Very few foods do not contain natural sodium, as opposed to added sodium, which comes mainly from salt ingredients. Even an apple, for instance, has 1 mg of sodium. Common table salt, or sodium chloride, winds up in 88 percent of the food that you consume on average, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In general, meats and seafood have greater natural sodium content, while plant-based foods have less. The average FDA-recommended intake is 2,400 mg per day.
Table Salt
Salt is a food, since you consume it and it has nutritional value. Sodium is the main ingredient in table salt, or sodium chloride. The American Heart Association reports that 1 tsp. of table salt contributes 2,300 mg of sodium to your daily total.
Mollusks
Shellfish including clams, oysters, scallops, mussels and squid have some of the highest natural sodium content among foods, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. Raw oysters, for instance, contain 177 mg per 3 oz. When breaded, a common preparation for frying mollusks, sodium levels climb even higher.
Fish and Meats
Not all animals that live in saltwater result in salty foods, however. The FDA considers food servings with 120 mg or less of sodium low-salt foods. Therefore, eating fish or meats without added salt won't threaten your daily sodium intake.
Three ozs. of unprocessed salmon, cod, perch and flounder have between 56 and 89 mg of sodium. Many beef, pork, lamb and poultry cuts fall into that range as well. The lowest natural sodium content among meats include beef eye of round, skinless dark poultry meat, leg of lamb and pork rib roast.
Grain Foods
Minimally processed grains are low in natural sodium. One cup of cooked brown rice, bulgur and barley or raw whole-wheat flour have 10 mg of sodium or less. Cornmeal, a dense preparation of corn, has 43 mg of sodium per 1 cup, while air-popped popcorn without added salt has just 1 mg of sodium per cup, as listed by the USDA.
Fruits And Vegetables
Some fruits contain no natural sodium. Among fruits that do, bananas, pears and slices of watermelon have 1 to 3 mg of sodium. The content in 1 cup of vegetables varies, from 2 mg of sodium in all types of squash, to 29 mg in broccoli and 76 mg in carrots, as per the USDA. You can see why the American Heart Association suggests adding sodium-free lemon juice in place of salt at the table or when cooking vegetables.
