How much sodium is in that pasta sauce?

Pasta sauces are a pantry staple for those days when you need to get a tasty pasta meal ready quickly and don’t feel like cooking!

The sodium content of these store-bought pasta sauces varies widely from 81mg per 100g to 675mg per 100g. When we add these sauces to pasta the total sodium content of the meal will depend on both the pasta sauce and the pasta we’re using. Plain pasta is not high in sodium, but filled varieties can be. For those with high blood pressure or at risk of heart disease, reducing sodium intake is important: do read the nutrition information panel.

Notes

• Serve sizes vary so we have compared the sodium content per 100g (roughly one serve).
• We tend to use less pesto than other types of pasta sauces, so we have compared the sodium content of pesto sauces per 50g.
• The sodium content of sauces is compared to the recommended upper daily amount of
  2300mg sodium.
• Remember not to be too heavy-handed with the parmesan cheese; a tablespoon can add 50–80mg of sodium.

Sodium per 100g of pasta sauce (or 50g of pesto, as marked).

(Products listed in order from best to worst.)