10 Most Tempting Salty Foods

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Expert Column

 

Temptation #1: Pretzels

Pretzels have a reputation of being a healthier snack choice because they are naturally low in fat and you can even find some whole wheat options. Trouble is, they can ratchet up the sodium fairly quickly, especially if you don’t stop at a 1-ounce serving. Pretzels usually contribute about 390 mg sodium per ounce.

Satisfying Alternative
Look for a larger-sized pretzel option with whole wheat flour as the first ingredient and about three grams of fiber per ounce. The added fiber will help make a 1-ounce serving more satisfying. Some of the salt crystals added to the pretzels will end up in the bottom of the bag but you can decrease your salt intake even more by rubbing away some of the salt on the outside of the pretzels with your fingers before you eat them.

 

Temptation #2: Bottled Pasta Sauce

It’s super-convenient to open a bottle of marinara sauce and pour it into a saucepan or spread it on lasagna noodles or pizza crust. But canned or bottled pasta sauces are often shockingly high in sodium, often with more than 600 milligrams of sodium per 1/2 cup serving. If you add any sausage or Parmesan to the sauce, the sodium total could quickly climb well past 1,000 milligrams.

Satisfying Alternative
You can make your own pasta sauce with a blender and vine-ripened tomatoes. Add onions, garlic, basil, oregano, black pepper, and olive oil to taste. If you do add salt, add the least amount possible (i.e. 1/4 teaspoon salt for 4 cups of chopped tomatoes). Heat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat for about 10 minutes. This cuts the sodium to about 160 milligrams of sodium per serving

 

Temptation #3: Ramen Noodle Soup packets

Instant noodle soup cups or packages are popular with the college crowd because they are easy, cheap, and taste pretty good. But one serving will run you about 750-950 milligrams of sodium (depending on the brand and the flavor).

Satisfying Alternative
The noodles alone contribute about 150 milligrams of sodium, so the bulk of the sodium is in the flavor packet of powder that you stir into the hot water and noodles. You can cut the sodium almost in half just by adding half of the powder. It will taste just as good, but the sodium will be about 450 milligrams instead.

 

Temptation #4: Mixed Nuts

Nuts are a healthy snack alternative, adding smart fats, fiber, protein, and other protective plant compounds to your diet. And nuts naturally have next to zero amounts of sodium. But companies tend to salt nuts that are packaged for snacking, with at least 110 milligrams of sodium for each ounce.

Satisfying Alternative
Luckily, there are “lightly salted” and “unsalted” nuts now available in stores. The lightly salted options contain about 55 milligrams of sodium and the unsalted nuts add zero. You can always make your own mixed nuts or trail mix by adding nuts such as walnuts and almonds that usually come unsalted and in bulk.

 

Temptation #5: Fast Food or Restaurant Spicy Tenders

Just one order (three pieces) of spicy chicken tenders from a fast-food chain or restaurant can add more than 2,100 milligrams of sodium. Most people usually enjoy those tenders with some side dishes that pile on even more sodium. Even if you opt for a side salad, the dressing can add 300-500 milligrams.

Satisfying Alternative
By making your own spicy chicken fingers at home, you not only control the amount and type of cooking fat used, but you can also cut way back on the salt added in the breading. Use spicy seasoning blends that do not include salt to flavor your breading. If you do add salt, keep it to a minimum (1/2 teaspoon salt for 2 or more servings of chicken fingers). Each quarter teaspoon of salt adds 590 milligrams of sodium.

 

Temptation #6: Tortilla Chips

Crunchy tortilla chips are the main ingredient in nachos and come in handy for dips, taco salads, and as a crunchy side dish to sandwiches. Most tortilla chips are dusted with salt, totaling at least 250 milligrams of sodium per 2-ounce serving.

Satisfying Alternative
You can make oven-baked tortilla chips at home. Here's how: Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Coat a nonstick jelly roll pan with canola cooking spray. Cut corn tortillas into wedges (8 wedges from one tortilla). Brush the tortilla wedges lightly with canola oil. Sprinkle a controlled amount of seasoned salt (1/4 teaspoon adds 450 milligrams sodium) over the top. Bake until crispy -- check them after 15 minutes.

Temptation #7: Bottled Salad Dressing

Bottled salad dressings are convenient and come in many flavors. The sodium content per serving (2 tablespoons) can range from 120 milligrams to 400 milligrams depending on the flavor and brand of the dressing.

Satisfying Alternative
Find lower-sodium options for the salad dressing flavors you like to have in your refrigerator. One of my favorite “Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette” dressings, for example, is one of the lowest in sodium, with 125 milligrams per serving. If there is a particular creamy dressing you like that is higher in sodium, you can dilute it a bit by adding 2 tablespoons of fat-free half-and-half (or low-fat milk) to 2 to 3 tablespoons of dressing. The fat-free half-and-half contains about 12 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. You can also make your salad dressings from scratch. That lets you decide how much sodium is added (that includes the salt you add and salt-containing ingredients such as soy sauce or Parmesan cheese.)

 

Temptation #8: Lunch Meats (processed meat slices)

Americans love their sandwiches and tend to fill them with processed meats. Salt and/or sodium are added to these meats for two reasons -- shelf life or food preservation and taste. Packaged lunch meats, even when they look like they have been just carved, contain about 560 milligrams of sodium or more per 2-ounce serving.

Satisfying Alternative
Choose fresh meats like roast beef or pork tenderloin, roasted or grilled chicken, or turkey. They won’t last quite as long in your refrigerator so just buy or make what you will need in the next two days.
You can also freeze individual servings of these meats for later use. Two ounces of roasted turkey without skin contains about 40 milligrams of sodium and 2 ounces of bottom round roast beef adds about 26 milligrams. Using freshly cooked meat in your sandwiches makes a big difference in sodium and you might even think it tastes better, too.

Temptation #9: French Fries from Fast Food or Restaurants

Most people can’t resist French fries as a side dish to our favorite fast-food or restaurant burger or sandwich. Even the smallest size of fast-food French fries adds at least 250 milligrams of sodium.

Satisfying Alternative
One medium-sized baked potato naturally contains about 17 milligrams of sodium. Obviously, most of the sodium in French fries comes from salt added after the fries are fried.
Most of the frozen French fry products that you bake at home contain at least 300 milligrams of sodium per serving, as well. You can ask a restaurant not to add salt to your fries, but this probably won’t work as well at a fast-food restaurant. Your best and final option is to make French fries at home the old-fashioned way -- cut a potato into steak fries or wedges, coat it lightly with some canola oil, and bake in a 450-degree oven until golden (about 30 minutes). This way, you decide exactly how much salt you want to sprinkle on top!

Temptation #10: Fast Food Burger or Sandwich

One fast-food burger or sandwich alone can exceed the daily recommendation for sodium. In one popular fast-food chain, I found eight burger/sandwich options with more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium.

Satisfying Alternative
Make your own burger or chicken sandwich at home with your indoor grill. Season the burger or skinless boneless chicken breast with salt-free seasonings and dress them with lower sodium condiments such as horseradish, low sodium ketchup, chopped onion or peppers, and mustard if you keep it to 1 teaspoon (adding about 55 milligrams).

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Monica's tip: Rice cakes. Rice cakes are an great alternative to bread. You can spread anything on them, from peanut butter to egg salad, tuna..etc. Its light, doesn't weigh you down and it give you a great crunch.