Sodium to Salt Calculator Australia
Convert an entered sodium amount into an approximate salt equivalent and compare it with the Australian adult Suggested Dietary Target (SDT).
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Convert sodium mg to salt grams
As a practical estimate, salt (g) = sodium (mg) × 2.5 ÷ 1000. That means 400 mg sodium is about 1.0 g salt, while 2000 mg sodium is about 5.0 g salt. The calculator also compares the entered sodium with Australia’s adult Suggested Dietary Target.
On this page
What this calculator estimates
Convert an entered sodium amount into an approximate salt equivalent and compare it with the Australian adult Suggested Dietary Target (SDT). The tool accepts sodium in milligrams, not salt in grams.
Inputs and calculation method
Enter a sodium total, ideally for one day if comparing it with the daily SDT. The page multiplies sodium by 2.5, converts milligrams to grams for the salt estimate and compares sodium with 2,000 mg/day.
Formula and units
Approximate salt equivalent (g) = sodium (mg) × 2.5 ÷ 1,000. Difference from adult SDT = sodium − 2,000 mg. The salt result is shown to one decimal place. The SDT is a population dietary target, not a universally established tolerable upper limit.
How to use it
- Find sodium in mg on the food label or your daily food record.
- Adjust a per-serving figure for the number of servings consumed.
- Enter the sodium total and calculate.
- Compare with a daily reference only when the entered amount covers the same daily period.
Worked example
A sodium total of 2,000 mg converts to approximately 5.0 g salt equivalent and is shown at the adult SDT. At 2,500 mg, the equivalent is about 6.3 g and the sodium amount is 500 mg above the displayed target.
How to read the result
Australian nutrition panels report sodium rather than salt. The approximate salt equivalent is a way to understand scale; it does not mean all sodium came from table salt. A single food’s sodium is only part of the daily total.
Common mistakes
- Entering 5 g salt as 5 mg sodium.
- Comparing one serving with the daily SDT without accounting for other foods.
- Calling the adult SDT a personalised maximum or a proven safety boundary.
Method limitations
The adult SDT is not a target for every age or medical situation. The calculator does not assess sweating, fluid needs, medication or a prescribed sodium restriction.
Sources and method references
Supporting guides for this calculator
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Australian sodium reference
Eat for Health lists a 2,000 mg/day Suggested Dietary Target for adults. The adult Upper Level was changed to “not determined” in the 2017 review, so 2,300 mg/day should not be presented as a current Australian adult UL.
Reference checked 25 August 2026.
Sodium to Salt Calculator Australia FAQs
Is 2,000 mg a tolerable upper limit?
It is the Australian and New Zealand adult Suggested Dietary Target shown by this tool. It should not be relabelled as a universal upper limit.
Is salt the same as sodium?
No. Salt includes sodium and chloride. The tool uses an approximate factor of 2.5 to express sodium as salt equivalent.
Can I enter sodium for one food?
Yes, but the daily-target comparison is incomplete until sodium from the rest of the day is included.
Using the estimate
Keep milligrams of sodium separate from grams of salt. Match the period of your entry to the daily reference before interpreting the difference.