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Sodium Content
of Your Food
|
Do you
have high blood pressure? Or are you |
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.
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.
![]() |
How Is Sodium Listed on the Label?
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:
| 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 |
The following spices and flavorings are low in sodium and can enhance the taste of foods:
|
Ways to Decrease Your Salt Intake
At the Store:
Cooking and Eating at Home:
Eating Out:
Any Time:
Sodium Facts
|
Steps to Keep Your Blood Pressure in a Healthy Range
| 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 |
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 |
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, |
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 |
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, |
237 |
8 fl oz |
24 |
|
Tea, instant, sweetened with sugar, lemon-flavored, without added |
259 |
8 fl oz |
8 |
|
Tomato juice, canned, with salt added |
243 |
1 cup |
877 |
|
Vegetable juice cocktail, canned |
242 |
1 cup |
653 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
|
Grain products |
|||
|
Bagels, plain, enriched, with calcium propionate (includes onion, |
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 |
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 |
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 |
28 |
1 roll |
146 |
|
Rolls, hamburger or hot dog, plain |
|||