Low Salt Asian Recipes: Sauce Sodium From Store Labels and USDA Data

Low salt Asian recipes start with the sauce, because the bottled sauces many of these dishes rely on carry most of their sodium. In USDA FoodData Central label data for 830 soy, tamari, fish, oyster, miso, teriyaki, ponzu, hoisin and gochujang products sold in the United States, all but 3 list salt as an ingredient. The typical label value ranges from about 1,600 mg of sodium per 100 grams or milliliters for hoisin and gochujang to about 8,800 mg for fish sauce. [1] [2] Choosing a lower-sodium sauce, using less of it, and checking the rice, noodles and broth served with it are the parts of the dish a home cook controls. On a package, “reduced sodium” means at least 25% less sodium than the regular product, not a low amount. [4] “Asian” covers many distinct cuisines; the sauces below are used in some of them, and none stands for a cuisine as a whole.

This page is general education, not individual nutrition advice. If you have kidney disease, take certain medications, or follow a medically prescribed diet, ask your health care provider before using salt substitutes or lower-sodium sauces made with potassium chloride. [3] Several of these sauces contain soy, wheat or fish, which are major food allergens. [7]

Compare Asian sauces by sodium

Sodium in Asian sauces: store labels and USDA reference values

The table sets two USDA FoodData Central datasets side by side. [1] The label columns summarize the Branded Foods data, which converts the sodium on each product’s Nutrition Facts label to a value per 100 grams or per 100 milliliters, depending on what the manufacturer supplied. [2] The median is the middle label in each group, and the middle half is the range covered by the central 50% of labels; both are rounded to the nearest 100 mg. The USDA columns show the generic SR Legacy entry for the same sauce, per 100 grams, and how USDA arrived at the value. Per 100 grams or milliliters is a standard unit for comparing foods, not an amount anyone uses in a dish.

Limits of this comparison. The label data is what manufacturers reported; most of these label records date from 2021, the full set spans 2019 to 2026, and formulas change. [1] Label rounding adds variability to the per-100 values, especially for foods with small servings such as sauces. [2] The groups are built from product names, so the reduced-sodium row reflects the words on the product, not a verified claim. SR Legacy is USDA’s historical dataset; its final update was in 2018, and these entries were published in April 2019. Its values are generic, the tamari entry reports no data points, and the teriyaki entry rests on one, while the teriyaki label group also includes marinades and glazes. [1] FDA notes that sodium can vary significantly between similar foods, so the Nutrition Facts label on the bottle you buy is the figure to use. [4]

What the table shows. Every sauce in the table is concentrated in sodium; even the lowest medians, for hoisin and gochujang, are about 1,600 mg per 100 grams or milliliters. Sauces sold under one name vary widely: the middle half of soy sauce labels spans 4,400 to 6,400 mg. Soy sauces named less, reduced, low or lite sodium sit lower, with a middle half of 3,400 to 4,100 mg, which does not overlap the regular soy sauce range. Tamari’s labels overlap regular soy sauce. [1]

What the store labels list

Across the same 830 label records: [1]

• Salt. 827 of the 830 list salt or sea salt as an ingredient. [1]
• Other sodium sources. 53 list monosodium glutamate (MSG) or flavor enhancers with sodium in their names, such as disodium inosinate. [1] FDA notes that additives such as MSG also contribute to the sodium listed on the Nutrition Facts label. [4]
• Potassium chloride. 5 of the 58 soy sauces named less, reduced, low or lite sodium list potassium chloride, a potassium salt. [1] See the potassium caution below.
• Serving size. Most soy sauce labels, 192 of 209, state a serving of one tablespoon. [1] That matches the FDA reference amount for major condiments such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and marinades: one tablespoon (15 mL). [6] Reference amounts are for labeling, not recommended amounts to use.

The data does not cover every product on the market. Check the current label of the bottle or tub you buy.

The sauce versus the whole dish

A lower-sodium sauce does not make the finished plate low in sodium. The rice, noodles and broth served with it also count, as these USDA SR Legacy values per 100 grams show. [1]

• Rice. White long-grain rice cooked without salt lists 1 mg of sodium per 100 grams (FDC 169757); the entry cooked with salt lists 382 mg (FDC 169753). The two entries also differ in enrichment, and the salted value rests on one data point. [1]
• Instant noodles. Dry ramen noodle soup, any flavor, lists 1,855 mg per 100 grams of the dry product (FDC 171177). [1] FDA suggests limiting packaged sauces, mixes and “instant” products, including flavored rice and instant noodles. [4]
• Broth. Ready-to-serve chicken broth lists 371 mg per 100 grams (FDC 174536); canned low sodium chicken broth lists 30 mg, an entry that reports no data points (FDC 171609). [1]
• Aromatics. Raw ginger root lists 13 mg per 100 grams (FDC 169231), raw garlic 17 mg (FDC 169230), raw scallions 16 mg (FDC 170005) and raw lime juice 2 mg (FDC 168156). [1] FDA suggests trying herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor. [4]

For a dry seasoning approach to chicken, see the guide to low salt chicken seasoning.

What the label terms mean

FDA’s consumer summary of sodium terms on packages: [4]

• “Low sodium.” 140 mg of sodium or less per serving.
• “Reduced sodium.” At least 25% less sodium than the regular product. The federal rule measures this per reference amount against an appropriate reference food, and the label must say how much less and compared with what, for example “50 percent less sodium than regular” followed by the food’s name. [5]
• “Light in sodium” or “lightly salted.” At least 50% less sodium than the regular product.
• “No-salt-added” or “unsalted.” No salt is added during processing, but these products may not be salt- or sodium-free unless stated.
• Daily Value. FDA lists the Daily Value for sodium as less than 2,300 mg per day, and as a general guide considers 5% DV or less of sodium per serving low and 20% DV or more high. [4]

Because “reduced sodium” is measured against the regular product, a reduced sodium sauce can still be high in sodium per serving; the %DV on its label is the number to compare. For practice with serving sizes and %DV, see the food label reading worksheet.

Salt substitutes and potassium

Potassium is an ingredient in many salt substitutes. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says that people with kidney disease, or who take certain medications, could end up with potassium levels that are too high from these products, and advises talking with a health care provider before using them. [3] The same applies to a lower-sodium sauce whose ingredient list includes potassium chloride.

Allergens in these sauces

FDA recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. [7] In the label data: [1]

• 139 of 209 soy sauces list wheat, and 6 of 38 tamari products list wheat, so a tamari label still needs reading.
• 32 of 34 fish sauces list fish or anchovy.
• 48 of 53 miso products list soy.
• 155 of 337 teriyaki sauces, marinades and glazes list sesame.

FDA’s first tip for people with food allergies is to always read food labels. [7]

Food safety for cooked dishes and leftovers

• Use separate plates and utensils for cooked and raw foods. [8]
• Cook all poultry to 165°F (74°C) and fish to 145°F (63°C), or until the flesh is no longer translucent and separates easily with a fork. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Check with a food thermometer. [9]
• Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours, in a refrigerator set to 40°F (4°C) or below. [8]
• FoodSafety.gov lists cooked meat or poultry leftovers, and soups and stews with vegetables or meat, at 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freezer times are for quality only. [10]

Where to go next

This guide covers sauce sodium, label terms, allergens and food safety only. It does not assess sugar, fat, portion size or how a dish fits an overall meal. If you follow a medically prescribed diet, including a kidney diet, use the plan from your health care team. For wet flavorings without salty sauces, see the no salt marinade guide. More guides are listed under Heart-healthy recipes.

Common questions

Which Asian sauces have the least sodium?

Of the sauces in the table, hoisin and gochujang have the lowest median label values, about 1,600 mg per 100 grams or milliliters, and fish sauce the highest, about 8,800 mg. [1] Products within one type vary, so compare the Nutrition Facts labels and serving sizes of the products in front of you. [4]

Is tamari lower in sodium than soy sauce?

Not reliably. The middle half of tamari labels, 4,500 to 6,500 mg per 100 grams or milliliters, overlaps the 4,400 to 6,400 mg range for soy sauce, and USDA lists tamari at 5,586 mg and shoyu at 5,493 mg per 100 grams. [1]

How much less sodium is in reduced sodium soy sauce?

The label term requires at least 25% less sodium than an appropriate reference food, per reference amount. [5] In the label data, the middle half of soy sauces named less, reduced, low or lite sodium spans 3,400 to 4,100 mg per 100 grams or milliliters, compared with 4,400 to 6,400 mg for regular soy sauce. [1]

Does fish sauce have more sodium than soy sauce?

Per 100 grams or milliliters, yes, in both datasets: the median fish sauce label is about 8,800 mg against about 6,100 mg for soy sauce, and USDA lists fish sauce at 7,851 mg and shoyu at 5,493 mg. [1]

How long do cooked leftovers keep?

FoodSafety.gov lists 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator for cooked meat or poultry leftovers and for soups and stews with vegetables or meat. [10] Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). [9]

Compare Asian sauces by sodium

Sources and limitations

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture: FoodData Central. Branded Foods dataset, April 2026 release: label data supplied by food brands, here 830 U.S. sauce products grouped by product name, one record per product barcode. SR Legacy dataset, published April 2019; entries by FDC ID: 174531 (fish sauce), 174277 (shoyu), 174278 (tamari), 174529 (oyster sauce), 172442 (miso), 172473 (shoyu, low sodium), 171167 (teriyaki sauce), 172886 (hoisin sauce), 169757 and 169753 (white rice, cooked without and with salt), 171177 (ramen noodle soup, dry), 174536 and 171609 (chicken broth, regular and low sodium), 169231 (ginger root), 169230 (garlic), 170005 (scallions), 168156 (lime juice). Search each FDC ID on the FoodData Central site. Branded values are as reported by manufacturers and may not match current products; SR Legacy values are generic and its final update was in 2018.
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture: USDA Global Branded Food Products Database Documentation. April 2024. Explains the conversion of label values to a 100 g or 100 mL basis and the variability that label rounding introduces.
3. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Potassium, Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. General overview; it does not list individual products or set limits for any person.
4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Sodium in Your Diet. Content current as of March 5, 2024. Daily Value, %DV guide, a consumer summary of package claims and sodium-reduction tips for the general public; not individual dietary advice.
5. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR 101.61, Nutrient content claims for the sodium content of foods. Current regulation text. Applies to package labels and labeling, not to home cooking.
6. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR 101.12, Reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion. Current regulation text. Reference amounts are for labeling, not recommended amounts to eat.
7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Food Allergies: What You Need to Know. Content current as of August 16, 2024. Lists the major food allergens recognized in the United States; it does not assess individual products.
8. FoodSafety.gov: 4 Steps to Food Safety. Last reviewed September 18, 2023. Home kitchen guidance on cleaning, separating, cooking and chilling.
9. FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures. Last reviewed November 21, 2024. Cooking temperatures; does not address flavor or texture.
10. FoodSafety.gov: Cold Food Storage Chart. Last reviewed September 19, 2023. Storage times for cooked foods, assuming a refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below; freezer times are for quality.