When I'm eating clean, a typical lunch for me is some leftover roast chicken breast stuffed into half an Ezekiel pita pocket... with maybe some lettuce or spinach stuffed in, too.

The problem: I like something crunchy and salty to accompany a sandwich. While potato chips are my side of choice, they aren't exactly the healthiest/lowest-calorie snack.

I've tried things like red pepper strips or cucumber slices or baby carrots, but they just don't satisfy me, and I find myself rummaging in the fridge for something else to eat after my meal.

A dill pickle actually fulfills my craving for crunch and salt, and they're really low calorie, but I'm not sure if all that sodium is worth it. Obviously I wouldn't opt for them right before an event when I want to avoid major bloat, but what about as an everyday snack? Any thoughts?

I think they're ok for every day consumption. Potato chips have quite a lot of sodium content too, but I'd say overall a pickle is healthier and more nutritious so why not.

I love pickels and eat them almost every day, just drink lots of water to flush the sodium out. The sodium was only a bloat problem when I was pregnant, now I could eat a whole jar (not the I would) and not get swollen ankles.

There is no such thing as good or bad.

There is only balance.

If having a couple of pickles a day doesn't cause your whole diet to change and go wonky, then have at it.

Yeah, probably should have titled the thread: "Sodium: How Bad Is It For Bloat?" because that's what I really meant.

Pickles are one of my fave things to have when i want something crunchy/salty. i think a few pickles are fine

Japanese food traditionally contains a small amount of pickles at every meal, and look how healthy the Japanese diet is. Speaking of Japanese food, those crunchy raw veg with a dab of miso paste on them are good too.