8 Surprising Foods with More Sodium Than a Bag of Chips

You might think you’re making healthy choices by picking up a can of vegetable soup instead of clam chowder, but it’s actually loaded with sodium to preserve the soup as long as possible (and, you know, to taste good). If you’re having three meals a day with that much sodium and not realizing it, you might be eating more than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) — a single teaspoon’s worth — according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020- 2025.

Sodium works in balance with the mineral potassium. While salt increases blood pressure, potassium can lower it by relaxing blood vessels. (FYI, here are potassium-packed food to add to your diet.) Because food processing tends to remove potassium and add sodium, all that canned and boxed food can become a disaster for your heart and blood pressure, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney problems. Not great news.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts