The vast majority of fruits and vegetables, in their natural state, do not contain high levels of sodium. Few exceptions include those that grow in the salty ocean water or root vegetables that obtain sodium from soil. Canned and dried fruits and vegetables may contain high levels of sodium simply due to the added salt or sodium-containing preservatives used to process and can them.
Recommended Daily Intake
Sodium occurs naturally in many foods, including fruits and vegetables, but at very low levels. Even fruits and vegetables containing relatively high amounts of sodium contain less per serving than most processed foods. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as the Institutes of Medicine, recommend that healthy adults limit their sodium intake to between 1,500mg and 2,300mg per day, although in special circumstances such as excessive sweating and diarrhea, a higher level of intake may be required. Sodium helps to maintain a healthy blood volume. When levels are high, you tend to feel thirsty and drink more, keeping yourself hydrated. However, too much sodium increases your blood pressure.
High Sodium Vegetables
Wakame, a seaweed kelp that looks and tastes like spinach lasagna, contains one of the highest amounts of sodium for a vegetable. Often used in soup and salads, 1 ounce of raw wakame has 244mg of sodium because it comes from salty seawater. Other high-sodium green leafy vegetables include Swiss chard, which contains about 158mg per 1/2 cup; beet, collard, dandelion, mustard and turnip greens contain about 174mg of sodium per 1/2 cup; artichoke hearts contain about 80mg per 1/2 cup, while spinach contains about 80mg per 1/2 cup.
High Sodium Fruits
Fruits do not contain significant amounts of sodium, with the exception of canned olives. Olives, soaked in brine, contain 1,800mg of sodium for about five olives, or 20g. Dried figs contain the next highest levels, but only about 5 percent found in the amount of olives or 90mg in 40g of figs due to a sodium-containing preservative used to dry figs; 75g of fresh figs contain only 2mg of sodium. Most fruit, such as watermelon, plums, grapefruit, bananas, and grapes contain less than 5mg of sodium per serving. A few, such as honeydew, passion fruit, and cantaloupe contain slightly more, around 15mg to 30mg per serving, but even this amount is extremely low in terms of the overall recommended daily intake.)
High Sodium Beans
Botanically, beans belong to the fruit family. Classified as dried fruits, they form from fertilized flowers and contain the seeds of the plants. However, because they do not grow on trees nor do they contain a seed pulp surrounding the seed, chefs consider beans vegetables or, more correctly legumes. The sodium content of beans varies. For example, 100g of mung beans contain about 820mg of sodium, whereas 60g of garbanzo beans contains 850mg of sodium. Canned vegetables contain considerably higher levels of sodium due to the addition of salt as a preservative in the canning process. For example, fresh peas contain only trace amounts of sodium, while 60g of canned peas can contain 230mg to 330mg sodium, depending upon the degree to which they have been processed and preserved.
High Sodium Fruit and Vegetable Juices
Many fruit and vegetable juices contain high levels of sodium. This is due to the added salt in these processed drinks, acting as a preservative or used to mask bitter flavors. For example, 1 cup of tomato juice contains 650mg of sodium and 1 cup of vegetable juice contains 675mg of sodium, even though a 4 oz. plain tomato contains only about 11mg of sodium. One cup of carrot juice contains 55mg of sodium, without added salt, mostly because the carrots pick up sodium from the soil. Other fruit juices, such as orange, grape, and pineapple juice contain less than 5mg of sodium per cup.
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