Salt intake calculator

About three quarters of the salt we eat is already in food when we buy it: bread, cereals, sauces, ready meals. Add a few labels to see your total for the day.

Your details

Your salt so far

5.2 g

87% of the 6 g limit

Food 10.8 g salt
Food 21.6 g salt
Food 32.2 g salt
Food 40.6 g salt
Upper limit for age 406.0 g
Label check: salt per 100 gamber (medium)
Left for today0.8 g

About three quarters of the salt we eat is already in food when we buy it: bread, cereals, sauces, cheese and ready meals.

If you have high blood pressure, cutting salt is one of the most useful things you can do. Your GP or pharmacist can check your blood pressure for free.

The working

Grams against your limit

We add the four amounts and compare them with the UK maximum: 6 g a day for adults and children over 11, 5 g for 7 to 10, 3 g for 4 to 6, and 2 g for ages 1 to 3. If your labels show sodium, we multiply by 2.5 to get salt.

The example day comes to 0.8 + 1.6 + 2.2 + 0.6 = 5.2 g, or 87% of the adult limit. That is just over a level teaspoon.

Reading one label

Green, amber or red

Salt	Green (low)	Amber	Red (high)
Food, per 100 g	0.3 g or less	over 0.3 to 1.5 g	over 1.5 g
Drink, per 100 ml	0.3 g or less	over 0.3 to 0.75 g	over 0.75 g

A portion over 100 g also goes red if it holds more than 1.8 g of salt. A 200 g ready meal at 1.2 g per 100 g is amber per 100 g, but the portion has 2.4 g, 40% of an adult's day, so it shows red. Add the per 100 g figure and your portion to check any label.

Hidden salt

Where it hides

Bread: about 0.4 to 0.5 g a slice
Cheese, bacon, ham and smoked fish
Stock cubes, soy sauce, gravy and ketchup
Ready meals, pizzas and soups, often 2 g or more
Crisps and salted nuts

Traffic light labels make it easy: more than 1.5 g per 100 g is high (red), 0.3 g or less is low (green).

Why it matters

Salt and blood pressure

Too much salt raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Cutting down lowers blood pressure within weeks, and taste buds adjust in about a month, so food stops tasting bland.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Salt added at the tableAdd a pinch estimate as a snack if you want to count it.
Sweat lossesEndurance athletes may lose a lot in sweat; see the electrolyte calculator.
Medical adviceSome conditions and medicines need lower or tailored targets.

Questions

Common questions

How much salt should I have a day?

No more than 6 g for adults, about one level teaspoon. Most UK adults have about 8 g.

How do I convert sodium to salt?

Multiply sodium by 2.5. So 0.4 g of sodium is 1 g of salt.

Is sea salt or pink salt better?

No. They are still sodium chloride and affect blood pressure the same way.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If food feels hard

If eating, weight or food is on your mind a lot, you are not alone. Your GP can help, and Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677 (England, weekdays 3pm to 8pm).