Food Sources of Sodium
Food Sources of Sodium
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We need small amounts of sodium, but eating too much can increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Most adults only need 1500 mg of sodium per day. Many Canadians eat much more than this. To decrease the risk of chronic disease, limit your intake to below 2300 mg per day.
Knowing how much sodium there is in food can help you make more healthy food choices. The table below lists foods and their sodium content. The sodium content of foods can also be found on food labels. Use this information to make lower sodium choices.
| Food | Serving Size | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables and fruit | ||
| Tomato sauce, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 614 |
| Sauerkraut, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 496 |
| Pizza sauce, ready to serve, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 463 |
| Pickles (sour) | 1 small | 447 |
| Pepper, jalapeno, canned | 1 pepper | 368 |
| Tomato juice, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 325 |
| Pickles (dill) | 1 small | 299 |
| Olives, canned | 4 olives | 248 |
| Tomatoes, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 236 |
| Potatoes, instant, mashed | 125mL (½ cup) | 191 |
| Vegetables, mixed, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 184 |
| Tomato and vegetable juice, low sodium | 125mL (½ cup) | 89 |
| Tomatoes, sundried | 125mL (½ cup) | 70 |
| Tomato paste, no salt added | 60mL (2 Tbsp) | 41 |
| Vegetables, any variety, no sodium added, canned | 125mL (½ cup) | 25 |
| Tomato juice, no salt added | 125mL (½ cup) | 13 |
| Pepper, jalapeno, raw | 1 medium | 0 |
| Fresh and most frozen vegetables contain very little sodium. All fruit including fresh, frozen, dried and canned is low in sodium. | ||
| Grains | ||
| Bread stuffing, dry mix, prepared | 125mL (½ cup) | 506 |
| Macaroni and cheese, box mix, prepared | 125ml (½ cup) | 459 |
| Hot cereal, instant | 175mL (¾ cup) | 370-225 |
| Rice mix, seasoned, prepared | 125mL (½ cup) | 365 |
| Bagel | ½ bagel | 288 |
| Crackers, saltine | 10 saltines | 282 |
| Pancake mix | 1 small pancake | 239 |
| Bread roll | 1 roll | 224 |
| Muffin, commercial | 1 small | 222 |
| Bread, whole wheat, commercial | 1 slice | 213 |
| Breadcrumbs, plain, commercial | 60mL (2 Tbsp) | 200 |
| Pancakes, frozen | 1 pancake | 189 |
| Breadstick, plain | 1 stick | 71 |
| Grains cooked without salt such as rice, barley, quinoa, oats, wheat and whole grain pasta are low in sodium. | ||
| Meat, fish, poultry and eggs | ||
| Mackerel, salted | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 3337 |
| Anchovies, canned | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 2751 |
| Bacon, turkey, cooked | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 1516 |
| Salami | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 1418 |
| Bacon, pork, cooked | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 1263 |
| Pepperoni | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 939 |
| Bacon, pork, reduced sodium, cooked | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 773 |
| Sausage, Italian, cooked | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 614 |
| Chicken, rotisserie with seasoning | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 235-544 |
| Sausage, chorizo, cooked | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 540 |
| Chicken nugget, cooked | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 420 |
| Crab, imitation (surimi) | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 397 |
| Fish sticks, cooked | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 302 |
| Salmon, canned, salted | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 293-306 |
| Egg substitute | 125mL (½ cup) | 264 |
| Sardines, canned | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 173 |
| Egg, whole, cooked | 2 large eggs | 125 |
| Mackerel, baked or broiled | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 62 |
| Salmon, canned, unsalted | 75g (2 ½ oz) | 56 |
| Fresh and unprocessed frozen meat, poultry and fish contain little sodium. | ||
| Legumes, nuts and seeds | ||
| Beans, baked, plain, canned | 175mL (¾ cup) | 644 |
| Tofu, smoked | 175mL (¾ cup) | 423mg |
| Pumpkin seeds, salted | 60mL (¼ cup) | 412 |
| Veggie burgers | 1 patty (70g) | 398 |
| Chickpeas, canned, drained, rinsed | 175mL (¾ cup) | 225 |
| Cashews, salted | 60mL (¼ cup) | 222 |
| Almonds, salted | 60mL (¼ cup) | 174 |
| Peanut butter | 30mL (2 Tbsp) | 139 |
| Soy beverage, fortified | 250mL (1 cup) | 96 |
| Edamame, raw | 125mL (½ cup) | 20 |
| Tempeh | 175mL (¾ cup) | 14 |
| Tofu, regular | 175mL (¾ cup) | 10 |
| Chickpeas, no salt added , canned | 175mL (¾ cup) | 7 |
| Cashews, unsalted | 60mL (¼ cup) | 6 |
| Almonds, unsalted | 60mL (¼ cup) | 1 |
| Dried beans and lentils, as well as unsalted nuts and seeds and 100% natural nut and seed butter contain little sodium. | ||
| Milk, yogurt and cheese | ||
| Processed cheese slices (cheddar) | 50g (1 ½ oz) | 907 |
| Feta cheese | 50g (1 ½ oz) | 458 |
| Gouda cheese | 50g (1 ½ oz) | 410 |
| Cottage cheese, regular | 125mL (½ cup) | 368 |
| Mozzarella cheese | 50g (1 ½ oz) | 355 |
| Cheddar cheese | 50g (1 ½ oz) | 322 |
| Buttermilk | 250mL (1 cup) | 272 |
| Chocolate milk, 2% | 250mL (1 cup) | 174 |
| Milk, 2% | 250mL (1 cup) | 121 |
| Yogurt, fruit flavoured | 175mL (¾ cup) | 67 |
| Swiss (Emmental) cheese | 50g (1 ½ oz) | 35 |
| Cottage cheese, dry curd | 125mL (½ cup) | 20 |
| Soups | ||
| Broth, chicken | 250mL (1 cup) | 869 |
| Broth, beef | 250mL (1 cup) | 812 |
| Chicken noodle soup, canned | 250mL (1 cup) | 740 |
| Chicken noodle soup, reduced sodium | 250mL (1 cup) | 529 |
| Broth, beef, reduced sodium | 250mL (1 cup) | 516 |
| Broth, beef, no salt added | 250mL (1 cup) | 38 |
| Oils and fats | ||
| Salad dressing, Caesar | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 180 |
| Dip, cream cheese based | 30mL (2 Tbsp) | 182 |
| Butter, regular | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 93 |
| Salad dressing, low sodium | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 16 |
| Butter, unsalted | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 2 |
| Vegetable oil | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 0 |
| Vinaigrette no salt added, homemade | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 0 |
| Other foods | ||
| Salt, table | 5mL (1 tsp) | 2373 |
| Soy sauce | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 1244 |
| Salt substitute, with potassium, reduced sodium* | 5mL (1 tsp) | 1040 |
| Teriyaki sauce | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 700 |
| Taco seasoning | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 625 |
| Oyster sauce | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 499 |
| Salsa | 60mL (¼ cup) | 463 |
| Soy sauce, reduced sodium | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 425 |
| Hot sauce | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 381 |
| Pretzel, soft | 1 small pretzel | 338 |
| Gravy, canned | 60mL (¼ cup) | 331 |
| Teriyaki sauce, reduced sodium | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 325 |
| Cake mix, prepared as directed | 1/12 cake slice | 315 |
| Chocolate pudding, instant mix, prepared | 125mL (½ cup) | 275 |
| Capers, canned | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 205 |
| Mustard, yellow | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 174 |
| Worcestershire sauce | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 171 |
| Relish | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 166 |
| Barbecue sauce | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 163 |
| Ketchup | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 138 |
| Chips, plain (potato, tortilla) | 250mL (1 cup) | 110 |
| Horseradish | 15mL (1 Tbsp) | 64 |
| Popcorn, microwave | 250mL (1 cup) | 64 |
| Popcorn, air-popped, plain | 250mL (1 cup) | 1 |
| Salt substitute, herb blend, no sodium | 5 mL (1 tsp) | 0 |
Source: Canadian Nutrient File. Accessed July 2019.
*Note: Consult with your health care provider before using a salt substitute with potassium.
Additional Resources
For information and advice based on your specific food and nutrition needs and preferences, call 8-1-1 and ask to speak to a HealthLink BC dietitian.
For additional information, see the following resources:
- HealthLink BC www.healthlinkbc.ca – Get medically approved non-emergency health information.
- Dietitian Services Fact Sheets - Available by mail (call 8-1-1) or visit www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthy-eating
Last Updated: October 2019