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Most packaged foods have a Nutrition Facts label. This will tell you how much sodium is in one serving of food.
Here are some tips to help you.
Food labels list the amount of sodium for each serving. The serving size is located at the top of the label, usually right under the "Nutrition Facts" title. The amount of sodium is given in the list under the title. It is given in milligrams (mg).
A single serving is often very small. If you eat more than the serving size, you have eaten more sodium than is listed for one serving. For example, maybe the label says that there are 400 mg of sodium in a 1-cup (250 mL) serving. If you eat two servings [2 cups (250 mL)], that is 800 mg of sodium.
The Nutrition Facts label also gives you the Percent Daily Value for sodium. This is how much of the recommended amount of sodium a serving contains. The daily value for sodium is 2,400 mg. So if the Percent Daily Value says 50%, this means one serving is giving you half of this, or 1,200 mg.
Other names for sodium include:
Labels on foods often claim that the food is "low-sodium" or something similar. Look for foods labelled "no salt added."
Current as of: September 20, 2023
Author: Healthwise StaffClinical Review BoardAll Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review BoardAll Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
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