Subtotal $0.00
Shop Now
Low sodium foods are mostly foods in their plain form: fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, dried beans and grains cooked without salt, unsalted nuts, eggs, plain milk and yogurt, and fresh meat, poultry and fish. Sodium climbs when food is processed, smoked, pickled, canned with salt or prepared in a restaurant. According to the FDA, more than 70% of the sodium Americans eat comes from packaged and prepared foods rather than the salt shaker. Below are USDA values for everyday low sodium foods, the foods high in sodium that add up fastest, and what the sodium terms on a package actually mean.
Peptide Labs does not sell food products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice; if a clinician has given you a sodium limit, follow their instructions.
Key Takeaways
- The FDA Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams a day, about one teaspoon of table salt.
- Plain fruit, vegetables, dried beans, grains, unsalted nuts and fresh protein foods are naturally low in sodium.
- Deli meats, canned soup, pickles, processed cheese, pizza and soy sauce are among the biggest sources.
- The same food can range from almost no sodium to hundreds of milligrams depending on how it is packed.
- On a label, 5% Daily Value or less per serving is low and 20% or more is high.
How much sodium is in food: the reference numbers
Sodium is a mineral the body needs, and table salt (sodium chloride) is its most familiar source. The FDA Daily Value on Nutrition Facts labels is less than 2,300 milligrams a day, which the agency equates to about one teaspoon of table salt. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 use the same figure for the general population aged 14 and older, with lower limits for younger children, and note that highly active people may need more to replace sodium lost in sweat.
Actual intake is well above that. The FDA puts the average at about 3,400 milligrams a day, and the previous Dietary Guidelines report found that most sodium comes from salt added during commercial processing and restaurant cooking, with sandwiches the single largest category at about a fifth of intake. That is why reading labels for the sodium in food and choosing plain foods matters more than putting the salt shaker away.
Low sodium foods list with USDA values
The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries (FDC IDs in brackets) for common servings. Percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Value of 2,300 milligrams. Cooked entries are prepared without salt, so seasoning will change the numbers.
| Food (FDC ID) | Serving | Sodium (mg) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange (169097) | 1 fruit | 0 | 0% |
| Apple with skin (171688) | 1 medium | 2 | 0% |
| Banana (173944) | 1 medium | 1 | 0% |
| Green beans, boiled (169141) | 1 cup | 1 | 0% |
| Sweet corn, boiled (169999) | 1 cup | 1 | 0% |
| Broccoli, boiled (169967) | 1/2 cup | 32 | 1% |
| Baked potato with skin (170093) | 1 medium | 17 | 1% |
| Black beans, boiled (173735) | 1 cup | 2 | 0% |
| Brown rice, cooked (169704) | 1 cup | 8 | 0% |
| Oats, dry (173904) | 1/3 cup | 2 | 0% |
| Almonds, raw (170567) | 1 oz | 0 | 0% |
| Peanuts, dry roasted, unsalted (173806) | 1 oz | 2 | 0% |
| Salmon, cooked (175168) | 3 oz | 52 | 2% |
| Chicken breast, roasted (171477) | Half breast | 64 | 3% |
| Egg, hard-boiled (173424) | 1 large | 62 | 3% |
| Swiss cheese (171251) | 1 oz | 53 | 2% |
| Plain low-fat yogurt (170886) | 6 oz | 119 | 5% |
| Milk, 2% (171267) | 1 cup | 115 | 5% |
Several of these foods also appear on our lists of fiber-rich foods, potassium sources and protein foods, so a plate built from them tends to be nutrient-dense as well as low in sodium. Leafy greens are naturally low too: a cooked cup of kale has about 19 milligrams in USDA data. Two exceptions are beet greens and Swiss chard, at roughly 300 to 350 milligrams per cooked cup by the same USDA figures. Greens are also the richest vitamin K foods, which matters for people on warfarin.
Foods high in sodium
These USDA entries carry the most sodium per typical serving. Many are fine to eat; the point is to know where the sodium in a day comes from.
| Food (FDC ID) | Serving | Sodium (mg) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt (173468) | 1 tsp | 2,325 | 101% |
| Dill pickle (168558) | 1 large | 1,092 | 47% |
| Soy sauce (174277) | 1 tbsp | 879 | 38% |
| Chicken noodle soup, canned, prepared (172909) | 1 cup | 831 | 36% |
| Kidney beans, canned (173741) | 1 cup | 758 | 33% |
| Cottage cheese, 2% (172182) | 1 cup | 696 | 30% |
| Cheese pizza, frozen, cooked (170317) | 1/3 of a 15-oz pizza | 675 | 29% |
| Marinara sauce, jarred (171192) | 1/2 cup | 577 | 25% |
| Deli turkey, rotisserie style (174613) | 1.7 oz | 576 | 25% |
| Parmesan, grated (171247) | 1 oz | 511 | 22% |
| American process cheese (170853) | 1 slice | 468 | 20% |
| Ham, sliced (173864) | 2 slices | 456 | 20% |
| Beef hot dog (173862) | 1 frank | 424 | 18% |
| Pretzels, salted (167555) | 1 oz | 352 | 15% |
| Feta (173420) | 1 oz | 323 | 14% |
| Ranch dressing (173592) | 2 tbsp | 270 | 12% |
| Light tuna, canned in water (173709) | 3 oz | 210 | 9% |
| White bread (174924) | 1 slice | 142 | 6% |
Bread is a good example of how sodium adds up quietly. One slice is only about 6% of the Daily Value, but a sandwich with two slices, deli turkey and a slice of American cheese reaches more than half of it before any condiments, using the USDA values above. That fits the FDA finding that deli meat sandwiches, pizza, burritos and tacos, soups and savory snacks are among the top sources.
Same food, different sodium: canned, salted and no salt added
Processing often matters more than the food itself. Each row compares two USDA entries for the same serving size.
| Food and serving | Lower-sodium version | Sodium (mg) | Higher-sodium version | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kidney beans, 1 cup | Boiled without salt (175194) | 4 | Canned (173741) | 758 |
| Canned corn, 1 cup | No salt added (169345) | 31 | Regular, drained (169214) | 336 |
| Dill pickle, 1 large | Reduced sodium (168563) | 24 | Regular (168558) | 1,092 |
| Pretzels, 1 oz | Unsalted (170249) | 71 | Salted (167555) | 352 |
| Peanuts, 1 oz | Unsalted (173806) | 2 | Salted (174262) | 116 |
| Almonds, 1 oz | Raw (170567) | 0 | Roasted, salted (168596) | 66 |
| Cheese, 1 oz | Swiss (171251) | 53 | American process (170853) | 474 |
Brand values vary, so use these as examples and check the Nutrition Facts panel on the product you actually use.
What low sodium means on a package
FDA rules in 21 CFR 101.61 define the sodium claims you see on food labels. The amounts are per reference serving (the standard serving size FDA sets for that type of food):
- Sodium free or salt free: under the FDA rule, less than 5 milligrams per serving.
- Very low sodium: 35 milligrams or less per serving under the FDA definition.
- Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving under the FDA definition.
- Reduced sodium or less sodium: at least 25% less sodium than a comparable regular food. A reduced-sodium soup can still be high in sodium.
- No salt added or unsalted: no salt was added during processing. If the food is not sodium free, the label must say it is not a sodium free food.
The quickest check is the %DV column: the FDA calls 5% Daily Value or less per serving low and 20% or more high. Also compare the serving size on the label with the amount you actually eat.
Low sodium snacks and simple swaps
The Dietary Guidelines suggest cooking at home more often, choosing reduced-sodium or no-salt-added products, and flavoring food with herbs and spices instead of salt. In practice, that can look like this:
- Low sodium snacks: fresh fruit, raw vegetables, plain yogurt, unsalted nuts or unsalted pretzels instead of salted chips and pretzels.
- Canned foods: pick no-salt-added beans, vegetables and tomatoes, or cook dried beans.
- Sandwiches: use home-cooked chicken or eggs in place of salty deli meats, and Swiss instead of processed cheese.
- Sauces and condiments: soy sauce, ranch dressing and jarred pasta sauce add up quickly, so measure them or look for lower-sodium versions.
- Flavor without salt: lemon, vinegar, garlic, onion, pepper, herbs and spice blends without salt.
Specialty salts are not a low sodium swap. Pink Himalayan salt and sea salt are still mostly sodium chloride, as our Himalayan salt guide explains.
A caution about salt substitutes
Many salt substitutes replace sodium chloride with potassium chloride. MedlinePlus lists extra potassium from salt substitutes or supplements among the causes of high blood potassium, along with kidney disease and blood pressure medicines such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs and spironolactone. If any of those apply to you, ask your clinician or pharmacist before using a salt substitute. Our potassium guide has more on who needs to be careful.
Who needs a low sodium diet from a clinician
According to the FDA, diets higher in sodium are associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. People with some conditions, such as high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure, may be given a specific sodium limit, and it may differ from the general guideline; their clinician’s or dietitian’s instructions come first. The opposite situation exists too: athletes and people who sweat heavily may need more sodium, as our electrolytes guide explains. People eating very little on GLP-1 medicines can find more ideas for plain, nutrient-dense foods in our GLP-1 diet guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What foods are naturally low in sodium?
Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, dried beans and grains cooked without salt, unsalted nuts, eggs, plain milk and yogurt, and fresh meat, poultry and fish.
What foods are highest in sodium?
In USDA data, salt, soy sauce, pickles, canned soup, canned beans, processed and grated cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, frozen pizza and jarred sauces are among the highest per serving.
What counts as low sodium on a food label?
Under FDA rules, low sodium means 140 milligrams or less per reference serving. On any label, 5% Daily Value or less per serving is considered low.
Is no salt added the same as sodium free?
No. It means no salt was added during processing; the food can still contain natural sodium.
Are low sodium snacks hard to find?
Not really. Fruit, raw vegetables, plain yogurt and unsalted nuts are all naturally low in sodium.
Is sea salt or pink salt lower in sodium?
Not meaningfully. Both are mostly sodium chloride, so they count the same as table salt.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement or changing your diet, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a chronic condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Foods High in Potassium: USDA Table, Daily Value and Who Should Be Careful, Himalayan Salt vs Sea Salt vs Table Salt: What Really Differs, Mediterranean Diet: What It Is, Food List and What the Research Shows.