If you use "softened water" in your household, please read this.

Sodium Content of Common Foods

The information below is provided to assist patients maintain a low-sodium diet. The following numbers may be useful as a guide.

Dietary Salt (sodium) Intake

"Normal" salt diet ... ... 1100 - 3300 mg/day

"High" salt diet ... ... 4000 - 6000 mg/day

"Low" salt diet ... ... 400 - 1000 mg/day

Physicians may initially suggest a partially reduced salt level, in the range of 1000 - 2000 mg/day, to see if symptoms can be alleviated. Maintaining a sodium intake below 2000 mg/day requires considerable effort. Eating in restaurants causes difficulty as the majority of restaurant food is salted. To maintain a low sodium diet, you need to scrutinize the "Nutritional Information" boxes on food cartons. The amount of salt is listed as "sodium". Choose those products which would give you the least sodium, based on the amount of product you eat. Note that many "high salt" products (ketchup, salad dressing, corn chips) show relatively low sodium values based on very small serving portions (who eats only 12 corn chips at a sitting??). What is important is the total amount of sodium you are eating each day. As shown in the list below, fresh fruits and vegetables have low sodium content, but avoid adding salt to vegetables during preparation. The following advice may help maintain a low salt intake.

Do not use salt at the table

Reduce the salt used in food preparation. Try 1/2 teaspoon when recipes call for 1 teaspoon. Many cakes and desserts can be prepared without adding salt.

Use herbs and spices for flavoring meats and vegetables instead of salt.

Avoid salty foods such as processed meat and fish, pickles, soy sauce, salted nuts, chips and other snack foods.

Check every "Nutritional Information" label before you buy or use a product. Note sodium and portion size information.

A cautionary note: The body posesses exquisite systems which accurately regulate body sodium. The goal of a low sodium diet is to "push" this regulation system toward one end of its range,without pushing it to the limit when body sodium starts falling. Although a low-salt diet if difficult to achieve, be aware that the low-salt diet can be "overdone" with possible adverse consequences. For this reason, if your vestibular symptoms persist, do not keep decreasing your salt intake. The level of sodium intake should be decided in consultation with your physician or nutritionist. Lower levels require more rigorous monitoring by your physician. You should also be aware that your body can lose sodium by a number of routes other than in the urine. Sweating, vomiting and diarrhea can all produce significant sodium loss. In addition, other diseases, such as those which impair kidney function, may result in greater than normal sodium losses. In the event of adverse symptoms, you should contact your physician.

Sodium Content of Common Foods

All values are given in mg of sodium for a 100 g (3.5 oz) food portion. These values are a guide. More accurate values are given in the Nutritional Information on the package of most products, in the form of mg of sodium per serving.

Apple, raw unpeeled 1

Apple juice, bottled 1

Applesauce, sweetened 2

Asparagus, cooked 1 (regular canned 236)

Avocado 4

Bacon, cooked 1021

Bacon, canadian 2500

Baking powder 11,000

Banana 1

Barly, pearled 3

Beans, Lima 1 (regular canned 236)

Beans, snap green, cooked 4 (regular canned 236)

Beans, white common, cooked 7

Beans, canned with pork and tomato sauce 463

Bean sprouts, cooked 4

Beef, roasted broiled or stewed 60

Beef, corned 1,740

Beef hash, canned 540

Beef, dried 4,300

beef hamberger 47

Beef pie or stew, commercial 400

Beets, cooked 43 (regular canned 236)

Beverages, beer 7

Beverages, liquor 1 (avoid margueritas with salt!)

Beverages, wine 5

Beverage, soda 0 to 100 (check can)

Beverage, fruit drink 0

Beverage, water 0

Biscuits 630

Blackberries 1

Bluefish, cooked 104

Bouillon cubes 24,000

Bread 300 to 500

Broccoli, cooked 10

Brussel sprouts, cooked 10

Butter, salted 826 (unsalted - less than 10)

Cabbage 20

Cakes 100 to 300

Candy, caramels, fudge 200

Candy, hard, marshmallow, peanut brittle 30

Cantaloupe 12

Carrots 40 (regular canned 236)

Cashews, unsalted 15

Cauliflower 10

Celery, raw 126 (cooked 88)

Cereals bran, wheat, crude 9

Cereals, commercial 700 to 1100

Cereal, Corn grits 1

Cereal, Cornmeal 1

Cereal, Farina, dry 2 (cooked salted or instant 160)

Cereal, Oatmeal, dry 2 (cooked salted 218)

Cereal, Rice flakes 987

Cereal, wheat flakes 1000

Cereal, wheat, puffed 4

Cereal, wheat, shredded 3

Cheese, cheddar 620

Cheese, processed 1189

Cheese, cottage 406

Cheese, cream 296

Cheese, Mozzarella 373

Cheese, Parmesan 1,862

Cheese, Swiss 260

Cherries, Raw 2

Chicken, cooked, without skin 60 to 80

Chicken pot pie, commercial 411

Chickpeas, dry 8

Chicory 7

Chili con carne, canned with beans 531

Chili powder with seasonings 1574

Chocolate, plain 4

Chocolate syrup 52

Clams, raw soft 36

Clams, hard, round 205

Cocoa, dry 6

Cocoa, processed 717

Coconut, fresh 23

Coffee, instant, dry 72

Coffee, beverage, 1

Collards, cooked 25

Cookies, Fig bars 252

Cookies, oatmeal 170

Cookies , plain 365

Corn, sweet, cooked 0 (regular canned 236)

Cowpeas, dry, cooked 8

Crabmeat, canned 1000

Crackers, Graham 670

Crackers, saltines 1,100

Cranberry juice or sauce 1

Cream 40

Cucumber 6

Dates 1

Doughnuts 500

Duck 74

Eggplant, cooked 1

Egg, whole, raw 74 (whites 152, yolk 49)

Endive, curly 14

Figs 2

Flounder 78

Flour 2

Fruit cocktail 5

Gelatin, dry 0 (sweetened, ready-to eat 51)

Grapefruit, fresh, canned or juice 1

Grapes 3

Haddock, raw 61 (battered 177)

Heart, beef 86

Herring 74

Honey 5

Honeydew melon 12

Ice cream, vanilla 87

Jams and preserves 12

Jellies 17

Kale, cooked 43

Lamb, lean 70

Lard 0

Lasagna 490

Lemon, juice or fresh 1

Lettuce 9

Lime, fresh or juice 1

Liver, beef 184

Liver, pork 111

Lobster 210

Macaroni, dry 2 (commercial with cheese 543)

Margarine 987

Milk 50

Milk, buttermilk 130

MIlk, evaporated 106

Milk, dried 549

Molasses, light 15 (Dark 96)

Muffins, plain 441

Mushrooms 14 (canned 400)

Mustard, prepared yellow 1,252

Mustard greens 18

Nectarine 6

Noodles, dry 5

Nuts, in shell 1 (processed nuts may contain high amounts of salt)

Oil, corn 0

Okra, 2

Olives, green 2,400

Onions, green 5 (mature 10)

Orange peeled, juice, canned or juice 1

Oysters, raw 73

Pancakes 425

Papayas, raw 3

Parsley 45

Parsnips, cooked 8

Peaches 2

Peanuts, roasted 5 (salted 418)

Peanut butter 607

Pears 2

Peas, cooked 2 (regular canned 236)

Peas, dried 40

Pecans, shelled 0

Peppers, green 13

Perch 79

Pickles, dill 1,428

Pickles, relish, sweet 712

Pie 250 to 450

Pie crust, baked 617

Pike, walleye 51

Pineapple, raw or canned 1

Pizza, cheese 702

Plums 2

Popcorn, salted with oil 1,940

Pork 65

Pork, cured ham 930

Pork canned ham 1,100

Potatoes, baked, boiled or french fried 2 to 6

Potatoes, mashed salted 331

Potato chips, up to 1000

Pretzels 1680

Prunes 4

Pumpkin, canned 2

Radishes 18

Raisins, dried 27

Raspberries 1

Rhubarb 2

Rice, dry 5 (cooked salted 374)

Rolls, bread or sweet 400 to 550

Rutabagas 4

Rye wafers 882

Salad dressing 700 to 1300

Salmon 64 (canned 387)

Sardines, canned 400

Sauerkraut 747

Sausage, pork 958

Sausage, Frankfurter 1,100

Sausage, Bologna 1,300

Scallops, 265

Shrimp 150

Soup, canned 350 to 450

Spaghetti, dry 2

Spaghetti with meatballs, canned 488

Spinach, raw 71 (cooked 50)

Squash 1

Strawberries 1

Sugar, white 1 (brown 30)

Sunflower seeds 30

Sweetpotatoes 12

Syrup 68

Tapioca, dry 3

Tomato 3 (canned 130)

Tomato ketchup 1,042

Tomato juice, canned 200

Tongue, beef 61

Tuna in oil 800

Turkey, 82

Turnips 34

Veal 80

Vinegar 1

Waffles 475

Walnuts 3

Watermelon 1

Wheat germ 827

Yeast, compressed 16 (dry , active 52)

Yoghurt 46

Page generated by: Alec N. Salt, Ph.D.,
Cochlear Fluids Research Laboratory,
Washington University, St. Louis