While fresh fruits and vegetables are great snack choices that fit nicely into a low-sodium meal plan, they aren’t always shelf-stable or portable when you’re on the go throughout the day ...

'I'm a Cardiologist, and These Are the 2 Packaged Snacks I Swear By for Heart Health' originally appeared on Parade.

Choose foods with 5% or less of the Daily Value (DV) for sodium. Look for “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added” labels when selecting packaged foods.

Sodium is an essential mineral that helps regulate fluid balance and supports nerve and muscle function. However, too much of it—especially from processed or packaged foods—can lead to high blood ...

About 70% of the sodium in Americans’ diets comes from packaged food or food from restaurants. That makes it difficult for people to make changes on their own to reduce their sodium intake ...

Foods that contain 400 milligrams of sodium or more in a serving are considered high in sodium and should be avoided. Low-sodium foods contain less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Processed foods, notably prepackaged or prepared items, significantly contribute to sodium intake in the diet, with staples like processed meats, cheese, and bread being major sources.

A low sodium, low saturated fat diet can reduce the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, in the blood and reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Food Labels to Look For: “Low Sodium,” “Very Low Sodium ” The bulk of our daily intake of sodium, for most of us, comes from packaged foods. And even just a serving of some of them can ...

Be sure to buy low-sodium products, or products that say “no salt added” when buying processed or packaged foods.