How to Read Sodium on a Food Label

Compare sodium and salt without mixing units, overlooking the serving size or applying one country’s label reference to another.

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The short answer

Find sodium or salt, check its unit and whether the amount is per serving or per 100 g, then calculate the portion you will eat. Sodium and salt are related but not the same number: sodium in grams multiplied by 2.5 gives an approximate salt equivalent.

Table of Contents

• Find the right line and the serving basis
• Multiply by the portion you actually eat
• Convert sodium and salt carefully
• Compare two sauces on equal terms
• Use percentage references in the right context
• Make one useful shopping change
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• Explore this topic

One sauce bottle lists sodium in milligrams per serving. Another lists salt in grams per 100 g. The smaller printed number is not necessarily the lower-salt choice; you first need matching units and portions.

A few label-reading steps make the comparison much clearer, especially when shopping among imported and Indonesian products in Bali. The calculations below are worked examples, not measurements of any particular brand.

Find the right line and the serving basis

On an English label, look for sodium or salt. Indonesian nutrition panels may use Garam (Natrium), with Takaran saji for serving size and Sajian per kemasan for servings in the pack. These terms appear in BPOM's published label examples.

Read the unit beside the number. Milligrams, written mg, are not grams, written g. Then check whether the value describes one listed serving, the whole pack or 100 g. Do not use the front-of-pack wording alone to answer that question.

Multiply by the portion you actually eat

The FDA sodium guide explains that label amounts depend on the serving and that eating more servings changes your intake. A package that looks like one snack can contain several listed servings.

Suppose a packet contains two servings, each with 300 mg of sodium:

• Half the packet: one serving, or 300 mg.
• The whole packet: two servings, or 600 mg.
• Two whole packets: four servings, or 1,200 mg.

This is multiplication, not a recommended intake. If you share the packet, calculate your share rather than automatically assigning the whole amount to yourself. Our serving-size guide covers the wider label convention.

Convert sodium and salt carefully

NHS MyHealth London gives the conversion: salt in grams is sodium in grams multiplied by 2.5. Convert milligrams to grams first by dividing by 1,000.

For example, 400 mg sodium equals 0.4 g sodium. Multiplying 0.4 by 2.5 gives approximately 1 g salt equivalent. Conversely, 1 g salt corresponds to about 400 mg sodium.

Write the units at each step. A calculator can multiply perfectly and still give a misleading comparison if you enter one product in milligrams and the other in grams.

Compare two sauces on equal terms

In this invented example, Sauce B supplies less sodium for an equal 10 g amount. If you use twice as much of it, however, your actual portion changes the result. The calculation is useful only when it reflects how you use the food.

You do not have to weigh every condiment indefinitely. Measuring a usual spoonful once can clarify the scale of a serving and help you compare alternatives more sensibly.

Use percentage references in the right context

On a US Nutrition Facts panel, the FDA uses a sodium Daily Value of 2,300 mg. Its general guide is 5% or less per serving as low and 20% or more as high. Those are US label reference conventions, not a personalised prescription or a universal reference for every country's panel.

Imported and local products can use different formats. Compare sodium amounts directly when percentage systems differ. If a clinician has set a particular sodium or fluid plan, use that plan rather than replacing it with a general label threshold.

Make one useful shopping change

Choose a frequently used food and compare two realistic alternatives on the same basis. Sauces, soups, savoury snacks and seasoning mixes are useful places to practise. The NHS salt guide encourages checking labels and reducing salt within the overall diet.

Keep taste, portion and the whole meal in the decision. A lower-sodium sauce you use in a much larger quantity may not create the change you expected. Similarly, a claim such as “reduced sodium” does not tell you the final amount without reading the panel.

Does sweating mean I should ignore sodium labels? No. Exercise hydration is a separate question; see electrolytes in Bali heat rather than using heat as a blanket rule for every meal.

Is sea salt sodium-free? No. Do not assume a different salt name removes the need to check amounts.

Should I buy a salt substitute? Not automatically. Some contain potassium and may be unsuitable with certain conditions or medicines. Ask your healthcare professional if you have been advised to manage sodium medically.

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