Two numbers cover most of what is worth knowing. Added sugars should come to less than 10 percent of your total calories for the day, and sodium should stay under 2,300 mg. The second one is where most people are further off than they realise, and the reason is not the salt shaker on the table.
What is the added sugar limit?
The FDA states it directly: "The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories per day."
On a 2,000-calorie day that works out to roughly 50 g, which is the figure the Nutrition Facts label uses as the Daily Value. The useful word in that sentence is added. This is about sugar put into food during processing or preparation, not the sugar naturally present in fruit or milk.
What is the sodium limit, and why is it harder?
The FDA gives the target and the gap in the same breath. The guidance "recommends adults limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day", while "Americans eat on average about 3,400 mg of sodium per day."
That is roughly 50 percent above the target, on average. And here is the part that changes what you should actually do about it: the great majority of it arrives already in the food, from packaged and restaurant meals, rather than from salt you add yourself. Putting the shaker away is not a strategy that reaches most of your intake.
| Target | Where it hides | |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugars | Under 10% of daily calories | Drinks, cereals, sauces, yoghurts, anything marketed as low fat |
| Sodium | Under 2,300 mg a day | Bread, packaged meals, sauces, processed meat, restaurant food |
Why savoury food is the sugar problem too
Because added sugar is not confined to obvious sweets. Pasta sauces, marinades, salad dressings, breakfast cereals and flavoured yoghurts routinely carry it, which is why people who rarely eat dessert can still be well over the limit. The label is the only reliable way to know, since taste is a poor guide when sugar is balanced against salt and acid.
How do you read the label without it taking over your life?
- Check the two lines only. Added sugars and sodium. Ignore the rest unless you have a specific reason.
- Use the % Daily Value column. It does the arithmetic for you; 5% or less is a little, 20% or more is a lot.
- Check the serving size first. This is where most misreadings happen, particularly on drinks and snack packets.
- Do it once per product, not per shop. You buy roughly the same things each week. Check them once and you are done.
- Focus on what you eat often. The bread you buy weekly matters more than the thing you have twice a year.
Does this mean cutting these foods out?
No, and that framing tends to backfire. The Dietary Guidelines describe a pattern built on whole, nutrient-dense foods rather than a list of banned items. Both of these numbers are limits within an overall pattern, not prohibitions.
In practice, swapping the two or three products you buy every single week is worth more than eliminating a category, because it changes your baseline rather than your willpower. Our complete nutrition guide covers the wider pattern these limits sit inside, and building a balanced plate covers what goes on it.
One caveat worth stating
These are population-level targets for healthy adults. If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, or any condition where sodium or sugar intake is medically managed, the number that applies to you is the one your clinician gives you, not the one on a label.
