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Nutrient comparisonUSDA survey foods

Sodium in foods and meals: compare USDA values

Sodium can change dramatically with salt, sauces, broth, curing, cheese, seasoning blends, and restaurant preparation. The table surfaces records with higher sodium density so differences are visible; it is not a list of recommended foods.

Read the rank carefully

Concentration and portion answer different questions.

Per 100 grams is useful for comparing concentration, while the source serving shows how portion size changes the amount. FDA Daily Values are general label references, not personal medical limits.

Boundary: If you have a clinician-directed sodium limit, use the current label or recipe and your actual portion rather than relying on a generic meal name.

The shape behind the leaderboard

A rank is easier to interpret when zero and missing stay visible.

Reported zero is a value; missing is the absence of a value in Feast’s panel. The ranking lists only positive records, while these summaries use every reported value—including zero—so a sparse nutrient does not acquire an artificially elevated “typical” value.

Reported-value midpoint323 mgmedian per 100 g, reported zeros included
90th-percentile boundary639 mg9 in 10 records with a reported value are at or below this point
Observed maximum7,850 mgone exact source record, not a general expectation
Value coverage3,850 / 3,8503,811 positive · 39 zero · 0 missing

Practical food and meal matches

Food and meal records with higher reported sodium per 100 grams

This view omits sauces, condiments, beverages, snacks, desserts, powders, isolates, supplements, and dry mixes so a meal-oriented search is not answered by lard, whey powder, or a concentrated sauce. It also caps repeated food families and broad categories before gradually widening the selection, so dozens of near-identical preparations do not crowd out other useful matches. The filter is editorial, not nutritional: excluded records remain valid source data.

Practical food and meal records ranked by sodium per 100 grams
Rank and foodPer 100 gPer source servingServing context
01Fish, anchovyFish & seafood 3,670 mg 3,119.5 mg≈ 136% label Daily Value Source amount85 g source weight179 kcal in that amount
02Beef, dried, chipped, uncookedMeat & poultry 2,790 mg 1,116 mg≈ 49% label Daily Value Source amount40 g source weight61 kcal in that amount
03Beef, dried, chipped, cooked in fatMeat & poultry 2,520 mg 1,083.6 mg≈ 47% label Daily Value Source amount43 g source weight97 kcal in that amount
04Shrimp, driedFish & seafood 2,180 mg 1,853 mg≈ 81% label Daily Value Source amount85 g source weight213 kcal in that amount
05Turkey bacon, cookedMeat & poultry 2,020 mg 444.4 mg≈ 19% label Daily Value Source amount22 g source weight81 kcal in that amount
06Pork skin rindsMeat & poultry 1,820 mg 546 mg≈ 24% label Daily Value Source amount30 g source weight163 kcal in that amount
07Pork jerkyMeat & poultry 1,810 mg 760.2 mg≈ 33% label Daily Value Source amount42 g source weight173 kcal in that amount
08Beef jerkyMeat & poultry 1,780 mg 534 mg≈ 23% label Daily Value Source amount30 g source weight123 kcal in that amount
09Stewed dried beef, Puerto Rican styleMixed dishes 1,770 mg 2,655 mg≈ 115% label Daily Value Source amount150 g source weight387 kcal in that amount
10Papad, grilled or broiledBeans, nuts & protein foods 1,740 mg 156.6 mg≈ 7% label Daily Value Source amount9 g source weight33 kcal in that amount
11Bacon or side pork, fresh, cookedMeat & poultry 1,680 mg 268.8 mg≈ 12% label Daily Value Source amount16 g source weight75 kcal in that amount
12Pork bacon, smoked or cured, cookedMeat & poultry 1,680 mg 268.8 mg≈ 12% label Daily Value Source amount16 g source weight75 kcal in that amount
13Cheese spread, American or Cheddar cheese baseDairy 1,620 mg 340.2 mg≈ 15% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight61 kcal in that amount
14Cheese spread, Swiss cheese baseDairy 1,620 mg 486 mg≈ 21% label Daily Value Source amount30 g source weight87 kcal in that amount
15Beef, bacon, cookedMeat & poultry 1,500 mg 195 mg≈ 8% label Daily Value Source amount13 g source weight58 kcal in that amount
16Bacon strip, meatlessBeans, nuts & protein foods 1,460 mg 233.6 mg≈ 10% label Daily Value Source amount16 g source weight49 kcal in that amount
17Cheese, AmericanDairy 1,430 mg 300.3 mg≈ 13% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight71 kcal in that amount
18Cheese, American and Swiss blendsDairy 1,430 mg 300.3 mg≈ 13% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight71 kcal in that amount
19Cheese, Parmesan, dry gratedDairy 1,400 mg 86.8 mg≈ 4% label Daily Value Source amount6 g source weight26 kcal in that amount
20Pork, rollMeat & poultry 1,380 mg 828 mg≈ 36% label Daily Value Source amount60 g source weight197 kcal in that amount
21Cheese, American, nonfat or fat freeDairy 1,320 mg 277.2 mg≈ 12% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight26 kcal in that amount
22Pork, cracklingsMeat & poultry 1,290 mg 1,161 mg≈ 50% label Daily Value Source amount90 g source weight512 kcal in that amount
23Cheese, with wineDairy 1,280 mg 179.2 mg≈ 8% label Daily Value Source amount14 g source weight43 kcal in that amount
24Cheese, American, reduced fatDairy 1,200 mg 252 mg≈ 11% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight50 kcal in that amount
25Casabe, cassava breadBreads & baked goods 1,180 mg 1,180 mg≈ 51% label Daily Value Source amount100 g source weight299 kcal in that amount
26Cheese, Blue or RoquefortDairy 1,150 mg 241.5 mg≈ 11% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight74 kcal in that amount
27Queso Anejo, aged Mexican cheeseDairy 1,130 mg 237.3 mg≈ 10% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight78 kcal in that amount
28Cheese spread, American or Cheddar cheese base, reduced fatDairy 1,100 mg 231 mg≈ 10% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight37 kcal in that amount
29Bacon biscuit sandwichSandwiches, burgers & wraps 1,090 mg 1,144.5 mg≈ 50% label Daily Value Source amount105 g source weight401 kcal in that amount
30Ham salad spreadMeat & poultry 1,080 mg 453.6 mg≈ 20% label Daily Value Source amount42 g source weight91 kcal in that amount
31Salami sandwich on wheatSandwiches, burgers & wraps 1,080 mg 1,242 mg≈ 54% label Daily Value Source amount115 g source weight367 kcal in that amount
32Salami sandwich on whiteSandwiches, burgers & wraps 1,080 mg 1,242 mg≈ 54% label Daily Value Source amount115 g source weight369 kcal in that amount
33Salami sandwich on white, with cheeseSandwiches, burgers & wraps 1,070 mg 1,444.5 mg≈ 63% label Daily Value Source amount135 g source weight440 kcal in that amount
34Salami sandwich on wheat, with cheeseSandwiches, burgers & wraps 1,060 mg 1,431 mg≈ 62% label Daily Value Source amount135 g source weight439 kcal in that amount
35Italian sandwich or sub, restaurantSandwiches, burgers & wraps 1,050 mg 2,047.5 mg≈ 89% label Daily Value Source amount195 g source weight610 kcal in that amount
36Shrimp with lobster sauceFish & seafood 1,030 mg 947.6 mg≈ 41% label Daily Value Source amount92 g source weight139 kcal in that amount

This is a descriptive ranking, not a list of recommended portions. Values are rounded for readability; each linked profile retains the source details.

Outside the meal-oriented view

What the practical filter sets aside.

These are the highest reported per-100-gram records excluded from the practical table—not a repetition of foods already shown above. Concentrated fats, powders, sauces, beverages, and snack foods can legitimately lead a composition database while being poor answers to a search for an ordinary meal. Keeping them visible makes the editorial boundary auditable.

01 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Fish sauce

7,850 mg per 100 g

03 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Miso

3,730 mg per 100 g

A three-step comparison

Move from a ranked record to your actual meal.

  1. 01

    Match the description

    Open the closest record and check its exact USDA food description, ingredients implied by the name, and preparation style.

  2. 02

    Match the amount

    Use the household portions or gram calculator instead of assuming the database's source serving equals what you ate.

  3. 03

    Add what the record misses

    Brands, recipes, sauces, cooking fat, fortification, and substitutions can change the reported sodium value and the rest of the nutrient profile.

A concrete denominator reversal

The denser record can still contribute less in its listed serving.

This is why Feast shows both columns. The comparison below is arithmetic from two source records—not a recommended portion and not evidence that one food is healthier.

Why two versions of the same meal can differ

Food names are useful search labels, not complete recipes. A restaurant dish, homemade version, frozen entrée, and school meal may share a familiar name while using different ingredients and portions. Water loss during cooking can also raise the reported amount per 100 grams without adding energy or nutrients to the original ingredients.

USDA survey-food records are valuable because they provide a traceable comparison point. They do not remove normal variation. For a packaged item, use the current label; for a homemade dish, a weighed recipe can be more specific than a generic record; for an unweighed plate, keep the result as an estimate.

Daily Value is context, not a prescription

The general U.S. food-label Daily Value used here is 2,300 mg; FDA Daily Values apply to adults and children age 4 or older. Percentages are calculated only to make a source serving easier to interpret. They are not personalized requirements and should not be applied as treatment targets.

For label interpretation, see the FDA's Nutrition Facts guide. For corpus provenance and calculations, read Feast's nutrition-page methodology.

Common questions

Using this comparison responsibly

What does a per-100-gram value mean?

It is the reported amount of sodium in 100 grams of the USDA reference food. Holding weight constant helps compare concentration, but it does not describe the amount in every person’s serving.

Does a higher per-100-gram rank mean a meal is better?

No. The rank describes one energy or nutrient metric relative to food weight. It does not score the whole meal, account for individual needs, or replace the serving, ingredient, and preparation context.

Will my meal match the USDA value?

Not necessarily. Recipe, brand, cooking method, additions, and portion weight can all change the total. Use the linked profile as a reference and compare its exact description with your food.

Decision support from the exact records on this page

Turn source data into a better next decision

These conclusions and reading paths are computed from 11 exact records behind Sodium ranking landmarks. Links are chosen by record identity, controlled contrast, formulation input, nutrient spread, or serving context—not by loose keyword similarity.

Equal-weight result

Fish sauce is higher in sodium per 100 g

Fish sauce reports 7,850 mg versus 1,770 mg for Stewed dried beef, Puerto Rican style: a 6,080 mg difference when both are normalized to 100 g.

Inspect the underlying evidence

The denominator changes the answer

Beef, dried, chipped, uncooked is denser; Stewed dried beef, Puerto Rican style is higher in its source amount

Beef, dried, chipped, uncooked reports 2,790 mg per 100 g and 1,116 mg in USDA source amount (40 g). Stewed dried beef, Puerto Rican style reports a lower 1,770 mg per 100 g but a higher 2,655 mg in USDA source amount (150 g).

Record identity is part of the estimate

Distinguish “Fish, anchovy” from “Stewed dried beef, Puerto Rican style”

These are separate USDA records with separate formulations or survey descriptions. Match preparation, additions, and the named household amount before borrowing either record’s nutrients.

Inspect the underlying evidence

Contextual knowledge graph

Follow the relationship that matches your question

For Sodium ranking landmarks, each path states why the destination belongs here, so you can distinguish a true evidentiary connection from a merely similar label.

Best next guide for this exact record Beef

Beef, dried, chipped, cooked in fat and Beef, dried, chipped, uncooked are explicitly linked in this guide, which separates direct name matches from contextual variants.

Follow this evidence path Best next guide for this exact record Fish

Fish, anchovy is explicitly linked in this guide, which separates direct name matches from contextual variants.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Beef, cured, dried

USDA input 13350 appears in 3 of 11 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 100–235 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Salt, table

USDA input 2047 appears in 2 of 11 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 3.2–8 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path 4 context records in this source topic Cold cuts and cured meats

Beef, dried, chipped, uncooked and Beef, dried, chipped, cooked in fat belong to this USDA source-category collection. Its displayed ranges and complete exact-record catalog provide the peer set for a manual comparison; the destination does not preselect this page’s record.

Follow this evidence path Test a nearby record choice Turkey bacon, cooked vs Turkey bacon, reduced sodium, cooked

Turkey bacon, cooked is held as one side of the comparison. The explicit record-description contrast is Sodium wording: No matching controlled term in the source name versus reduced- or low-sodium wording; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path Put the observed spread in corpus context Dietary fiber: density and serving context

In this page’s records, dietary fiber runs from 0 g in Beef, dried, chipped, cooked in fat to 2.6 g in Black bean sauce, all per 100 g.

Follow this evidence path