Low-sodium foods list: where your salt comes from and easy swaps

If you’ve put the salt shaker away and your sodium is still high, you’re not doing anything wrong. Most sodium is already in the food before it reaches your plate. Here’s where it usually comes from, and the swaps that make the biggest difference with the least effort.

How much sodium should I aim for?

Less than 2,300 mg a day, about 1 teaspoon of table salt.

That’s the limit in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for everyone 14 and older, and it’s the Daily Value on food labels. The FDA says Americans average about 3,400 mg a day, nearly 50% more.

Where does most sodium come from?

Packaged and prepared food. More than 70% of the sodium we eat is already in it.

A CDC study found that 10 kinds of food made up 44% of the sodium Americans eat:

1. Bread and rolls
2. Cold cuts and cured meats
3. Pizza
4. Poultry, fresh and processed
5. Soups
6. Sandwiches, like cheeseburgers
7. Cheese
8. Pasta dishes
9. Meat mixed dishes
10. Savory snacks, like chips, pretzels and popcorn

Bread tops the list not because it’s very salty, but because many of us eat it several times a day. Small amounts add up.

Which everyday foods carry the most sodium?

Sauces, soups, cured meats and many breads lead, often in small portions.

Rounded USDA FoodData Central values. Your label is the final word, and brands vary a lot.

The sodium in everyday foods list has hundreds more, from USDA data.

How do I read sodium on a label?

Check the mg per serving and the %DV, and look at the serving size.

The FDA’s rule of thumb: 5% DV or less per serving is low in sodium, and 20% or more is high. If you usually eat two servings, double it. Words like “low sodium,” “reduced sodium” and “no salt added” can help you compare two cans quickly. The sodium label checker shows a packaged food against 2,300 mg.

What are the easiest low-sodium swaps?

Swap the few foods you eat most often, and keep the flavor with acid, herbs and spice.

Rounded USDA values. More ideas:

• Cook at home a little more. The FDA suggests home cooking with fresh ingredients as one of the main ways to cut sodium.
• Rinse canned foods. The FDA suggests rinsing canned beans and vegetables before you use them.
• Season with acid and herbs. Lemon, lime, vinegar, garlic, onion, chili, black pepper and fresh herbs all add flavor without salt.
• Ask at restaurants. The FDA suggests asking for lower-sodium options, or for sauce on the side.

Isn’t low-sodium food bland?

It doesn’t have to be. Flavor can come from many places besides salt.

Big flavors like toasted spices, citrus, garlic, smoked paprika and fresh herbs do a lot of the work salt used to do. Try cutting the salt in one recipe you cook often, then the next.

How does Imi help?

Imi tracks sodium in every meal against 2,300 mg a day, or 2,000 mg if you choose the steadier pace.

On the blood pressure focus, sodium sits at the top of Home, so the saltiest meals stand out. Ask “What’s adding the most salt to my week?” and Imi points to the meals behind it. Ask it to make a recipe lower in sodium and it brings in acid, herbs, spice and low-sodium versions, rather than just taking the salt out. If you have a monitor that writes to Apple Health, your readings sit next to your meals. Imi never tells you what a reading means.

See what Imi plans for blood pressure, or read DASH-style eating made simple.