Avoid Salt guide
How to read sodium on food labels
Three numbers matter when you estimate sodium from a Nutrition Facts label: the sodium per serving, the serving size and the number of servings you actually eat.
Start with serving size
The sodium amount on a Nutrition Facts label applies to the stated serving. If you eat two servings, you consume twice the listed sodium. If you eat half a serving, you consume half.
Read milligrams and Percent Daily Value together
The FDA Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg. FDA guidance says 5% Daily Value or less per serving is considered low and 20% Daily Value or more per serving is considered high. Those percentages are label-reading guides, not individualized medical targets.
Calculate the amount you actually ate
Use the Nutrition Label Sodium Calculator to multiply sodium per serving by the number of servings consumed.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The Daily Value for sodium on U.S. Nutrition Facts labels is 2,300 mg. FDA guidance describes 5% Daily Value or less per serving as low and 20% or more as high.
Verified 2026-08-10