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Sodium is one of the most over-consumed nutrients in the modern Western diet. It is also one of the major contributors to high blood pressure. Avoiding “salty” food helps with limiting sodium intake. However, sodium comes in forms that don’t necessarily taste “salty” and therefore may sneak in with foods you wouldn't expect.
There are three major forms of sodium in the diet: sodium chloride, sodium benzoate and sodium bicarbonate. Sodium chloride is the common table salt, and has the characteristic salty taste. When looking to limit salt in the diet, this one is easier to spot. Sodium benzoate is a food preservative while sodium bicarbonate is baking soda, which is commonly used in bakeries. These two forms are in many foods, but don’t have the salty taste; they are often overlooked dietary sources of sodium.
Below is a list of common foods and their sodium content. Familiarizing yourself with the amount of sodium in these foods can help you stay on track with sodium recommendations. The best way to find out where sodium may be hiding in your diet is to use GB's Diet and Nutrition Evaluator.
baked products
918 mg
pancakes
3 cakes, 4" diameter (114 g)
580 mg
biscuit
1 each (61 g)
653 mg
angel food cake
1 slice (85.05 g)
snacks
567 mg
pretzels
1 small bag (28.35 g)
700 mg
microwave popcorn
½ bag (47.15 g)
vegetable juice
1053 mg
V8 spicy vegetable juice
1 can, 11.5 fl oz. (347.88 g)
soups and stews
1051 mg
miso soup
1 cup (239.99 g)
929 mg
minestrone soup
1 cup (241 g)
900 mg
New England clam chowder (canned)
1 cup (254 g)
739 mg
instant noodle soup
1 cup (239.99 g)
1219 mg
chili with beans and meat (canned)
1 cup (247 g)
salads and salad dressing
804 mg
Caesar salad with shrimp
1 serving (140 g)
581 mg
Marzetti Italian salad dressing
2 tbsp (31 g)
421 mg
Kraft ranch dressing
2 tbsp (30 g)
sauces
899 mg
soy sauce
1 tbsp (15.94 g)
880 mg
cheese sauce
4 tbsp (66 g)?
1642 mg
spaghetti sauce
1 cup (257 g)
760 mg
co*cktail sauce
4 tbsp (68.25 g)
processed meat
1275 mg
cured ham
1 serving (85 g)
1206 mg
salami, regular
6 medium slices (60 g)
825 mg
salami, reduced sodium
6 medium slices (60 g)
540 mg
bacon
2 thick 6" slices (24 g)
821 mg
Italian sausage
1 medium link (68 g)
1397 mg
hot dog with chili and cheese
1 regular (78 g)
cheese
356 mg
American cheese
1 oz (28.35 g)
pizza
1123 mg
pizza with one meat topping
1 slice (141.75 g)
pasta dishes
2908 mg
cheese tortellini with tomato sauce
1 cup (250 g)
909 mg
macaroni and cheese
1 cup (216.99 g)
rice dishes
1338 mg
fried rice (arroz frito), with ham, shrimp and pork
1 cup (173 g)
fried egg dishes
778 mg
scrambled eggs
2 regular eggs (112.2 g)
Asian dishes
1721 mg
beef teriyaki
1 serving (140 mg)?
918 mg
kung pao chicken
1 cup (162 g)
1332 mg
sweet and sour pork
1 cup (226 g)
Hispanic dishes
1376 mg
cheese quesadilla
1 each, 7" diameter (142 g)
709 mg
nachos with cheese
1 serving (140 g)
670 mg
cheese enchiladas
1 serving (141.75 g)
1068 mg
refried beans (canned)
1 cup (238 g)
fast food
2144 mg
McDonald's Big Breakfast
1 order (420 g)
1420 mg
Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad, with beef
1 order (463 g)
1821 mg
Subway Spicy Italian sandwich
1 each, 6" sub (292 g)
1310 mg
Panda Express BBQ pork
1 order (130.41 g)
1962 mg
Taco John's grilled chicken burrito
1 each (247 g)
2020 mg
Wendy's Baconator, double
1 each (304 g)
1359 mg
Arby's french fries
1 medium order (170 g)
frozen dinners
990 mg
Hormel Compleats chicken alfredo
1 serving (283.5 g)
860 mg
Michelina's Lean Gourmet - Meatloaf
1 serving (227 g)
