Top 10 Foods Highest in Sodium

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Top 10 Foods Highest in Sodium

Sodium is an essential mineral required for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body, regulating blood pressure, and for the transmission of nerve impulses.

Deficiency of sodium is rare but can occur in people after excessive vomiting or diarrhea, in athletes who consume excessive amounts of water, or in people who regularly fast on juice and water.

Over-consumption of sodium is far more common and can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The current daily value (DV) for sodium is 2300mg, however, the American Heart Association recommends that people with high blood pressure eat less than 1500mg per day or less than 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt.

Since sodium is required by all life to exist, it is naturally found in all foods and does not need to be added. Foods high in sodium include table salt, sauces, salad dressings, cured meats, bacon, pickles, bullion, instant soup, roasted salted nuts, snacks, fast foods, and canned foods.

Below is a list of high sodium foods. For more, see the extended lists of high sodium foods by nutrient density, list of high sodium foods to boost sodium levels, and the list of high sodium foods to avoid.

List of High Sodium Foods

Salt Shaker1 Table Salt
Sodium
per Tsp
Sodium
per 100g
2325mg
(101% DV)
38758mg
(1685% DV)
  • 52% DV in a tsp of baking soda
  • 15% DV in a tsp of baking powder
Slices of Cured Meats2 Cured Ham
Sodium
per Cup
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
2100mg
(91% DV)
1500mg
(65% DV)
1685mg
(73% DV)

More High Sodium Cured Meats

  • 80% DV in 3oz of salami
  • 56% DV in 3oz of pepperoni
  • 40% DV in 3oz of baloney
  • 36% DV in a 3oz chicken hotdog

See the list of high sodium meats.

Biscuits with sausage and eggs3 Ham and Egg Biscuit
Sodium
per Item
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
1989mg
(86% DV)
1093mg
(48% DV)
938mg
(41% DV)

More Fast Foods High in Sodium

  • 81% DV in a Taco Bell taco salad
  • 71% DV in a cheese burger
  • 67% DV in an average slice of pizza

See the list of fast foods high in sodium.

Pickle slices4 Pickled Cucumber
Sodium
per Cup
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
1872mg
(81% DV)
1208mg
(53% DV)
21964mg
(955% DV)

More High Sodium Pickled Foods

  • 95% DV in 1 cup of pickled eggplant
  • 95% DV in 1 cup of jalapeno peppers
  • 39% DV in 1 cup of sauerkraut
Sunflower Seeds5 Sunflower Seeds (Dry Roasted)
Sodium
per Oz
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
1706mg
(74% DV)
6008mg
(261% DV)
2201mg
(96% DV)

More Snacks High in Sodium

  • 65% DV in 3.5oz of pretzels
  • 25% DV in 1oz of beef jerky
  • 15% DV in a Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Fruit Cereal Bar

See the list of high sodium snacks.

Clams6 Clams
Sodium
per 3oz Serving
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
1022mg
(44% DV)
1202mg
(52% DV)
1624mg
(71% DV)

More Seafood High in Sodium

  • 60% DV in a King crab leg
  • 35% DV in 3oz of cooked shrimp
  • 31% DV in a can of anchovies

See the list of seafood high in sodium.

Navy Beans7 Canned Beans (With Added Salt)
Sodium
per Cup
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
880mg
(38% DV)
336mg
(15% DV)
595mg
(26% DV)

More Canned Foods High in Sodium

  • 46% DV in 1 cup of canned shrimp
  • 45% DV in 1 cup of canned chili with beans
  • 36% DV in 1 cup of baked beans
  • 32% DV in 1 cup of canned kidney beans
  • 31% DV in 5 canned anchovies
French Bread8 French Bread
Sodium
per Slice
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
837mg
(36% DV)
602mg
(26% DV)
443mg
(19% DV)

More High Sodium Baked Foods

  • 20% DV in a slice of chocolate cake
  • 17% DV in a bagel
  • 15% DV in a slice of blueberry pie

See the list of baked foods high in sodium.

Bottles of Sauce9 Teriyaki Sauce
Sodium
per Tblsp
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
640mg
(28% DV)
1778mg
(77% DV)
3996mg
(174% DV)

More High Sodium Sauces

  • 59% DV in a tblsp fish sauce
  • 37% DV in tblsp of soy sauce
  • 7% DV in a tblsp of BBQ sauce
Block of Parmesan10 Grated Parmesan
Sodium
per Oz
Sodium
per 100g
Sodium
per 200 Calories
512mg
(22% DV)
1804mg
(78% DV)
859mg
(37% DV)

More High Sodium Cheeses

  • 21% DV per oz of Roquefort
  • 20% DV per oz of American cheese
  • 11% DV per oz of feta cheese

See the list of cheese and dairy high in sodium.

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Printable list of high sodium foods.

Foods High in Sodium by Nutrient Density (100 Gram Serving Size)

This ranking lets you know which foods have the most Sodium per gram of food.

FoodServingSodium
1 Table Salt 100 grams 1685% DV
(38758mg)
2 Sunflower Seeds (Dry Roasted) 100 grams 261% DV
(6008mg)
3 Soy Sauce 100 grams 239% DV
(5493mg)
4 Canned Anchovies 100 grams 159% DV
(3668mg)
5 Yeast Extract Spread (Marmite) 100 grams 147% DV
(3380mg)
6 Chili Powder 100 grams 125% DV
(2867mg)
7 Hot Sauce 100 grams 115% DV
(2643mg)
8 Salami 100 grams 98% DV
(2260mg)
9 Grated Parmesan 100 grams 78% DV
(1804mg)
10 Bacon 100 grams 73% DV
(1684mg)
See the complete list of Sodium foods ranked by a 100 gram serving size.
FoodServingSodium
1 Clamsper 3oz serving99% DV
(2284mg)
2 Picklesper cup81% DV
(1872mg)
3 Sunflower Seeds (Dry Roasted)per oz74% DV
(1706mg)
4 Black Bean Soupper cup52% DV
(1203mg)
5 Manhattan Clam Chowderper cup44% DV
(1001mg)
6 Cream of Asparagus Soupper cup43% DV
(981mg)
7 Sauerkrautper cup41% DV
(939mg)
8 Miso Pasteper tblsp28% DV
(634mg)
9 Grated Parmesanper oz22% DV
(512mg)
10 Tomato Juiceper cup21% DV
(481mg)
11 Smoked Whitefishper oz13% DV
(289mg)
12 Yeast Extract Spreadper tsp9% DV
(203mg)
13 Capersper tblsp9% DV
(202mg)

High Sodium Foods to Avoid

FoodServingSodium
1 Cured Hamper cup91% DV
(2100mg)
2 Ham and Egg Biscuitper item86% DV
(1989mg)
3 Chicken Sandwichper item61% DV
(1408mg)
4 Canned Gravyper cup59% DV
(1357mg)
5 Cured Meats (Pepperoni)per 3oz58% DV
(1345mg)
6 Processed Chicken Breastper 4 slices33% DV
(748mg)
7 Sausage Pizzaper slice32% DV
(734mg)
8 Teriyaki Sauceper tblsp28% DV
(640mg)
9 Caesar Salad Dressingper 2 tblsp19% DV
(430mg)
10 Large Soft Pretzelper item13% DV
(290mg)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that's found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It's more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Instutites of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.


View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
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