Sodium in Salt Calculator
Convert salt teaspoons and grams to sodium milligrams — and see how a pinch compares to a daily limit.
Common label reference: 2,300 mg
Sodium
2,300 mg
100% of limit
Salt (mass)
5.85 g
Salt (volume)
0.98 tsp
Table salt is ~39% sodium by weight. Sea salt and kosher salt differ in crystal size — weigh when precision matters.
How it works
Pick what you know
Teaspoons of salt, grams of salt, or mg of sodium.
Enter the amount
Use recipe measures or label numbers.
Set a daily limit
Default 2,300 mg — adjust if your clinician suggests otherwise.
Read the conversion
See sodium mg, salt grams, teaspoons, and % of limit.
Salt vs sodium
Table salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). Only part of that crystal is elemental sodium — about 39% by weight. Nutrition labels list sodium in milligrams, while recipes usually say salt in teaspoons or grams.
That is why “1 teaspoon of salt” is often described as roughly 2,300 mg sodium — close to a full day’s common label Daily Value in one measure.
Conversion formula
Formula
sodium (mg) ≈ salt (g) × 393
- 0.393Sodium fraction of pure NaCl by mass
- 1 tsp≈ 6 g table salt ≈ 2,300 mg sodium (reference)
- LimitMany labels use 2,300 mg sodium/day as 100% DV
- Lower targetsSome guidance suggests nearer 1,500 mg for some adults
Worked example
A stew seasoned with 1½ tsp salt ≈ 3,450 mg sodium from the salt alone — before broth, cheese, or cured meats. Scaling the recipe doubles that contribution unless you season to taste.
Cooking with less sodium
Seasoning swaps
Salt early
Less
builds flavor
Acid + herbs
Bright
lemon, vinegar
Low-sodium broth
Smart
big hidden source
Use the Recipe Scaler for servings, then salt at the end. Convert package sodium with this tool before deciding how much extra salt a dish needs.