For Students
Sodium: how much do you actually need?
Most sodium in the average diet isn't coming from the salt shaker — which is exactly why cutting back is harder than it sounds.
The actual target
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300mg of sodium per day for most adults, with an ideal limit closer to 1,500mg — yet average intake in the U.S. runs over 3,100mg/day, more than double the ideal target.[1]
Where it actually comes from
The majority of dietary sodium comes from processed and restaurant food — bread, deli meat, canned soup, sauces, and packaged snacks — not the salt added at the table. That's why simply not adding extra salt to home-cooked meals often makes a much smaller dent than people expect; reading labels on packaged and restaurant food matters more for most people's actual sodium intake.[1]
Keep reading: Electrolytes explained · The DASH diet explained · How to read a nutrition label