My Favorite Salty Snacks for POTS

Many people with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, need to eat a high-salt diet. The good news is that there are a lot of foods out there packed with sodium to help us get the salt we need. But not all the options are the healthiest, and if you eat a lot of the same foods, you can get tired of them. 

In this blog post, I’m sharing my favorite salty snacks for POTS. I’ll include lots of healthier snack options, as well as a few favorite indulgent snacks that I love to eat to treat myself. Get your grocery list ready and check out my high-salt snacks roundup below! 

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Chef’s Cut Jerky

I discovered this high-salt snack for POTS over the summer while searching for salty snacks to take to the beach. I haven’t always liked jerky in the past, but I think this one tastes delicious! It became a staple item in my chronic illness day bag for summer trips. 

Shop Chef’s Cut Jerky here.

Pretzels 

I’ve always been a lover of pretzels, whether it’s the crunchy snack version or the soft, doughy kind you dip in cheese or mustard. And now I have all the more reason to eat and love them even more! Snyder’s Pretzel Rods have 280mg of sodium per three pretzel rods, and they’re my favorite brand.

Shop Synder’s Pretzel Rods here.

Popcorn

Popcorn is one of my favorite late-night salty snacks for POTS. We pop kernels fresh on our stovetop in a large pot with a little oil. Of course, I douse my bowl with a healthy amount of salt. This salty snack is great for helping me chug a lot of water to stay hydrated, too, which maybe isn’t the best right before bed!

Shop Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popcorn Kernels here.

Salted Nuts

This is another high-salt snack that’s easy to take on the go, especially if you buy it in prepackaged servings. If not, no problem! Just put your favorite nuts in a reusable container and pop it in your day bag. These are also handy to keep in your car. 

Shop Kar’s Mixed Nuts Individual Packs here.

Cucumber Slices With Salt

This snack is a summertime favorite of mine. Cucumbers have a high water concentration, making them super refreshing on hot days. I love to sprinkle salt on slices and pop them into my mouth like potato chips. It’s a super simple way to make a healthy high-salt snack for POTS.

Broth

Soups and ramen are something that my fiance Mike likes to make often in the fall and winter. I love it when he makes ramen because not only is it a yummy and cozy meal but it’s also very salty. I can heat up a cup of just the broth throughout the day and sip on it to boost sodium in my diet. Don’t have the time to make your own? Just buy any premade broth, add more salt if needed, and heat it up. Voila!
 

Shop Imagine Organic Chicken Broth here.

Cape Cod Reduced Fat Kettle Chips

I am kind of obsessed with these chips, and they are easily my favorite kind of chip. And the reduced-fat option makes me feel slightly healthier about my chip indulgences. I snack on these salty chips in between meals or with a sandwich for lunch.

Shop Cape Cod Reduced-fat Kettle Chips here.
  

Everything Bagel

Bagels — and bread in general — are a sneaky source of a lot of sodium. Have you ever checked a nutrition label on bread and checked the sodium level? Some kinds of bread and bagels have surprisingly high levels. That’s why an everything bagel is another go-to salty snack for me, even if I only eat half at a time.  

Tortilla Chips and Salsa

I’ll never forget my nutrition course in college when my professor told me to watch out for the sodium in salsa when they reviewed my three-day food journal. While this happened before my POTS diagnosis, it has still stuck with me. But instead of limiting chips and salsa, I snack on it freely now because I need salt. Pace Chunky Salsa has 230 mg of sodium per serving, which is only two tablespoons of salsa!
  

Shop Pace Chunky Salsa here.

Crackers and Cheese Slices

Cheese and crackers are my favorite happy hour snack (happy hour can have mocktails too!). A good cracker option is Whole Foods Golden Cracker Rounds with 290mg of sodium per serving. If you’re looking for a healthier option, opt for whole-grain crackers like Wheat Thins (200mg of sodium per serving) and low-fat cheese. 
 

Pita Chips and Pesto

I love eating pasta dishes with pesto. Anyone else? But pesto doesn’t need to be just a pasta sauce. You can eat it with pita chips or crackers, just like you would with hummus! Pesto can be very high in sodium for a small serving size, so it’s a great salty snack for POTS. You can make it fresh yourself, or buy an already-made version, like Filippo Berio’s Pesto, which has 700mg of sodium per serving! Yes, 700mg!
 

Celery and Peanut Butter

I ate this snack all the time as a kid, and it’s one I still enjoy to this day. While not considered a high-sodium food, celery still has one of the highest sodium levels for vegetables. LiveScience reports that two medium celery stalks contain about 115mg of sodium. And Skippy creamy peanut butter has 150mg of sodium per two tablespoons. If you combine the two — and maybe sprinkle a little extra salt over the top — it makes for another high-salt snack.
 

Tortilla Chips and Buffalo Wing Dip 

This salty snack for POTS is a game day or movie night favorite of mine. I love love love buffalo wing dip (and buffalo sliders). And the good news for POTSies? Buffalo sauce is packed with sodium, making it an ideal high-salt food to add to our diets.

Shop Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce here.
  

Not One of My Favorites But… Pickles!

This isn’t one of my personal favorite foods, but pickles are a wildly popular snack for people with POTS. Some people even drink pickle juice, which doesn’t appeal to my tastebuds, but hey, I won’t judge what helps other people! 

Shop Whole Foods Dill Pickle Spears here.

Do you love other go-to salty snacks for POTS that I didn’t mention here? Let’s keep this list going in the comments below! 

XO,

Laurie