Sodium is an essential electrolyte, but most people in Western countries consume far more than they need. Excess sodium is the single largest modifiable dietary risk factor for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. This calculator helps you track your daily sodium intake meal by meal, convert the total to grams of table salt, and see at a glance how you compare against evidence-based limits from the WHO, AHA and NHS.
How it works
Select your health profile to set the appropriate daily limit — anywhere from 1,500 mg (hypertension or heart failure) to 3,000 mg (active athletes who lose more sodium through sweat). Then build your daily food log either by choosing from the 27 preset common foods or by entering a custom food with the sodium figure from your nutrition label. The tool multiplies sodium per serving by the number of servings, sums all entries and computes:
- Total sodium (mg) — the sum across all logged foods
- Salt equivalent (g) — converted using the exact molar-mass ratio of NaCl to Na (2.542)
- Percentage of daily limit — shown as a colour-coded progress bar (green → amber → red)
- Remaining headroom — how many milligrams are left before you hit your limit
The sodium-to-salt formula
Table salt is sodium chloride (NaCl). The molar mass of NaCl is 58.44 g/mol, and the molar mass of sodium alone is 22.99 g/mol, giving a conversion factor of exactly 2.542:
salt (g) = sodium (mg) × 2.542 ÷ 1000
This means 2,300 mg sodium ≈ 5.84 g of salt, just under a level teaspoon (approximately 6 g or one teaspoon of table salt is the NHS daily maximum). Nutrition labels in the UK often list both sodium and equivalent salt, but US labels typically show sodium only — this tool lets you work in either direction.
Worked example
Suppose you eat:
| Food | Servings | Na per serving | Total Na |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 slices white bread | 2 | 130 mg | 260 mg |
| Cheddar cheese (30 g) | 1 | 180 mg | 180 mg |
| Canned chicken soup (240 ml) | 1 | 890 mg | 890 mg |
| Potato crisps bag (30 g) | 1 | 190 mg | 190 mg |
| Ketchup (1 tbsp) | 2 | 160 mg | 320 mg |
Total: 1,840 mg sodium = 4.67 g salt, which is 80% of the 2,300 mg AHA limit for a healthy adult. That leaves 460 mg for dinner — roughly the amount in a small portion of cheese or a tablespoon of soy sauce.
Tips for reducing sodium
The most effective strategies are straightforward: cook from scratch so you control the salt, rinse canned beans and vegetables before use (removes up to 40% of sodium), choose low-sodium or no-added-salt versions of condiments and sauces, season with lemon juice, vinegar, herbs and spices instead of salt, and avoid adding salt at the table. Even a modest reduction of 1,000 mg per day can lower systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg or more in people with hypertension.
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