Are you following a low sodium diet and are looking for a complete and easy to follow low sodium grocery list? You have come to the right spot! In this post I’ll provide an easy to follow list of heart healthy staples to keep in your pantry and fridge/freezer for you to download. There is also a list of quick low sodium snack ideas that take little prep or cook time.

Let’s learn more!

What Food Has the Lowest Amount of Sodium?

Good news! Whole foods are naturally sodium free. These are food groups like fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, grains, oats, legumes, lentils, unsalted nuts/seeds, meat, and eggs. For a list format of these whole foods, keep scrolling as there is a printable PDF you can use with you at the store!

For branded grocery items that are pre-made, I compiled lists of different low sodium options. These include items like dressings, breads, cereals etc.
1. Delicious Low Sodium Desserts (Dietitian Approved + Heart Healthy!)
2. Best Low Sodium Cereal: 23 Dietitian Approved Brands (2026)
3. Low Sodium Protein Powder [Best Tasting + Highly Rated 2026]
4. Best Low Sodium Protein Shakes: A Dietitian Shares All
5.Low Sodium Salad Dressings: Top Brands From a Dietitian

Where to Buy Low Sodium Foods?

The food groups listed above are at everyday grocery stores. You do not need to start shopping at boutique or speciality health food stores. For any favorite shelf stable items, purchasing online can be a great way to keep them handy if they are not carried at your major local grocer.

Depending on your location (rural vs. city vs suburb) will dictate how many options you have. Even outlet grocery stores like Aldi and Lidl carry low sodium choices too. You just need to check the label to make sure its truly low sodium.

At times, the lower sodium premade alternative can cost more. At my local Kroger a store brand pasta sauce is 2.99. The Silver Palate branded low sodium option is 5.99. If you are on a tight budget, there are many condiments and dressings you can easily make from scratch if you have the time and physical ability. I also include several tips if you want to save money on groceries inside Smart Ways to Save Money on Groceries | Top Tips from a Dietitian.

Road Map to Following a Low Sodium Diet

The most important piece is that you have access to fruits and vegetables. These foods are not only low in sodium, but high in potassium, phytonutrients, and fiber which is key for heart health.

Buy them fresh, frozen, or canned. It does not have to be “buy organic, or don’t buy it”. These foods, even if conventional, will benefit your heart health.

Most of us already know WHAT low sodium foods are, but the challenge is HOW to follow through with a low sodium eating pattern. Below are my top tips for taking the grocery list to make it practical, doable, and realistic. 

1. Focus on what to ADD to your diet

If you ever Google your way through a low sodium food diet, you will be overwhelmed with how much you can’t eat! It not only feels depressing, but it also feels constricting.  This restrictive way of thinking is harmful for two reasons:

1. It demotivates you to make any changes
2. You feel burdened by all the restrictions and it causes mental exhaustion.

This leads to burn out and giving up on following a low sodium diet. 

Sound familiar?

You might start thinking, “oh now I can’t eat fast food, frozen pizza, or subway.”

I encourage you to flip the script and ask, “how could I make a low sodium sandwich at home?” or “what are lower sodium options at McDonalds?”

If you already eat sandwiches, what brand of bread could you now buy? What high fiber colorful foods could you add on top or on the side if you are going to cut back on the amount of deli meat?

2. Make a Realistic Menu

You really need to be honest with yourself! Get out a notepad and start asking these things below.

There is power in external processing and getting it out of your head! 

1. What are meals I already enjoy? What low sodium swaps can I make for that?
2. How much time do I have or am I willing to give to making meals?
3. How can I simplify my cooking? (make multiple servings? get low sodium meal delivery kits? Buy precut vegetables?)

If you get off work and you have only 30 minutes before your 2nd job, or getting kids off to sports practice, then you can’t be slaving in the kitchen making pesto sauce for your pasta from scratch. 

3. Mix it Up!

Boredom from eating the same foods will cause you to give up. When you are eating chicken, rice, and broccoli for lunch 30 days of the month, you WILL give in to pizza in the break room at work. 

I know some meals are quick and reliable, so let’s still use them!

However, your goal is to not eat the same 3 meals on repeat. I highly recommend trying out 1 new recipe a week or biweekly.

How to mix it up?

1. Use Different Spices and Herbs

Garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, and Za’atar are my favorites and complement pretty much any vegetable, protein, or grain.

I love this chart created by Spice Advice that showcases which seasonings pair best with which foods.

2. Find a Different Topping

Salsa, Fried Onion, Guacamole, Tzatziki, Hot sauces, Honey Mustard, Hummus, or Harissa.

The same chicken rice and broccoli meal can be totally elevated with a swap in toppings.

3. Rethink Your Proteins

Most people head straight to cooking chicken breast when trying to eat “healthy”. Chicken can be used in so many ways, but there are so many other protein options!

Other heart healthy proteins includes lentils, black beans, tofu, egg whites, low sodium canned tuna, frozen salmon fillets, and low sodium cottage cheese.

Deli meat is not a low sodium protein, and can increase your risk for colon cancer. If you need alternatives for your sandwiches, please read Alternatives to Deli Meat (Easy Heart Healthy Sandwich Ideas).

4. Use a Buddy System

Do you dread planning meals? Are you at a loss for inspiration? If you know someone who is trying to cut back on sodium or cook more at home, share links to recipes you try.

I’m in a group text chat with my siblings and whenever one of us tries a new recipe that was easy and full of veggies we share it with eachother. 

You could also join a low sodium recipe group on Facebook which usually has thousands of people who share what they make. It will keep you motivated and inspired. 

5. Make a Low Sodium Grocery List

This is old advice, I know. However, the benefits to having a shopping list includes saving time, saving money, and having a less stressful shopping trip.

I’m so guilty of saying, “I’ll figure it out as I go!” 

Then I get home with a bunch of fresh food that I have 100% no idea of what I am making for meals. Chances are I also bought 8 items that I ALREADY had in the house, so I spent more money than I needed to…..

….and how long is it going to take for me to go through 3 spice jars of cumin?! UGH

When it’s time to cook, I now don’t even have all the ingredients. Even worse, I don’t get around to using all the foods I bought before they go bad, because I didn’t have a game plan for how to use them.

…..RIP cilantro.

As you can tell, and probably already can attest, it’s one big hot mess.

6.Tap Into Leftovers

I have a lot of patients who really do not want anything to do with leftovers. If this is you, here is what you can try.

1. Write Down foods You are Willing to Eat Reheated. 

Rice, pasta, salads, cut raw vegetables, grilled chicken etc. Whatever you know will reheat or taste okay the next day- take advantage of that!

2. Make Only Extras of What You Will Eat Leftover

I can’t get myself to eat leftover asparagus. So I only make the exact portion of what I will eat for a single meal. Broccoli I could eat reheated no problem. We all have preferences around food and that is okay!

3. Repurpose your Leftovers

Some foods (like the asparagus example) I have found I can eat if its mixed in with scrambled eggs. This is a way to “glow up” a leftover you usually would let sit in the fridge.

Here are some examples for a dinner that then turns a portion of the leftovers into an entirely new meal for the next day. These ideas are not super fancy or complicated. The entire point is to make it practical and do-able.

The foods in bold are the ones you could make extra portions of to have on hand for the next day.

1. Dinner- chicken stir fry, mixed vegetables, and brown rice
New Leftover- brown rice, rinsed black beans, cheese and salsa

2. Dinner- Hard shell tacos, lean ground turkey, sauteed peppers, black beans
New Leftover- Black Beans, spring mix, microwave brown rice, and low sodium salad dressing

3. Dinner- Grilled Hamburgers, raw sliced veggies (lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber)
New Leftover- Siete Almond Flour Tortilla (or other low sodium flatbread/pita), mashed avocado, drained low sodium canned tuna, raw sliced veggies, hot sauce

Low Sodium Grocery List

For a food to be considered “low sodium” it needs to have less than 140mg of sodium per serving by standards from Food and Drug Administration. If you find a product that has more, be mindful of what you a putting it with. Keep in mind that a low sodium meal should be 500mg or less overall.

If you have a favorite higher sodium product, the other components of the meal will need to be low or no sodium to compensate.

For example, most red pasta sauces have 350-450mg of sodium per serving. You can use 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup serving of sauce. Or you can also pair it with no sodium foods like pasta and plain steamed vegetables, instead of a high sodium side of buttery garlic bread and caesar salad. 

Be sure to always double check the nutrition label for sodium. One brand might make 2 diffferent flavors of a product, and only 1 of them is actually low sodium. For example, Sabra Hummus has a low sodium content for the Roasted Red Pepper flavor. For others, it is much higher in salt.

Fresh/Frozen Produce

• Apples
• Apricots
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Clementines
• Cucumber
• Corn
• Garlic
• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Kale
• Kiwi- green or yellow
• Lemons/Limes
• Lettuce/Leafy Greens (arugula, spring mix, spinach, collards)
• Mango
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Peaches/Nectarines
• Peas
• Pears
• Peppers (Bell peppers)
• Plums
• Potatoes (Red, Yukon Gold)
• Spinach
• Squash (Yellow, Butternut)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
  
  Breads
  Or Any Whole Grain Bread with less than 140mg sodium/slice
• Bettergoods Keto Friendly Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread- 120mg/slice
• Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 15 Grain- 115mg per slice
• Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread, Organic and Flourless- 75mg/slice
• Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin Sprouted Whole Grain Bread- 55mg/slice
• Dave’s Killer- WhiteDone Right, Thin Sliced- 95mg per slice
• Dave’s Killer- SuperSeed, Thin Sliced- 120mg per slice
• Dave’s Killer -21 WHOLE GRAINS AND SEEDS Thin-Sliced- 105mg per slice
• Dave’s Killer -RAISIN’ THE ROOF! Breakfast Bread

Grains

• Brown Rice
• Couscous
• Instant Barley
• Lentil or Chickpea Pasta
• Oats, plain rolled or instant
• Quinoa
• Whole Wheat Pasta
  
  Canned/Jar
• Beans (chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans) no salt added, or original and rinsed in a colander before eating
• Lentils, no salt added
• Tomatoes, no salt added
  
• Better than Bullion Low Sodium Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Broth
• Lite Coconut Milk
  
• Low Sodium Canned Tuna
• Low Sodium Canned Salmon
  
• Unsalted Almond Butter
• Unsalted Peanut Butter
• Unsalted Nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, peanuts etc)
  
• Avocado Oil
• Olive Oil
  
  Animal Proteins
• Chicken, breast or ground
• Turkey, ground
• Fish (barramundi, salmon, cod, mahi mahi, tilapia etc)
• Ground Beef, 90/10
  
  Dairy/Refrigerated Section
• Cow Milk
• Unsweetened Almond/Soy/Oat Milk
  
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Eggs
• Liquid Egg Whites
  
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Salt Free Cottage Cheese
• Swiss Cheese
• Ricotta Cheese
  
• Extra Firm Tofu
• Tempeh
• Edamame (can also be frozen)
  
  Condiments/Dressings/Seasonings
• Brianna’s Balsamic Vinaigrette with Avocado Oil
• Hummus (Ithaca, Sabra)
• Marie Calendars Caesar Dressing
• Mrs. Dash Seasoning Line (Italian Blend, Fiesta, Garlic and Herb, Lemon Pepper)
• Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
• Tzatziki
• Wholly Guacamole
  
  Packaged Snacks
• Banana Chips, Unsweetened
• BUILT Puff Protein Bar
• Harvest Snaps, Lightly Salted
• Larabars
• Low Sodium Cereals in Best Low Sodium Cereal: 23 Dietitian Approved Brands (2026)
• Low Sodium Rice Cakes
• Lays Lightly Salted Potato Chips
• Late July- Thin and Crispy Tortilla Chips
• KIND bars
• Raisins
• SkinnyPop Popcorn
• Terra Sweet Potato Chips
• Wasa Crackers

Low Sodium Snacks:

1. Celery with unsalted almond butter and raisins
2. Plain greek yogurt with muesli and fresh or frozen fruit
3. Sliced bell peppers + 2 Tablespoons hummus or guacamole
4. Ezekiel 4:9 Low Sodium Sprouted Whole Grain Bread + unsalted natural almond butter + apple slices
5. Unsalted or lightly salted rice cakes with unsalted natural peanut butter and banana
6. 3 pitted dates topped with unsalted almond butter
7. DIY smoothie- 1 cup frozen fruit, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or low fat dairy milk, 1/4 cup riced cauliflower
8. Chia seed pudding- 1/2 cup unsweetened milk of choice (almond or low fat dairy) 2 Tablespoons of chia seeds, handful of sliced strawberries. Mix everything in a jar with a lid and let sit in refrigerator overnight
9. Frozen Edamame (shelled or whole) + Mrs Dash salt-free seasoning
10. DIY snack mix- unsalted cashews, raisins, and air popped popcorn
11. Milk + Low Sodium Cereals found in Best Low Sodium Cereal: 23 Dietitian Approved Brands (2026)
12. Harvest Snaps + 1/4 cup Unsalted Cashews
13. SkinnyPop Popcorn + Slice of Swiss Cheese
14. Plain Greek Yogurt + Frozen or Fresh Berries + Cascadian Farms No Added Sugar Granola + Drizzle of Honey
15. Instant Plain Oats + Peanut Butter + 1 Tbsp Dark Chocolate Chips + Frozen Raspberries
16. Baby Carrots + Natural Peanut Butter
    (or a low salt dressing from Low Sodium Salad Dressings: Top Brands From a Dietitian)
17. Two Multigrain WASA crackers + Salt Free Cottage Cheese + Sliced strawberries + Honey
18. Salt Free Rice Cake + 1 oz Fresh Mozzarella + Cherry Tomatoes + Cracked Pepper
19. “Hulk Toast”- Using bread from Best Low Sodium Bread: [Heart Healthy + Delicious] + Mashed Avocado + Edamame
20. Salt Free Cottage Cheese + Honey + Cinnamon + Apple Slices
21. 3 Medjool Dates + Almond Butter + Mini Chocolate Chips
22. KIND Frozen Treat Bars
23. Dusted Cocoa Almonds + Grapes
24. Whipped Topping + Frozen or Fresh Berries + Dust of Dark Cocoa Powder
25. Larabars- any flavor!
26. Frozen Banana Coins (Diana’s Bananas, Aldi’s Simply Nature, TruFru)
27. Unsweetened Banana chips + 2 cups Skinnypop Kettle Popcorn
28. Frozen TrueFru Strawberries
29. Apple slices + Chocolate Hummus (trust me- it’s delicious!)

Conclusion

Creating a plan that includes realistic meals are key to saving time and money when following a low sodium diet. Including a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, lean proteins, nuts and seeds are the foundation for a heart healthy diet and are high in antioxidants and fiber. These nutrients are what protect your heart and can improve your blood pressure and lower your cholesterol. Eating low sodium does not need to be burdensome and can be done easily with preplanning and following a low sodium grocery list.

What are your favorite tips or tricks to keeping with a low sodium diet? Let me know in the comments!

Laurie Thenedy, RD

Laurie is a Registered Dietitian passionate about helping healthcare professionals lower their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol so that they can regain confidence and energy to live a more full life.