The Best Apps to Track Your Sodium Intake
App guide
Ranked & compared
Cronometer tracks sodium alongside potassium (the critical ratio) from lab-verified data on its free tier; MyFitnessPal shows sodium on the free tier but from user-submitted data; Fooducate is fastest for packaged-food sodium screening.
Sodium tracking matters for both cardiovascular risk management and electrolyte balance during weight loss. GLP-1 users face a unique challenge: reduced appetite can lower sodium intake, but nausea and vomiting can deplete electrolytes dangerously. The best app for precision is Cronometer, which tracks sodium and potassium from verified data on its free tier. For quick packaged-food screening, Fooducate's barcode scanner penalizes high-sodium products instantly.
This is general nutrition and wellness information, not medical advice. If you're on a weight-loss medication or managing a health condition, confirm specifics with your clinician.
What you're actually tracking
Sodium tracking matters in two distinct contexts: managing cardiovascular risk (the AHA recommends <2,300 mg/day; ideally <1,500 mg/day for hypertension) and managing electrolyte balance during rapid weight loss. GLP-1 users face both simultaneously — reduced intake tends to lower sodium, but high-sodium convenience foods that appeal when appetite is low can spike it again. Tracking also needs potassium context, since the sodium-to-potassium ratio drives blood pressure more than sodium alone.
How we evaluated them
Evaluated on: sodium as a native tracked nutrient; whether potassium (the counterion) is also tracked; data source quality; barcode scanning for packaged foods; price transparency; platform availability; and GLP-1 electrolyte relevance.
The apps, side by side
No single app wins for everyone — each card calls out who it's genuinely best for, so you can pick on fit, not hype.
Cronometer
Free / Gold $49.99/yr (about $8.99/mo)iOS / Android / WebBest for: Precise sodium (and sodium-to-potassium) tracking
- Tracks sodium and potassium from lab-verified data
- Slower logging
MyFitnessPal
Free / Premium $19.99/mo or $79.99/yriOS / Android / WebBest for: Everyday sodium totals
- Sodium in default dashboard
- Large database (20.5M+ foods)
- User-submitted accuracy varies (37% of popular entries had >20% energy errors in a 2024 study)
Fooducate
Free / Pro subscription (App Store tiers $1.99–$89.99)iOS / Android / WebBest for: Spotting high-sodium packaged foods
- Grades penalize excess sodium
- Barcode scanning
- Proprietary grading system
Yazio
Free / Pro $6.99/mo or $47.90/yriOS / AndroidBest for: Sodium within a polished tracker
- Sodium in nutrient detail
- Free barcode scan
- Full detail requires Pro
Why Sodium Tracking Has Two Different Goals — and Which Applies to You
Sodium tracking isn't one-size-fits-all. The reason you're watching your intake determines which numbers matter and how aggressively you should act on them.
For most people, the goal is cardiovascular risk reduction. The American Heart Association recommends staying under 2,300 mg of sodium per day, with an ideal target of 1,500 mg for those with hypertension. This is the classic use case — logging meals to keep sodium below a threshold and protect blood pressure over the long term.
But there's a second, less-discussed goal: electrolyte balance during rapid weight loss. GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide suppress appetite significantly, which can drive sodium intake too low. Add nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea — common early side effects — and you're losing sodium and other electrolytes faster than you're replacing them. In this scenario, tracking isn't about restriction; it's about making sure you're getting enough.
These two goals can coexist in the same person. You might need to limit sodium from convenience foods on low-appetite days while simultaneously watching for signs of depletion if GI side effects flare. The right tracking app helps you see both sides of the equation.
Bottom line
GLP-1 users need sodium tracking for opposite reasons at different times — cardiovascular management when intake is high, electrolyte replacement when intake is too low due to nausea.
The 4 Best Apps for Tracking Sodium Intake
We evaluated sodium-tracking apps on data quality, potassium visibility, barcode scanning, and free-tier usefulness. Here's how the top four compare.
Cronometer is the standout for precision. Its free tier pulls sodium and potassium data from lab-verified USDA and NCCDB databases — not user submissions. You see both nutrients side by side, which matters because the sodium-to-potassium ratio is a stronger predictor of blood pressure outcomes than sodium alone. The trade-off is logging speed: Cronometer's verified database is smaller than MyFitnessPal's, so you'll spend more time finding or creating entries.
MyFitnessPal remains the most popular option for everyday sodium totals. Sodium appears in the free nutrient dashboard, and the database is enormous — over 20.5 million foods. But accuracy is a real concern. A 2024 study found that 37% of popular entries had energy errors exceeding 20%, and sodium values from user-submitted data are similarly unreliable. If you choose MyFitnessPal, stick to verified (green-check) entries whenever possible.
Fooducate takes a different approach. Instead of detailed nutrient logs, it scans barcodes and assigns a letter grade (A through D) that penalizes high sodium, added sugars, and processed ingredients. It's the fastest way to screen packaged foods before they reach your cart or plate. The proprietary grading system isn't transparent — you can't see exactly how sodium is weighted — but for quick decisions, it works.
Yazio offers sodium tracking within a polished, modern interface that includes fasting timers and meal plans. Sodium appears in the nutrient detail view, and barcode scanning is free. The catch is that full nutrient breakdowns, including historical sodium trends, require the Pro subscription.
- Cronometer: Lab-verified sodium + potassium, free tier, slower logging
- MyFitnessPal: Sodium on free dashboard, huge database, user-submitted accuracy issues
- Fooducate: Barcode-first grading that penalizes sodium, fastest for packaged foods
- Yazio: Polished UI with sodium detail, full features behind Pro paywall
Bottom line
Cronometer is the only app that shows both sodium and potassium on the free tier — the ratio matters more than sodium alone for blood pressure management.
The Hidden Sodium in Convenience Foods — And Why It Matters More on GLP-1
A single can of soup can deliver 800 to 1,200 mg of sodium — roughly half the AHA's daily limit. Deli meats, frozen meals, jarred sauces, and cheese are similarly loaded. These foods are engineered to be palatable and require zero preparation, which makes them disproportionately tempting when GLP-1 appetite suppression makes cooking a full meal feel impossible.
The problem compounds quickly. On a day when your total food intake is already low, one high-sodium convenience item can represent a much larger fraction of your sodium budget than it would on a normal eating day. You might only eat 1,200 calories but still hit 3,000 mg of sodium because those calories came from soup, crackers, and cheese.
Barcode scanning apps like Fooducate catch this pattern before it starts. Scanning a frozen dinner in the grocery aisle and seeing a D grade for sodium gives you a chance to find a lower-sodium alternative. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal catch it after you've logged — useful for pattern recognition, but less preventive.
The specific foods to watch: canned soups (even 'healthy' varieties), sliced deli turkey and ham, frozen entrees labeled 'light' or 'lean,' soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, jarred pasta sauce, and pre-shredded cheese. Each can pack 400 to 1,200 mg of sodium per serving, and serving sizes on labels are often smaller than what people actually eat.
Bottom line
A single serving of canned soup can contain 800–1,200 mg sodium — nearly half the AHA daily limit — and these compact, palatable foods become a larger fraction of total intake when appetite is suppressed.
Sodium and Electrolyte Balance During GLP-1 Weight Loss
GLP-1 medications slow gastric emptying and reduce appetite, but they also cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in a significant portion of users — especially during the first few months of treatment or after dose increases. These side effects don't just feel unpleasant; they deplete sodium, potassium, and chloride directly through fluid loss.
Hyponatremia — clinically low blood sodium — can develop when losses outpace intake. Early signs include headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, and confusion. Severe hyponatremia is a medical emergency. On the opposite end, hypernatremia (high sodium) can occur if you're eating concentrated sources of sodium without enough water, which is possible when total food volume is low but sodium density is high.
If you're experiencing frequent vomiting or diarrhea on a GLP-1 medication, tracking sodium intake alone isn't sufficient. You need to monitor for symptoms and discuss electrolyte management with your prescriber. They may recommend electrolyte replacement drinks, temporary dose adjustment, or lab work to check your levels.
For most GLP-1 users without significant GI side effects, the bigger risk is the slow creep of high-sodium convenience foods replacing balanced meals. Tracking helps you see which pattern applies to you — and when to switch from restriction mode to replacement mode.
Bottom line
Electrolyte depletion from GLP-1 GI side effects (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) is a safety concern — if you're losing fluids frequently, tracking sodium intake alone isn't sufficient and a clinician check is warranted.
Setting Up a Sodium Goal in Your Tracking App
Most tracking apps default to a 2,300 mg sodium target, which aligns with the AHA's upper limit for the general population. If you have hypertension or your doctor has recommended a lower target, you can adjust this in settings.
In Cronometer, sodium is tracked automatically on the free tier. To add potassium as a secondary nutrient, go to Settings > Nutrient Targets and select potassium from the mineral list. Set your target to 4,700 mg (the adequate intake for adults) and watch the ratio. A sodium-to-potassium ratio below 1:1 by milliequivalent — which roughly translates to keeping sodium under 2,300 mg while hitting close to 4,700 mg of potassium — is the cardiovascular-protective target. Cronometer won't calculate the ratio for you, but seeing both numbers on the same screen lets you judge at a glance.
In MyFitnessPal, sodium appears in the free nutrient dashboard by default. To add potassium, go to Settings > Diary Settings > Nutrients Tracked and select potassium. Be aware that potassium values in MyFitnessPal are often incomplete because food manufacturers aren't required to list potassium on nutrition labels, so user-submitted entries frequently omit it.
Fooducate requires no setup for sodium — the grade automatically penalizes it. Use the barcode scanner before buying, and aim for foods graded B or higher. If a food gets a C or D, tap into the detail view to see whether sodium is the primary driver of the low grade.
Bottom line
Set your sodium goal to 2,300 mg in Cronometer (default) and add potassium as a secondary nutrient target — the sodium:potassium ratio below 1:1 (by mEq) is the cardiovascular-protective target most tracking apps can't calculate for you, but seeing both numbers lets you judge.
What most pages leave out
Most sodium-tracking discussions focus exclusively on reducing intake for hypertension — but GLP-1 users with severe GI side effects face electrolyte depletion risk, where too little sodium is equally dangerous. This bidirectional risk is rarely mentioned by competitors. Tracking sodium without potassium context also misses the ratio that drives blood pressure outcomes.
We flag this so you can make an informed choice — not to scare you off.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
The AHA recommends staying under 2,300 mg per day for cardiovascular health, with an ideal target of 1,500 mg if you have hypertension. However, if you're losing fluids from GI side effects like nausea or vomiting, your electrolyte needs may be higher. Discuss your specific situation with your prescriber.
Yes, sodium appears in the free nutrient dashboard on MyFitnessPal. However, accuracy varies because the database relies heavily on user-submitted entries. Stick to verified (green-check) entries when possible to get more reliable sodium values.
Cronometer tracks both sodium and potassium on its free tier using lab-verified data from USDA and NCCDB databases. It's the best option for monitoring the sodium-to-potassium ratio, which is a stronger predictor of blood pressure outcomes than sodium alone.
Canned soups, deli meats, frozen meals, jarred sauces and condiments, and cheese are consistently the highest-sodium packaged foods. A single serving can contain 400 to 1,200 mg of sodium. Use Fooducate's barcode scanner to check sodium content before buying.
Yes — both weight loss and sodium reduction independently lower blood pressure. Combining them amplifies the effect and may allow your doctor to reduce antihypertensive medication doses. Never adjust medications without discussing with your prescriber first.
Potentially, yes. If nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea causes significant fluid loss, electrolyte depletion — including low sodium (hyponatremia) — can occur. Symptoms include headache, fatigue, and muscle cramps. Persistent GI symptoms warrant a clinical check and possibly lab work.
Yes, Cronometer tracks both sodium and potassium on the free tier using lab-verified data. You can set separate daily targets for each nutrient and view them together on your dashboard to monitor the sodium-to-potassium balance.
Fooducate's proprietary A through D grading system weights high sodium content negatively because of its association with cardiovascular risk. The grade gives you a quick way to filter packaged foods without manually checking nutrition labels, though the exact weighting formula isn't publicly disclosed.
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This content is for general informational purposes only and is not medical or nutritional advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for professional judgment. It does not account for your health, medications, or goals, and nutrition information changes over time. Always talk with a qualified clinician or dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, supplements, or medications. Curex offers compounded GLP-1 medications through licensed clinicians and does not sell or endorse the food or supplement reviewed on this page.