Nutrition Diet: What food has the highest amount of salt?

November 10, 2025 •

4 min read

According to studies based on national surveys, processed foods account for the majority of daily sodium intake for many people. This makes understanding what food has the highest amount of salt? a key aspect of managing your Nutrition Diet and controlling your sodium consumption for better health.

Quick Summary

This article explores the highest sources of salt, distinguishing between high-concentration ingredients and the most significant dietary contributors from processed foods. It provides examples of high-sodium foods, offers practical tips for reducing intake, and compares sodium levels in processed versus fresh foods.

Key Points

Highest concentration: Table salt, followed closely by bouillon cubes, concentrated broths, and soy sauce, contains the most sodium per gram.
Processed foods are the main source: For most people, daily sodium is primarily from processed items like cured meats, pizza, sandwiches, and canned goods, not the salt shaker.
Hidden salt is pervasive: Many foods you might not expect to be high in salt, including bread, breakfast cereals, cheese, and salad dressings, are significant contributors.
Read food labels carefully: Always check nutrition labels for sodium content, especially on packaged and canned goods, to avoid unknowingly consuming excessive amounts.
Home cooking is key: Preparing meals with fresh ingredients gives you complete control over sodium levels, allowing you to use herbs, spices, and citrus for flavor instead.
Rinse canned foods: A simple rinse can remove some of the extra salt added to canned vegetables and beans for preservation.
Limit dining out: Restaurant and fast food meals are often loaded with sodium, with single entrees sometimes providing a full day's worth.

By Concentration: The Single Highest Salt Offenders

While many foods contain added salt, the items with the absolute highest sodium concentration by weight are pure salt and concentrated seasonings. Table salt, or sodium chloride, is the most obvious example, containing approximately 38,000 mg of sodium per 100 grams. However, other highly processed cooking ingredients are also packed with sodium to enhance flavor and act as preservatives.

The Super-Salty Ingredients

Bouillon cubes and powdered broths: These compact flavor enhancers contain up to 20,000 mg of sodium per 100 grams, making them one of the most concentrated sources of salt.
Soy sauce: A single tablespoon of soy sauce can have a significant portion of a person's daily recommended sodium intake, with concentrations reaching 7,000 mg per 100 grams.
Seasoning salts and mixes: Products like celery salt, garlic salt, and other blends are primarily composed of salt, with added flavors. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is also a form of sodium often found in these mixes and many processed foods.

The Biggest Dietary Salt Culprits: Processed Foods

Though pure salt has the highest concentration, most people don't consume it directly in large quantities. Instead, the bulk of dietary sodium comes from processed and prepared foods that are a regular part of our daily meals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health organizations have identified several key categories that contribute the most sodium to the American diet.

Everyday Foods Loaded with Salt

Breads and rolls: While not tasting overwhelmingly salty, the modest sodium content in each slice adds up quickly throughout the day. Breads and rolls are a top source of sodium because they are consumed frequently.
Pizza: A single slice of a typical pizza, especially with toppings like pepperoni and sausage, can be a major source of sodium. Both the crust and the processed meats contribute to the high salt content.
Cured and deli meats: Bacon, ham, salami, and cold cuts are preserved with large amounts of salt. A single sandwich with these components can significantly increase your daily sodium intake.
Soups: Both canned and instant soups are notorious for high sodium levels, often containing hundreds of milligrams per serving. Some canned varieties can provide up to 70% of the recommended daily limit in a single serving.
Snack foods: Chips, crackers, pretzels, and salted popcorn are obvious sources of salt, but their high consumption can lead to excessive intake.
Cheese: Certain types of cheese, like feta, Parmesan, and processed cheese spreads, use salt as a preservative and flavor enhancer. The sodium content can vary widely by type.

Comparison: Sodium in Processed vs. Whole Foods

Salt is often used in processed foods to improve texture, preserve, and mask a lack of natural flavor. This table illustrates how processing can dramatically increase a food's sodium content compared to its whole, unprocessed state.


Food Item	Description	Sodium content (mg/100g)
Beef	Topside, roast, lean and fat	48
Corned Beef	Canned	950
Salmon	Raw, steamed	110
Smoked Salmon	Smoked	1,880
Chickpeas	Dried, boiled in unsalted water	5
Canned Chickpeas	Canned, re-heated, drained	220
Tuna	Raw	47
Canned Tuna	Canned in brine, drained	320
Potatoes	Raw, boiled in unsalted water	9
Canned Potatoes	Canned, re-heated, drained	250
Peanuts	Plain	2
Roasted Peanuts	Dry roasted, with salt	790

Strategies for Reducing Sodium Intake

Reducing your intake of high-sodium foods is a critical step for better health, especially for those with hypertension or heart conditions. By being mindful of food labels and making conscious choices, you can significantly lower your salt consumption.

Cook more at home: Preparing meals from fresh, whole ingredients allows you to control the amount of salt added. Utilize herbs, spices, and citrus zest instead of salt for flavor.
Read nutrition labels: Always check the sodium content on packaged foods. Look for products labeled "low sodium," which often have significantly less salt. A food is considered high in sodium if it contains 20% or more of the Daily Value (DV) per serving.
Rinse canned goods: If you purchase canned vegetables or beans, draining and rinsing them before cooking can help remove a portion of the added sodium.
Choose fresh or frozen: Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables over canned versions. For meats, choose fresh poultry or fish instead of cured or canned varieties.
Be aware of condiments: Sauces, dressings, and marinades are often packed with salt. Making your own from scratch is a simple way to reduce sodium.
Limit restaurant and fast food: Restaurant meals and fast food are often high in sodium, with a single entree sometimes exceeding the recommended daily limit.

Conclusion

While table salt and concentrated seasonings like bouillon cubes and soy sauce contain the highest sodium concentration by weight, the biggest sources of daily salt intake for most people are processed and packaged foods. From cured meats and canned soups to less obvious culprits like bread and cereals, everyday convenience foods are the primary contributors to excessive sodium consumption. By choosing fresh ingredients, cooking at home, and carefully reading nutrition labels, you can take control of your salt intake and improve your overall nutrition diet.

Learn more about managing sodium in your diet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Frequently Asked Questions

The single item with the highest sodium concentration is table salt itself (sodium chloride). In terms of dietary ingredients, bouillon cubes, powdered broths, and soy sauce are among the highest per gram.

Yes, many canned and instant soups are notorious for being high in sodium. Some varieties can contain a very high percentage of the daily recommended sodium intake in a single serving.

Several foods contain more salt than many people realize, including breads and rolls, breakfast cereals, cheese, vegetable juices, and most commercial salad dressings.

Check the nutrition label. The FDA considers a food high in sodium if it contains 20% or more of the Daily Value (DV) for sodium per serving. Products labeled 'low sodium' contain 140 mg or less per serving.

You can use a wide variety of herbs, spices, and other seasonings to add flavor to your food. Good options include garlic, onion powder, citrus juice, zest, paprika, cumin, and black pepper.

While natural foods like meat, fish, and vegetables do contain some sodium, the vast majority of our sodium intake comes from added salt in processed foods. A high intake of sodium, regardless of its source, can pose health risks. The focus should be on reducing overall intake of foods with added sodium.

The American Heart Association (AHA) identifies six common foods that are major sources of added sodium: bread and rolls, cold cuts and cured meats, sandwiches, pizza, poultry, and soup.