Top 10 Foods Highest in Sodium

Written by Daisy Whitbread, BSc (Hons) MSc DipIONPowered by USDA Nutrition Data

Last Updated: January 22nd, 2021

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 2400mg, 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 tablespoon 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.

Table of Contents

Introduction
List of High Sodium Foods
100g Serving
Printable
Foods to Boost Your Sodium Level
Foods to Avoid
Nutrient Ranking Tool
Related
Feedback
References

List of High Sodium Foods

#1: Table Salt

Sodium per Tsp	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
2325mg (97% DV)	38758mg (1615% DV)	0mg (0% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Table Salt. (Source)

52% DV in a tsp of baking soda
15% DV in a tsp of baking powder

#2: Cured Ham

Sodium per Cup	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
2100mg (88% DV)	1500mg (63% DV)	1685mg (70% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Low Fat Cured Ham. (Source)

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.

#3: Ham and Egg Biscuit

Sodium per Item	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
1989mg (83% DV)	1093mg (46% DV)	938mg (39% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Biscuit With Egg And Ham. (Source)

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.

#4: Pickled Cucumber

Sodium per Cup	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
1872mg (78% DV)	1208mg (50% DV)	21964mg (915% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Sour Pickled Cucumber. (Source)

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

#5: Sunflower Seeds (Dry Roasted)

Sodium per Oz	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
1706mg (71% DV)	6008mg (250% DV)	2201mg (92% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Sunflower Seeds (With Salt). (Source)

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.

#6: Clams

Sodium per 3oz Serving	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
1022mg (43% DV)	1202mg (50% DV)	1624mg (68% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Cooked Clams. (Source)

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.

#7: Canned Beans (With Added Salt)

Sodium per Cup	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
880mg (37% DV)	336mg (14% DV)	595mg (25% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Canned Navy Beans. (Source)

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

#8: French Bread

Sodium per Slice	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
837mg (35% DV)	602mg (25% DV)	443mg (18% DV)

Nutrition Facts for French Bread. (Source)

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.

#9: Teriyaki Sauce

Sodium per Tblsp	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
640mg (27% DV)	1778mg (74% DV)	3996mg (166% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Teriyaki Sauce. (Source)

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

#10: Grated Parmesan

Sodium per Oz	Sodium per 100g	Sodium per 200 Calories
512mg (21% DV)	1804mg (75% DV)	859mg (36% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Grated Parmesan. (Source)

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.

See All 200 Foods High in Sodium

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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.

Food	Serving	Sodium
#1 Table Salt View (Source)	100 grams	1615% DV (38758mg)
#2 Sunflower Seeds (Dry Roasted) View (Source)	100 grams	250% DV (6008mg)
#3 Soy Sauce View (Source)	100 grams	229% DV (5493mg)
#4 Canned Anchovies View (Source)	100 grams	153% DV (3668mg)
#5 Yeast Extract Spread (Marmite) View (Source)	100 grams	141% DV (3380mg)
#6 Chili Powder View (Source)	100 grams	119% DV (2867mg)
#7 Hot Sauce View (Source)	100 grams	110% DV (2643mg)
#8 Salami View (Source)	100 grams	94% DV (2260mg)
#9 Grated Parmesan View (Source)	100 grams	75% DV (1804mg)
#10 Bacon View (Source)	100 grams	70% DV (1684mg)

Sodium Foods to Boost Your Sodium Level

Food	Serving	Sodium
#1 Clams View (Source)	per 3oz serving	95% DV (2284mg)
#2 Pickles View (Source)	per cup	78% DV (1872mg)
#3 Sunflower Seeds (Dry Roasted) View (Source)	per oz	71% DV (1706mg)
#4 Black Bean Soup View (Source)	per cup	50% DV (1203mg)
#5 Manhattan Clam Chowder View (Source)	per cup	42% DV (1001mg)
#6 Cream of Asparagus Soup View (Source)	per cup	41% DV (981mg)
#7 Sauerkraut View (Source)	per cup	39% DV (939mg)
#8 Miso Paste View (Source)	per tblsp	26% DV (634mg)
#9 Grated Parmesan View (Source)	per oz	21% DV (512mg)
#10 Tomato Juice View (Source)	per cup	20% DV (481mg)
#11 Smoked Whitefish View (Source)	per oz	12% DV (289mg)
#12 Yeast Extract Spread View (Source)	per tsp	8% DV (203mg)
#13 Capers View (Source)	per tblsp	8% DV (202mg)

High Sodium Foods to Avoid

Food	Serving	Sodium
#1 Cured Ham View (Source)	per cup	88% DV (2100mg)
#2 Ham and Egg Biscuit View (Source)	per item	83% DV (1989mg)
#3 Chicken Sandwich View (Source)	per item	59% DV (1408mg)
#4 Canned Gravy View (Source)	per cup	57% DV (1357mg)
#5 Cured Meats (Pepperoni) View (Source)	per 3oz	56% DV (1345mg)
#6 Processed Chicken Breast View (Source)	per 4 slices	31% DV (748mg)
#7 Sausage Pizza View (Source)	per slice	31% DV (734mg)
#8 Teriyaki Sauce View (Source)	per tblsp	27% DV (640mg)
#9 Caesar Salad Dressing View (Source)	per 2 tblsp	18% DV (430mg)
#10 Large Soft Pretzel View (Source)	per item	12% DV (290mg)

From the Nutrient Ranking Tool

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

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Data Sources and References

U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central

MyFoodData provides nutrition data tools and articles to help you organize and understand the foods you eat. Read more...