Sodium Content of Your Food

The sodium in your body, which comes mainly from salt, plays a vital role in regulating fluids and blood pressure. Studies show that for some people, a high sodium intake is associated with higher blood pressure.

There is no way to tell who might develop high blood pressure from eating too much salt. However, consuming less salt or sodium is not harmful and can be healthy for you.

High salt intake increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. When your body loses calcium, your risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures is higher. By eating less salt, you can help reduce the loss of calcium from your bones.

Is Lowering Salt Intake Safe?

Salt Is Sodium

Only small amounts of salt occur naturally in foods. Most of the salt you eat comes from foods that have salt added during food processing or during preparation in a restaurant or at home. Some recipes include table salt or a salty broth or sauce, and some cooking styles call for adding a very salty seasoning such as soy sauce. Not all foods with added salt taste salty. Some people add salt or a salty seasoning to their food at the table. Your preference for salt may decrease if you gradually add smaller amounts of salt or salty seasonings to your food over a period of time.

Aim for a moderate sodium intake. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming less than 2,300 mg (approximately 1 teaspoon of salt) of sodium per day for healthy individuals. Other populations who are at risk for hypertension and who have hypertension should aim to consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. If you have any question about what your sodium intake should be, consult with your doctor or health care provider.

The amount of sodium in a serving of food is listed in milligrams (mg) and as a percent of the Daily Value on the nutrition label. The Percent Daily Value (% Daily Value) for sodium gives a general idea of how much sodium a serving adds to your total daily diet. The % Daily Value for sodium on the nutrition label shown here is based on a daily maximum of 2,400 milligrams.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

Sodium Content of Foods
Food	Weight (grams)	Portion	Sodium (milligrams)
Beverages
Alcoholic beverage, beer, light	354	12 fl oz	11
Alcoholic beverage, beer, regular	355	12 fl oz	18
Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, red	103	3.5 fl oz	5
Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, white	103	3.5 fl oz	5
Apple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid	248	1 cup	7
Carbonated beverage, club soda	355	12 fl oz	75
Carbonated beverage, cola, contains caffeine	370	12 fl oz	15
Carbonated beverage, ginger ale	366	12 fl oz	26
Carbonated beverage, low calorie, cola, with aspartame, contains caffeine	355	12 fl oz	21
Carbonated beverage, orange	372	12 fl oz	45
Chocolate-flavor beverage mix, powder, prepared with milk	266	1 cup	165
Coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared	60	2 fl oz	8
Coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water	178	6 fl oz	4
Grape juice, frozen concentrate, sweetened, with added vitamin C, diluted with 3 volumes water	250	1 cup	5
Grapefruit juice, canned, sweetened	250	1 cup	5
Grapefruit juice, pink, raw	247	1 cup	2
Milk shake, thick vanilla	313	11 fl oz	297
Milk, chocolate, fluid, commercial, low-fat	250	1 cup	153
Milk, low-fat, fluid, 1% milk fat, with added vitamin A	244	1 cup	124
Milk, non-fat, fluid, with added vitamin A (fat-free or skim)	245	1 cup	127
Orange juice, frozen concentrate, unsweetened, diluted with 3 volumes water	249	1 cup	2
Orange juice, raw	248	1 cup	2
Prune juice, canned	256	1 cup	10
Soy milk, fluid	245	1 cup	29
Tea, brewed, prepared with tap water	178	6 fl oz	5
Tea, herb, chamomile, brewed	178	6 fl oz	2
Tea, instant, sweetened with sodium saccharin, lemon-flavored, prepared	237	8 fl oz	24
Tea, instant, sweetened with sugar, lemon-flavored, without added ascorbic acid, powder, prepared	259	8 fl oz	8
Tomato juice, canned, with salt added	243	1 cup	877
Vegetable juice cocktail, canned	242	1 cup	653
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Dairy products and eggs
Butter, with salt	14.2	1 tbsp	117
Butter, without salt	14.2	1 tbsp	2
Cheese sauce, prepared from recipe	243	1 cup	1,198
Cheese, cheddar	28.35	1 oz	176
Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd	210	1 cup	851
Cheese, cottage, low-fat, 1% milk fat	226	1 cup	918
Cheese, cream	14.5	1 tbsp	43
Cheese, feta	28.35	1 oz	316
Cheese, low-fat, cheddar or Colby	28.35	1 oz	174
Cheese, mozzarella, part skim milk, low moisture	28.35	1 oz	150
Cheese, parmesan, grated	5	1 tbsp	93
Cheese, pasteurized process, American, with disodium phosphate	28.35	1 oz	405
Cheese, provolone	28.35	1 oz	248
Cheese, ricotta, part skim milk	246	1 cup	308
Cheese, Swiss	28.35	1 oz	74
Cream, fluid, half and half	15	1 tbsp	6
Cream, sour, cultured	12	1 tbsp	6
Cream, whipped, cream topping, pressurized	3	1 tbsp	4
Egg substitute, liquid	62.75	1/4 cup	111
Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled	50	1 large	62
Egg, whole, raw, fresh	44	1 medium	55
Egg, whole, raw, fresh	50	1 large	63
Frozen desserts, ice cream, vanilla	66	1/2 cup	53
Frozen desserts, sherbet, orange	74	1/2 cup	34
Frozen desserts, yogurt, vanilla, soft-serve	72	1/2 cup	63
Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened	306	1 cup	389
Milk, canned, evaporated, non-fat	256	1 cup	294
Milk, chocolate, fluid, commercial, low-fat	250	1 cup	153
Milk, low-fat, fluid, 1% milk fat, with added vitamin A	244	1 cup	124
Milk, non-fat, fluid, with added vitamin A (fat-free or skim)	245	1 cup	127
Yogurt, fruit, low-fat, 10 grams protein per 8 ounces	227	8-oz container	132
Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 12 grams protein per 8 ounces	227	8-oz container	159
Yogurt, plain, skim milk, 13 grams protein per 8 ounces	227	8-oz container	175
Yogurt, plain, whole milk, 8 grams protein per 8 ounces	227	8-oz container	104
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Fats and oils
Margarine, regular, unspecified oils, with salt added	14.1	1 tbsp	133
Margarine, soft, unspecified oils, with salt added	4.7	1 tsp	51
Margarine-like spread, (approximately 40% fat), unspecified oils	4.8	1 tsp	46
Margarine-like spread, approximately 60% fat, stick, soybean (hydrogenated) and palm (hydrogenated)	14.4	1 tbsp	143
Oil, olive, salad or cooking	13.5	1 tbsp	0
Oil, vegetable, canola	14	1 tbsp	0
Oil, corn, salad or cooking	13.6	1 tbsp	0
Oil, soybean, salad or cooking, (hydrogenated)	13.6	1 tbsp	0
Oil, vegetable, sunflower, linoleic, (60% and over)	13.6	1 tbsp	0
Salad dressing, blue or Roquefort cheese, commercial, regular, with salt	15.3	1 tbsp	167
Salad dressing, French, commercial, regular, with salt	15.6	1 tbsp	214
Salad dressing, home recipe, vinegar and oil	15.6	1 tbsp	0
Salad dressing, Italian, commercial, diet, 2 calories per teaspoon, with salt	15	1 tbsp	118
Salad dressing, mayonnaise, soybean oil, with salt	13.8	1 tbsp	78
Salad dressing, Thousand Island, commercial, regular, with salt	15.6	1 tbsp	109
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Fish and shellfish
Crustaceans, crab, Alaska king, imitation, made from surimi	85	3 oz	715
Crustaceans, lobster, northern, cooked, moist heat	85	3 oz	323
Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, canned	85.05	3 oz	144
Finfish, cod, Atlantic, canned, solids and liquid	85	3 oz	185
Finfish, haddock, cooked, dry heat	85	3 oz	74
Finfish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, dry heat	85	3 oz	59
Finfish, pollock, walleye, cooked, dry heat	85	3 oz	99
Finfish, salmon, pink, canned, solids with bone and liquid	85	3 oz	471
Finfish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat	85	3 oz	56
Finfish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone	85.05	3 oz	430
Finfish, tuna salad	205	1 cup	824
Finfish, tuna, white, canned in water, drained solids	85	3 oz	320
Mollusks, clam, mixed species, raw	85	3 oz	48
Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, raw	84	6 medium	177
Mollusks, scallop, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried	93	6 large	432
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Fruits and fruit juices
Apples, raw, with skin	138	1 apple	0
Applesauce, canned, sweetened, without salt	255	1 cup	8
Avocados, raw, California	28.35	1 oz	3
Bananas, raw	118	1 banana	1
Blueberries, frozen, sweetened	230	1 cup	2
Blueberries, raw	145	1 cup	9
Cherries, sweet, raw canned, heavy syrup, solids and liquids	68	10 cherries	0
Frozen desserts, fruit and juice bars	77	1 bar (2.5 fl oz)	3
Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, all areas	123	1/2 grapefruit	0
Grapefruit, raw, white, all areas	118	1/2 grapefruit	0
Grapefruit, sections, canned, light syrup pack, solids and liquids	254	1 cup	5
Grapes, red or green (European type varieties, such as, Thompson seedless), raw	50	10 grapes	3
Kiwi fruit, (Chinese gooseberries), fresh, raw	76	1 medium	4
Lemon juice, canned or bottled	15.2	1 tbsp	3
Lemon juice, raw	47	juice of 1 lemon	0
Melons, cantaloupe, raw	69	1/8 melon	6
Melons, honeydew, raw	170	1 cup	17
Nectarines, raw	136	1 nectarine	0
Olives, ripe, canned (small-extra large)	22	5 large	192
Oranges, raw, all commercial varieties	131	1 orange	0
Papayas, raw	140	1 cup	4
Peaches, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids	248	1 cup	10
Peaches, raw	98	1 peach	0
Pears, raw	166	1 pear	0
Pineapple, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids	249	1 cup	2
Pineapple, raw	155	1 cup	2
Plantains, raw	179	1 medium	7
Plums, raw	66	1 plum	0
Prunes, dried, uncooked	42	5 prunes	2
Pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	245	1 cup	2
Raisins, seedless	145	1 cup	17
Raspberries, frozen, red, sweetened	250	1 cup	3
Raspberries, raw	123	1 cup	0
Snacks, fruit leather, pieces	28.35	1 oz	114
Strawberries, frozen, sweetened, sliced	255	1 cup	8
Strawberries, raw	166	1 cup	2
Watermelon, raw	152	1 cup	3
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Grain products
Bagels, plain, enriched, with calcium propionate (includes onion, poppy, sesame)	71	3-1/2” bagel	379
Biscuits, plain or buttermilk, prepared from recipe	60	2-1/2” biscuit	348
Biscuits, plain or buttermilk, refrigerated dough, higher fat, baked	27	2-1/2” biscuit	325
Bread stuffing, bread, dry mix, prepared	100	1/2 cup	543
Bread, mixed-grain (includes whole-grain, 7-grain)	26	1 slice	127
Bread, oatmeal	27	1 slice	162
Bread, rye	32	1 slice	211
Bread, rye, toasted	24	1 slice	174
Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared	28	1 slice	148
Cereals ready-to-eat, GENERAL MILLS, CHEERIOS	30	1 cup	284
Cereals ready-to-eat, GENERAL MILLS, GOLDEN GRAHAMS	30	3/4 cup	275
Cereals ready-to-eat, GENERAL MILLS, TOTAL	30	3/4 cup	199
Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG’S CORN FLAKES	28	1 cup	298
Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG’S CORN POPS	31	1 cup	123
Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG’S SPECIAL K	31	1 cup	250
Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG’S FROSTED MINI-WHEATS, bite size	55	1 cup	2
Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, THE ORIGINAL SHREDDED WHEAT	46	2 biscuits	3
Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER OAT CINNAMON LIFE	50	1 cup	220
Cereals ready-to-eat, wheat germ, toasted, plain	7.1	1 tbsp	0
Cereals ready-to-eat, wheat, puffed, fortified	12	1 cup	0
Crackers, cheese, regular	10	10 crackers	100
Crackers, melba toast, plain	20	4 pieces	166
Crackers, saltines (includes oyster, soda, soup)	12	4 crackers	156
Crackers, wheat, regular	8	4 crackers	64
Crackers, whole-wheat	16	4 crackers	105
Croissants, butter	57	1 croissant	424
Croutons, seasoned	40	1 cup	495
English muffins, plain, toasted, enriched, with calcium propionate (includes sourdough)	52	1 muffin	262
Macaroni and cheese, canned entree	252	1 cup	1,058
Macaroni, cooked, enriched	140	1 cup	1
Muffins, blueberry, prepared from recipe, made with low-fat (2%) milk	57	1 muffin	251
Muffins, oat bran	57	1 muffin	224
Muffins, wheat bran, toaster-type with raisins, toasted	34	1 muffin	179
Noodles, Chinese, chow mien	45	1 cup	198
Noodles, egg, cooked, enriched	160	1 cup	11
Noodles, egg, spinach, cooked, enriched	160	1 cup	19
Pancakes, plain, dry mix, incomplete, prepared	38	1 pancake	192
Pasta with meatballs in tomato sauce, canned entree	252	1 cup	1,053
Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked	195	1 cup	10
Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, enriched	185	1 cup	9
Rolls, dinner, plain, commercially prepared (includes brown-and-serve)	28	1 roll	146
Rolls, hamburger or hot dog, plain

Calories	2,000	2,500
Total Fat	Less than 65g	80g
Saturated Fat	Less than 20g	25g
Cholesterol	Less than 300mg	300mg
Sodium	Less than 2,400mg	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate	300g	375g
Dietary Fiber	25g	30g