Portions and label reading
Sodium and salt: reading labels
Explore sodium in cheese, bread and unsalted legumes. Distinguish salt from sodium, g from mg and per-serving values.
How to use this guide
Sodium and salt are not the same entry
This table shows sodium in mg; it is not the same number as a label’s salt in g. Check the unit and label definition before comparing values.
Preserve product qualifications
Low-fat low-sodium cottage cheese and unsalted boiled beans are specific records. Do not assume they apply to generic cottage cheese or a salted bean stew.
Check the number of servings
When a package gives values per serving, account for servings eaten. A per-100 g table scales by grams / 100. Use the same basis for both labels.
Recorded values of selected foods
Check preparation in each food name and provenance in the last column.
| Food record | Sodium (mg) | Energy (kcal) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feta cheese | 1,139 mg | 265 kcal | USDA (12/2025) |
| Low-fat low-sodium cottage cheese | 13 mg | 72 kcal | USDA (12/2025) |
| White bread | 450 mg | 267 kcal | USDA (12/2025) |
| Whole-wheat bread | 430 mg | 254 kcal | USDA (12/2025) |
Calculate your own serving
Enter edible grams. Calculations use the selected record’s per-100 g measurements.
Sodium
1,139 mg
Energy
265 kcal
Measurement × grams / 100. Missing data is not zero; this is not a recommended intake.
Questions about this guide
This table shows sodium in mg; it is not the same number as a label’s salt in g. Check the unit and label definition before comparing values.
Low-fat low-sodium cottage cheese and unsalted boiled beans are specific records. Do not assume they apply to generic cottage cheese or a salted bean stew.
When a package gives values per serving, account for servings eaten. A per-100 g table scales by grams / 100. Use the same basis for both labels.