{"id":3607,"date":"2025-02-06T13:59:05","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T13:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/7-healthier-options-to-replace-salty-snacks.html"},"modified":"2025-02-06T13:59:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T13:59:05","slug":"7-healthier-options-to-replace-salty-snacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/7-healthier-options-to-replace-salty-snacks.html","title":{"rendered":"7 Healthier Options to Replace Salty Snacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot of information out there about food cravings and what to do about them.<\/p>\n

Cravings for salty snacks can be incredibly confusing since humans need sodium \u2014\u00a0just not as much as we get\u00a0daily (the RDA is 2300 mg for adults).<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people think that the body craves what it needs,\u201d says Krista Maguire, R.D.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, most of the time, it\u2019s just a specific yearning for comfort food, and that often includes foods high in sugar or salt,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

The most likely culprits when you\u2019re craving snack foods: stress and boredom.<\/p>\n

But other factors that have nothing to do with nutrients your body needs can also cause salt cravings.<\/p>\n

A yearning for salty snacks \u201cmay be due to hormone fluctuations,\u201d explains Maguire, which you may experience from stress, lack of sleep, or PMS.<\/p>\n

Instead of pounding the pretzels, try these alternative strategies.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

1. Figure Out the Cause<\/h2>\n

The most direct way to tackle your cravings, especially if they occur regularly, is to get to the root cause.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe often try to cure things with a band-aid solution when we should be digging deep to resolve the underlying issue,\u201d says Maguire.<\/p>\n

So take a couple of minutes to think about what\u2019s happening in your life.<\/p>\n

You may need to seek out ways to destress or entertain yourself. You may even be low on sleep.<\/p>\n

All of these things have solutions outside of the pantry.<\/p>\n

2. Reach for Water, then Reevaluate<\/h2>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

\u201cDehydration usually results in an electrolyte balance,\u201d explains\u00a0Jim White, R.D., ACSM EX-P, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe salt craving is the body\u2019s way of telling you to drink more water in order to restore the fluid balance,\u201d but we generally misinterpret it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to differentiate between the two because \u201cthey are\u00a0controlled by the same mechanisms\u00a0in the brain,\u201d says White.<\/p>\n

So when salty cravings strike, try drinking some water first (you probably need it anyway) and see if the urge to nosh passes.<\/p>\n

3. Seek Out Low-Sodium Options<\/h2>\n

\"Fresh<\/p>\n

Healthier snack foods are more widely available now than ever \u2014 check some labels in the grocery store aisles to find them.<\/p>\n

You may find that lower sodium snacks satisfy your cravings just as well as those that overload your day with salt.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can keep snacks to under 200 mg of sodium, that will leave plenty of room for your meals and not exceed your daily limit,\u201d says Maguire.<\/p>\n

A serving of\u00a0Skinny Pop popcorn cakes,\u00a0Off the Eaten Path veggie crisps, or\u00a0Fitjoy tangy dijon mustard grain-free pretzels\u00a0fit the bill.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that it\u2019s not really a problem to have something salty when a craving hits; it\u2019s the fact that we tend not to stick to a single serving.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re enjoying a low-sodium snack or a traditional salty treat, mindful servings can help you meet your daily sodium goals.<\/p>\n

4. Flavor Your Snacks with Spices<\/h2>\n

Salt can enhance the flavor of food \u2014 but spices do the same thing without sodium.<\/p>\n

Maguire suggests using fresh or dried herbs and spices to infuse your snacks or meals with more flavor.<\/p>\n

Be careful when picking out spice blends, though, as these may have added salt.<\/p>\n

5. Try Unsalted, Crunchy Snacks<\/h2>\n

\"Bowl<\/p>\n

Most salty cravings revolve around crunchy snacks, which begs the question: do you want salt or crunch?<\/p>\n

You may be satisfied with an unsalted, crunchy snack \u2014 especially if you\u2019re stress-snacking and it helps release some tension.<\/p>\n

White suggests veggies like baby carrots or celery with hummus, unsalted nuts and seeds, or air-popped popcorn seasoned with herbs as crunchy alternatives to try.<\/p>\n

You can also try making our\u00a0salt-free kale chips.<\/p>\n

6. Break the Habit<\/h2>\n

\u201cIf you are used to eating a high-sodium diet, your body will naturally crave the higher sodium foods because that is what it is used to getting,\u201d White says.<\/p>\n

Dealing with some cravings now may lead to fewer down the road.<\/p>\n

White suggests starting by evaluating how many packaged foods you\u2019re eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe convenience of packaged snacks makes it easy for sodium intake levels to\u00a0exceed daily recommendation\u00a0and contribute to the cravings,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

7. Reach for a Balanced Snack or Meal<\/h2>\n

You may have cravings because you need food (shocker, we know).<\/p>\n

Instead of grabbing a salty snack that\u2019s primary carbs, try a meal or snack that balances all of the macros to keep you full for longer.<\/p>\n

These\u00a0no-bake peanut butter pretzel bites\u00a0are sweet and salty but also balanced to keep your blood sugar steady and your hunger in check.<\/p>\n

Looking for more expert nutrition information? Head over to BODNutrition.com and learn how to eat healthy for the long-term with the help of our two nutrition programs, 2B Mindset and Portion Fix.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot of information out there about food cravings and what to do about them. Cravings for salty snacks can be incredibly confusing since humans need sodium \u2014\u00a0just not as much as we get\u00a0daily (the RDA is 2300 mg for adults). \u201cMany people think that the body craves what it needs,\u201d says Krista Maguire, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}