Reading Food Labels for Sodium and the "Healthy" Claim

When you compare foods, a sodium figure and a "healthy" claim answer different questions. The sodium figure gives you a quantity to consider; the FDA's definition of "healthy" sets several requirements for a voluntary package claim. Reading both with those differences in mind gives you a clearer basis for comparing choices at the store.

This article is for general education only and is not a substitute for professional medical or dietary advice. Ask your healthcare provider about dietary guidance specific to you.

Start With the Daily Value

The FDA's "Sodium in Your Diet" guidance states that the Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. It also notes that recommended limits for children under age 14 are lower. Keep the Daily Value distinct from a personal plan: if your provider has given you specific guidance, ask how to use label information within that plan.

For a practical comparison, write the sodium amount beside the quantity of food you are considering. Use a consistent basis when comparing options, and account for the amount you intend to eat. A daily reference and a figure for one food describe different things; do not treat the daily number as an allowance for each item. Keep that distinction in mind when you look at the rest of a meal as well.

Sodium: Where It Hides

The FDA reports that over 70% of dietary sodium comes from packaged and prepared foods. Looking only at the salt added at the table therefore leaves much of the picture out of view. Its food-supply review reports average U.S. intake of about 3,400 mg a day, almost 50% above the recommended limit, and says 90% of Americans eat more sodium than recommended.

On August 15, 2024, the FDA issued draft Phase II voluntary sodium targets for 163 food categories. If achieved, those targets would bring average intake to about 2,750 mg a day. This is an industry-wide proposal, rather than a replacement for the Daily Value. The agency also reported that 2022 data showed about 40% of the targets in its 2021 guidance had been reached or nearly reached. Neither figure tells you the sodium amount in the particular package you are holding; check that package for your comparison.

What "Healthy" Means on a Package Now

The FDA announced a final rule updating the voluntary "healthy" claim on December 19, 2024. The claim had been set in 1994, and the agency issued its proposed revision in September 2022. Under the updated criteria, a food must contain a certain amount from at least one recommended food group or subgroup and meet specific limits for added sugars, saturated fat and sodium.

That means sodium is one part of the definition. To understand the claim, keep the food-group requirement and all three nutrient limits in view. Do not assume that checking one number tells you whether the full criteria are met. The claim concerns the food's qualification under the FDA definition; it does not provide a complete eating plan for you. The FDA also describes continuing exploration of a possible "healthy" symbol.

Foods That Qualify Automatically

According to the FDA, qualifying whole foods with no added ingredients except water automatically meet the updated "healthy" definition. Its examples include vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds. The condition about added ingredients is part of that statement, so read it together with the food examples.

For example, the statement about beans with nothing added except water should not be treated as a blanket description of every prepared bean dish. When looking at a different product, return to the food-group and nutrient criteria. Use the ingredient information and sodium figure together when comparing the options you are considering.

Putting It Together at the Store

Keep the comparison manageable by working through the same questions for each food:

  • What sodium amount is shown for the quantity you are comparing?
  • How much of that food do you intend to eat?
  • If a "healthy" claim appears, have you considered the full FDA definition, including the food group, added sugars, saturated fat and sodium?
  • Does the choice fit any individual guidance you have received?

You do not need to turn those questions into a score for the whole meal. Use them to identify the details you want to compare and any questions to bring to your provider or a registered dietitian.

Authoritative Resources

Read the FDA's Sodium in Your Diet, its Sodium Reduction in the Food Supply review, and its explanation of the updated voluntary "healthy" claim for the underlying guidance and labeling criteria.

For more background, see Sodium, Salt and Your Health. Return to the health article index.