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Sodium in Salt Calculator

Health

Convert table salt (NaCl) grams to sodium milligrams and back, and compare your intake against the recommended daily sodium limit instantly.

Convert
Amount (grams of salt)
g

Sodium

0mg

% of Daily Sodium Limit

0%

Based on the FDA/USDA recommended daily sodium limit of 2,300 mg.

What is a Sodium in Salt?

A Sodium in Salt Calculator converts between table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) and its actual sodium content, since these two numbers are often confused but are not the same thing. Salt is a compound of sodium and chloride, and sodium makes up only about 39.34% of salt's total weight — so a gram of salt does not equal a gram of sodium. This calculator applies that exact molecular ratio to convert salt grams into sodium milligrams, or sodium milligrams back into salt grams, and shows the result against the FDA/USDA recommended daily sodium limit of 2,300 mg.

This distinction matters most when comparing nutrition labels from different countries — some list "salt," others list "sodium" directly — or when trying to understand how much of your daily sodium budget a specific amount of added salt represents. Pairing this with the Calorie Calculator or BMR Calculator gives a fuller picture of daily nutrition planning.

How to use this Sodium in Salt calculator

  1. Choose your conversion direction — Salt (g) → Sodium (mg) or Sodium (mg) → Salt (g).
  2. Enter the Amount in the appropriate unit (grams for salt, milligrams for sodium).
  3. Review the Converted Amount shown in the result card.
  4. Check the % of Daily Sodium Limit to understand how significant that amount is relative to the 2,300 mg daily guideline.
  5. Repeat with different amounts to compare multiple foods or recipes side by side.

Formula & Methodology

Sodium fraction of table salt (NaCl): Na (22.99 g/mol) ÷ NaCl (58.44 g/mol) ≈ 0.3934

Salt → Sodium: Sodium (mg) = Salt (g) × 1000 × 0.3934

Sodium → Salt: Salt (g) = Sodium (mg) ÷ 0.3934 ÷ 1000

Worked example: Converting 6 grams of salt (about 1 teaspoon) to sodium:

Sodium = 6 × 1000 × 0.3934 = 2,360 mg
% of daily limit = 2,360 ÷ 2,300 × 100 ≈ 103%

This single teaspoon of salt slightly exceeds the entire FDA/USDA recommended daily sodium limit of 2,300 mg.

Frequently Asked Questions

One gram of table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) contains approximately 393.4 mg of sodium, since sodium makes up about 39.34% of salt's molecular weight. So 5 grams of salt — roughly one teaspoon — contains about 1,967 mg of sodium, close to the full daily recommended limit.
Table salt is a compound made of sodium and chloride bonded together, so when you read 'salt' on a label it refers to the whole compound, not sodium alone. Nutrition labels in the US report sodium content directly, which is why converting between salt weight and sodium content is useful for label comparisons.
The conversion uses the molecular weight ratio of sodium to sodium chloride: sodium (22.99 g/mol) divided by NaCl (58.44 g/mol), which equals approximately 0.3934. Multiply the salt weight in milligrams by this factor to get the sodium content in milligrams.
The FDA and USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day for most healthy adults, which is roughly equivalent to one teaspoon (about 5.8 g) of table salt. Some health organizations, including the American Heart Association, recommend an even lower ideal limit of 1,500 mg per day for optimal heart health.
Divide the sodium amount in milligrams by 0.3934 to get the equivalent salt weight in milligrams, then divide by 1,000 to convert to grams. This calculator does that conversion automatically when you select 'Sodium (mg) → Salt (g)'.
US nutrition labels list sodium because it's the specific mineral the body regulates and that affects blood pressure, while 'salt' as a term can be ambiguous since foods also contain sodium from sources other than table salt, such as sodium bicarbonate or monosodium glutamate. Reporting sodium directly gives a more precise and consistent measurement across all food sources.
No — gram for gram, sea salt and table salt contain nearly identical amounts of sodium, since both are primarily sodium chloride. Any perceived difference usually comes from sea salt's coarser crystal size, meaning less salt fits in the same volume (like a teaspoon), not a lower sodium concentration by weight.
One level teaspoon of table salt weighs approximately 5.9 grams, which converts to roughly 2,325 mg of sodium — essentially the entire daily recommended sodium limit in a single teaspoon.
No — this calculator specifically converts between table salt (sodium chloride) and sodium content using the standard NaCl molecular ratio. Other sodium-containing compounds like monosodium glutamate (MSG) or sodium bicarbonate have different molecular weights and would require a separate conversion factor.
Excess sodium intake is strongly linked to elevated blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke over time. Most people who exceed the recommended sodium limit do so primarily from processed and restaurant foods, not from salt added at the table.
If a food label lists salt content instead of sodium (common outside the US), enter that gram amount in 'Salt → Sodium' mode to see the equivalent sodium in milligrams, then compare it against the 2,300 mg daily limit shown in the result.
Also known as
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