Table salt is sodium chloride, about 40% sodium by weight — so salt (g) ≈ sodium (g) × 2.5. This calculator converts between the two, shows the teaspoons of salt, and compares your intake to the 2300 mg daily limit and the 1500 mg ideal.
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: sodium/salt mass ratio & public guidelines, recomputed in code.
Sodium, salt & limits
Because sodium is only part of salt, a small amount of salt carries a lot of sodium: one level teaspoon (≈ 5.7 g) holds about 2300 mg of sodium — the whole daily limit. The FDA Daily Value caps sodium at 2300 mg, and the American Heart Association suggests aiming for 1500 mg. Most dietary sodium comes from packaged and restaurant foods rather than the salt shaker.
Worked examples
3400 mg sodium (US average):
2000 mg sodium:
6 g of salt:
Cutting from the 3400 mg average to the 2300 mg limit means removing roughly 2.75 g of salt — about half a teaspoon — mostly by choosing lower-sodium packaged foods and reading nutrition labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
FDA limit 2300 mg; AHA ideal 1500 mg. About 1 tsp of salt = 2300 mg.
Salt(g) ≈ sodium(g) × 2.5. 2300 mg sodium ≈ 5.75 g salt.
~1 tsp of salt holds 2300 mg sodium — the daily upper limit.
~3400 mg/day in the US — 8.5 g salt, about 148% of the limit.
No — general info. Follow your clinician's target if you have BP, heart or kidney conditions.