Healthy Eating: Tracking Your Sodium

Part of healthy eating is being aware of how much sodium you eat and drink. There's a good chance that you're getting more sodium than you think you are.

Most people shouldn't have more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day. If you have a health problem that's affected by sodium, your doctor will tell you how much you can have. For example, if you have high blood pressure, your doctor may want you to limit your sodium to 1,500 mg a day.

It's pretty easy to learn how much sodium you're getting. To track your sodium intake, try using this sample chart—or whatever method works best for you. First, write down what you eat and drink in a day. Include your serving size. Then, look up the sodium content for each one. This is listed on food labels. For fresh, unprocessed foods, you can find the sodium content online.

You can share your information with your doctor to help make decisions about your health. And if you can use some support with controlling your sodium intake, consider sharing your sodium record with anyone who has a role in what you eat.

My doctor recommends that I have ___________mg of sodium in my diet each day.

Meal Food or drink Serving size Sodium content (mg)

Breakfast




     

Snack




     

Lunch




     

Snack




     

Dinner