Salt Content in Food Groups
Rough Amount of Salt Content in Food Groups
| Food | Serving size | Sodium content (milligrams) |
| Grain products | | |
| Pasta | ½ cup | less than 5 |
| Rice | ½ cup | less than 5 |
| Cooked cereal | 1 cup | less than 5 |
| Instant oatmeal, cream of wheat | 1 packet | 100–300 |
| Bread | 1 slice | 110–240 |
| Cake and pastry | 1 slice | 100–400 |
| Muffins and biscuits | 1 | 170–590 |
| Pancakes (from mix) | 1 | 200–250 |
| Ready-to-eat cereals | 1 oz | 75–210 |
| Vegetables | | |
| Fresh (cooked without salt) | ½ cup | most less than 50 |
| Frozen (without sauce) | ½ cup | most less than 70 |
| Frozen (with sauce) | ½ cup | 140–460 |
| Canned | ½ cup | 140–500 |
| Canned (with sauce) | ½ cup | 150–900 |
| Beans | | |
| Dried beans, peas, lentils (cooked without salt) | 1 cup | less than 5 |
| Baked beans, canned | ½ cup | 380–550 |
| Nuts | | |
| Peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios (fresh or roasted, unsalted) | 1 cup | less than 20 |
| Salted nuts | 1 cup | 600–1,200 |
| Fruits | | |
| Fresh, frozen, or canned | ½ cup | less than 10 |
| Meat | | |
| Fresh meat | 3 oz | less than 90 |
| Ham | 1 oz (about 1 slice) | 240–380 |
| Bacon | 2 slices | 240–350 |
| Breakfast sausage | 3 | 310–610 |
| Corned beef | 3 oz | 850 |
| Hamburger (fast food) | 3 oz | 500 |
| Cheeseburger | 1 | 740–810 |
| Hot dog | 1 | 420–680 |
| Bologna | 1 slice | 220 |
| Salami | 1 slice | 200–300 |
| Poultry | | |
| Fresh poultry | 3 oz | less than 90 |
| Turkey roll | 3 oz | 500 |
| Frozen turkey or chicken dinner | 1 dinner | 1,000–2,000 |
| Chicken nuggets | 4–5 pieces | 380–470 |
| Grilled chicken sandwich | 1 | 920–1270 |
| Buffalo wings with dressing | 1 order | 2,460 |
| Fish | | |
| Fresh fish | 3 oz | less than 90 |
| Tuna, canned | 3 oz | 300 |
| Salmon, canned | 3 oz | 300–470 |
| Sardines, canned | 3 oz | 430 |
| Shrimp, canned | 3 oz | 660 |
| Herring, smoked | 3 oz | 350 |
| Dairy products | | |
| Egg | 1 | 60 |
| Milk | 1 cup | 120–160 |
| Yogurt | 1 cup | 120–160 |
| Unsalted butter or margarine | 1 tsp | 2 |
| Salted butter or margarine | 1 tsp | 115 |
| Natural cheeses | 1-1/2 oz | 110–450 |
| Cottage cheese | 1 cup | 240–450 |
| Processed cheese | 2 oz | 700–900 |
| Cheese spread | 2 oz | 700–900 |
| Juices and soups | | |
| Fruit juice; fresh, frozen, or canned | 1 cup | less than 10 |
| Tomato juice, canned | 1 cup | 650 |
| Vegetable juice, canned | 1 cup | 650 |
| Canned, condensed, and dehydrated soups | 1 cup | 600–1,200 |
| Condiments and dressings | | |
| Oil and vinegar | 1 tbsp | less than 5 |
| Prepared salad dressing | 1 tbsp | 80–250 |
| Ketchup | 1 tbsp | 150 |
| Meat tenderizer | 1 tbsp | 1,750 |
| Mustard | 1 tbsp | 170 |
| Barbecue sauce | 1 tbsp | 130 |
| Soy sauce | 1 tbsp | 920–1260 |
| Teriyaki sauce | 1 tbsp | 690 |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 tbsp | 69 |
| Tomato sauce | 1 cup | 1,500 |
| Tomato paste | 1 cup | 200 |
| Snack and convenience foods | | |
| Pizza | 1 slice | 500–1,000 |
| TV dinner | 10 oz | 1,000–2,000 |
| Candy | 1 oz | less than 25 |
| Peanut butter | 1 tbsp | 75 |
| Pickle | 2 oz | 700 |
| Olives, canned | 5 | 192 |
| Pretzels | 1 oz | 450 |
| Potato chips | 1 oz | 250 |
| Ritz-type crackers | 1 oz (about 10 crackers) | 270–370 |
| Crackers, cheese flavor | 1 oz | 300 |
| Popcorn, air popped | 1 oz | 1 |
| Popcorn, buttered and salted | 1 oz | 550 |
| Beverages | | |
| Coffee, tea | 1 cup | 2 |
| Carbonated beverages | 8 oz | less than 40 |
| Wine | 4 oz | 12 |
| Beer | 12 oz | 25 |
Principal source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.
