Is Fruit a Hidden Source of Sodium?
Should you reduce the amount of melon you’re eating to avoid sodium? Get the full scoop from Nutrition Diva.
Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS
by Monica Reinagel, M.S., L.D./N.
Q. I try to limit my sodium intake to about 2,500 mg a day. Recently, I looked up the nutrition information for cantaloupe and discovered it contains over 400mg of sodium in a 16 oz. serving! Should I reduce the amount of melon I’m eating to avoid the excess sodium?
- Answer I wonder if you might be using a diet tracking app, such as Lose it! or My Fitness Pal to look up nutrition info? These programs can be tremendously useful and most have huge databases of foods. Just keep in mind that most of this information is entered by other users, and often contains errors. The amount of sodium in 16 ounces of cantaloupe, for example, is only about 70 mg. You can double-check suspicious items (such as improbably salty melon) by checking a verified source, such as the USDA Food Composition Database.
Although I’m not concerned about the sodium in your cantaloupe, I should 
also point out that a 16-ounce serving of melon is actually more like four servings of fruit. Fruit is a wonderful source of nutrition—and a great alternative to sugary snacks—but it does also contain a fair amount of naturally occurring sugar. I generally recommend limiting fruit to 2-4 servings a day (more if you’re extremely active).
Related Content
Is Fruit Good for You?
Does Sugar in Fruit “Count” as Sugar?
Cantaloupe melon from Shutterstock
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.