Avoid Salt guide
Sodium vs salt: what is the difference?
Sodium and salt are related, but they are not the same thing. Sodium is a mineral and an essential nutrient. Table salt is sodium chloride, a compound made from sodium and chloride.
How sodium and salt are related
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes sodium chloride as about 40% sodium and 60% chloride by weight. That relationship lets you estimate an equivalent amount of salt from a sodium amount.
Because ordinary table salt is sodium chloride, 1 gram of sodium corresponds to roughly 2.5 grams of salt. The exact calculator on this site uses the molecular-weight relationship rather than presenting the result with unnecessary precision.
Why Nutrition Facts labels list sodium
Nutrition labels report sodium in milligrams. The sodium can come from table salt and from other sodium-containing ingredients, so the sodium number is more useful than measuring only salt added during cooking.
Use the converter
Convert sodium to an equivalent amount of salt when you need to translate between the two units.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The body needs a small amount of sodium; excess sodium can raise blood pressure; most U.S. sodium intake comes from packaged and restaurant foods; federal guidance recommends less than 2,300 mg daily for teens and adults.
Verified 2026-08-10