to mention FDA guidelines on foods. You may see labels on packaging like salt free, very low sodium and low sodium. Salt free means the food contains less than 5 mg sodium per serving. Very low sodium indicates less than 35 mg per serving, and low sodium means less than 140 mg per serving.
 
If you’re managing high blood pressure, it can also be helpful to focus on adding in higher potassium foods too! Potassium actually lessens the effects of sodium! Where can you find potassium?
 
Fruits, vegetables, legumes (like beans), and nuts can all be great sources! So not only is our list of snacks low in sodium, but they also contain potassium for better blood pressure!
 
If you came across this blog because you’re limiting sodium for your chronic kidney disease, you may need to be limiting potassium as well. Check out our Renal Diet Snacks blog!

15 Low Sodium Snacks to Try if you have Hypertension

These 15 snacks are all less than 150 mg sodium using the specific brands listed. You can swap out for other products, but pay attention to the sodium content! Most of these options are also great sources of potassium for better blood pressure. 

1 – Avocado Toast (70 mg sodium)

Mash half an avocado onto toasted Food for Life low sodium bread and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of Trader Joe’s Everything but the Elote seasoning. Avocado is a great source of potassium and the Elote seasoning has a great chipotle flavor.

 

2 – Yogurt Parfait (45 mg sodium)

Top 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup Michele’s Lemon Pistachio granola and 1/2 cup blueberries. Drizzle with honey if desired. Yogurt is a great source of potassium. You can choose whatever granola you like. I’m just fan of Michele’s products!

veggies with hummus low sodium snacks

3 – Homemade Hummus with Veggies (53 mg sodium)

Dip raw veggies like broccoli and celery into 1/4 cup of low sodium homemade hummus. Hummus is a great source of fiber and healthy fat. You can purchase hummus but watch the sodium content! When you use a low sodium version like ours, you have more room to pair it with pita chips or crackers.

 

 
4 – Tropical Coconut Smoothie (50 mg sodium)
 
Blend 1 frozen banana with 1 cup of frozen mango, 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk and 1 tbsp unsalted cashew butter. Not only is this a great source of potassium, but the coconut milk and cashew butter provide fat to help increase satiety.
 
5 – Chips and Salsa (135 mg sodium)
 
Pair 1 serving of Xochitl no salt corn tortilla chips with 3 tbsp fresh pico de gallo. You can buy the pico from the store. It will have less sodium than jarred salsa.
 
6 – Stuffed Dates (0 mg sodium)
 
2 medjool dates stuffed with 1 tbsp almond butter is a satisfying snack. Medjool dates are deliciously sweet and the almond butter provides some protein and fat.

7 – Coco Pop topped with Peanut Butter, Banana, and Hemp Hearts (8 mg)

Top 1 coco pop with 1 Tbsp unsalted peanut butter, banana slices, and 2 tsp hemp hearts. You can really use any low sodium vessel for your PB and banana: unsalted crackers, rice cakes, a piece of toast…whatever you like!

low sodium snack for hypertension
8 – Roasted Sweet Potato with Peanut Butter (60 mg sodium)
 
Don’t knock it til you try it! Roast a small sweet potato and top with 2 tbsp unsalted peanut butter. Sweet potatoes are a great source of potassium and surprisingly go very well with peanut butter and almond butter.
 
9 – Chips and Guac (95 mg sodium)
 
Pair 1 serving of Wegmans black bean chips with our homemade guacamole (omit the salt). If you don’t have a Wegmans local to you, there are other brands of bean-based chips like Beanitos! Sodium content will vary. 
 
10 – Pea Crisps with Cheese (125 mg sodium)
 
I love combining something crispy/crunchy with cheese for more protein. Pair 1 serving of Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps with 1 oz of Swiss cheese.
vegan chia seed pudding

11 – Chia Seed Pudding (63 mg sodium)

Use our chia seed pudding recipe for a tasty snack! Use whatever milk you like, but I like either cow’s milk or coconut milk. Top with toasted coconut and blueberries!

12 – Pretzels and Cheese (140 mg sodium)
 
Pair 1 serving of Snyders unsalted mini pretzels with 2 tbsp Alouette garlic and herbs spreadable cheese.
 
13 – Trail Mix (60 mg sodium)
 
I love a good trail mix, and yes, it can include chocolate! Try 1/4 cup trail mix, like Favorite Day (Target) Monster Trail Mix.
 
14 – Popcorn with Chocolate and Peanuts (100 mg sodium)
 
Combine 3 cups Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn with 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips and 2 tbsp unsalted peanuts for a savory sweet snack.

15 – Overnight Oats (72 mg sodium)

Try our pumpkin overnight oats! Perfect for pumpkin season and easy to prep ahead.

pumpkin overnight oats

Whether you are trying to improve your blood pressure or just need more snack ideas, these are some tasty and satisfying low sodium options! If you need more ideas on how to cook low sodium meals, we have 6 delicious salt free seasoning blends to help make that a reality!

Blog reviewed and updated September 2023

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An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.