DASH diet · hypertension
Foods low in Sodium
Mineral mostly consumed as salt (sodium chloride). Excess raises blood pressure in salt-sensitive people.
Looking for what Sodium is and where it comes from? See the Sodium overview.
Why eat low sodium?
For a low-sodium diet, the FDA defines "low sodium" as 140 mg or less per serving. The American Heart Association recommends most adults aim for under 2,300 mg per day, with an ideal target of 1,500 mg for people with hypertension or heart-failure history. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating pattern emphasises whole foods and explicitly limits added salt.
Around three-quarters of dietary sodium in industrialised diets comes not from the salt shaker but from packaged and restaurant foods — breads, processed meats, soups, sauces, and condiments. That makes label reading and ingredient choice the main lever, not just "use less salt when cooking". Fresh fruits, vegetables, unprocessed meats, and most uncooked grains are naturally low-sodium.
Common high-sodium foods to swap include cured/processed meats, canned soups and broths (look for "low sodium" versions), bottled sauces, ready-meals, and most cheeses (cottage cheese and ricotta are exceptions). Herbs, spices, citrus, vinegar, and aromatic alliums (garlic, onion) can replace salt for flavour without affecting blood pressure.
Similar to Sardine, raw, lowest in sodium first
- Fish oil, sardine 0MG per 100 grams
- Sardines, flesh only, grilled, weighed with skin and bones 110MG per 100 grams
- Sardines, flesh only, raw 136MG per 100 grams
- Sardines, flesh only, grilled 174MG per 100 grams
- Sardine, canned in water, drained 210MG per 100 grams
- Fish, sardines, canned 307MG per 100 grams
- Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone 307MG per 100 grams
- Sardines, canned in tomato sauce, whole contents 315MG per 100 grams
- Sardine, canned in tomato sauce, undrained 315MG per 100 grams
- Sardine, canned in oil, undrained 350MG per 100 grams
- Sardines, canned in brine, drained 368MG per 100 grams
- Sardine sandwich 371MG per 100 grams
Common questions
- How much sodium per day is considered "low"?
- The FDA defines low-sodium foods as having 140 mg or less per serving. The American Heart Association recommends most adults stay under 2,300 mg per day, with an ideal target of 1,500 mg for people with high blood pressure, kidney disease, or a family history of heart conditions. The UK NHS recommends a 6 g salt cap, which equates to about 2,400 mg of sodium.
- What is the difference between salt and sodium?
- Table salt (sodium chloride) is about 40% sodium by weight. So 1 gram of salt contains about 400 mg of sodium. Nutrition labels in some countries (UK, EU) show salt, while others (US) show sodium. Multiply salt by 0.4 to get sodium; multiply sodium by 2.5 to get salt.
- Are low-sodium packaged products always healthier?
- Not automatically. Some products reduce sodium by adding potassium chloride (relevant for people on kidney-restricted diets), and some replace sodium with sugar or fat for palatability. Reading the full ingredient panel matters. Whole, unprocessed foods are the most reliably low-sodium option.
- Can I have any salt at all on a low-sodium diet?
- Yes — strict zero-sodium diets are rarely needed or even achievable; sodium occurs naturally in many whole foods. The goal is usually to stay below the daily target across all sources. Cooking from scratch with controlled portions of salt is typically lower-sodium than processed alternatives.