Most CAVA bowls contain 900-1,500mg of sodium, but with smart choices, you can easily build bowls with under 500mg. If you're watching your salt intake for heart health, blood pressure, or kidney function, this guide will show you exactly how to enjoy CAVA while staying low-sodium. Check cava nutrition facts for other dishes.
💙 Why Low Sodium Matters:
The American Heart Association recommends under 1,500mg sodium per day for heart health (2,300mg maximum). Most Americans consume 3,400mg daily! Reducing sodium helps lower blood pressure, reduces heart disease risk, and improves kidney function.
Understanding Sodium at CAVA
✅ Low Sodium
Under 200mg
- • SuperGreens (15mg)
- • Arugula (10mg)
- • Romaine (5mg)
- • Avocado (5mg)
- • Tomato/Cucumber (5mg)
- • Cabbage Slaw (35mg)
- • Roasted Veggies (35mg)
⚠️ Moderate Sodium
200-500mg
- • Grilled Chicken (250mg)
- • Grilled Steak (460mg)
- • Braised Lamb (530mg)
- • Fire-Roasted Corn (170mg)
- • Lemon Herb Tahini (250mg)
- • Greek Vinaigrette (460mg)
❌ High Sodium
500mg+
- • Harissa Chicken (750mg)
- • Meatballs (620mg)
- • Falafel (760mg)
- • Feta Cheese (280mg)
- • Olives (280mg)
- • Pickled Onions (310mg)
- • Most Dips (250-400mg)
Complete Sodium Breakdown by Category
🥬 Bases (All Low-Sodium!)
Romaine
0.2% DV
Arugula
0.4% DV
SuperGreens
0.7% DV
Brown Rice
6% DV
Saffron Rice
6% DV
Black Lentils
9% DV
✅ Best Choice: All greens bases are excellent for low-sodium diets!
🥩 Proteins (Sodium Varies Widely)
Grilled Chicken
250 cal • 28g protein
Grilled Steak
170 cal • 23g protein
Braised Lamb
210 cal • 24g protein
Harissa Honey Chicken
260 cal • 26g protein
Spicy Lamb Meatballs
220 cal • 18g protein
Falafel
350 cal • 6g protein
✅ Best Choice: Grilled chicken has the best protein-to-sodium ratio!
🥄 Dressings (Major Sodium Source!)
30 cal
70 cal
80 cal
140 cal
130 cal
150 cal
180 cal
180 cal
⚠️ Watch Out: Dressings can add 160-640mg sodium! Choose wisely or skip entirely.
5 Low-Sodium Bowl Recipes (Under 500mg)
💚 Ultra Low-Sodium Bowl (275mg)
Perfect for: Strict sodium restriction, heart patients
Build:
- • Base: Romaine (5mg)
- • Protein: Grilled Chicken (250mg)
- • Toppings: Tomato/Cucumber (5mg), Avocado (5mg), Cabbage Slaw (35mg)
- • Dressing: None or lemon squeeze
Nutrition:
- • 400 calories
- • 30g protein
- • 275mg sodium (12% DV)
- • 20g fat
- • 10g fiber
🏆 Lowest possible sodium while maintaining nutrition!
💙 Moderate Low-Sodium (435mg)
Perfect for: Balanced sodium management, daily meals
Build:
- • Base: SuperGreens (15mg)
- • Protein: Grilled Chicken (250mg)
- • Toppings: Tomato/Cucumber (5mg), Roasted Veggies (35mg), Avocado (5mg)
- • Dressing: Yogurt Dill (160mg)
Nutrition:
- • 455 calories
- • 31g protein
- • 435mg sodium (19% DV)
- • 24g fat
- • 11g fiber
✅ Includes dressing while staying under 500mg!
💜 Budget Low-Sodium (300mg)
Perfect for: Simple, affordable, low-sodium
Build:
- • Base: Romaine (5mg)
- • Protein: Grilled Chicken (250mg)
- • Toppings: Tomato/Cucumber (5mg), Cabbage Slaw (35mg)
- • Dressing: None (use lemon)
Nutrition:
- • 320 calories
- • 30g protein
- • 300mg sodium (13% DV)
- • 14g fat
- • 7g fiber
💰 Cheapest + lowest sodium combo!
🌾 Low-Sodium Grain Bowl (460mg)
Perfect for: Sustained energy, athletes on sodium watch
Build:
- • Base: Half SuperGreens + Half Brown Rice (72mg)
- • Protein: Grilled Chicken (250mg)
- • Toppings: Tomato/Cucumber (5mg), Roasted Veggies (35mg), Cabbage (35mg)
- • Dressing: Lemon squeeze only
Nutrition:
- • 545 calories
- • 35g protein
- • 397mg sodium (17% DV)
- • 16g fat
- • 13g fiber
⚖️ Balanced macros + whole grains while staying low-sodium!
💪 High-Protein Low-Sodium (505mg)
Perfect for: Muscle building with sodium control
Build:
- • Base: SuperGreens (15mg)
- • Protein: Double Grilled Chicken (500mg)
- • Toppings: Tomato/Cucumber (5mg), Avocado (5mg), Cabbage (35mg)
- • Dressing: None
Nutrition:
- • 645 calories
- • 56g protein
- • 505mg sodium (22% DV)
- • 36g fat
- • 13g fiber
💪 Maximum protein while barely over 500mg sodium!
Low-Sodium Strategy Guide
💡 7 Rules to Cut Sodium in Half:
Sodium Comparison: Smart vs Poor Choices
✅ Low-Sodium Bowl (435mg)
- • SuperGreens (15mg)
- • Grilled Chicken (250mg)
- • Fresh Veggies (45mg)
- • Avocado (5mg)
- • Yogurt Dill (160mg)
19% of Daily Limit
Heart-healthy choice!
❌ High-Sodium Bowl (1,970mg)
- • Saffron Rice (130mg)
- • Falafel (760mg)
- • Hummus (290mg)
- • Feta + Olives (560mg)
- • Garlic Dressing (610mg)
86% of Daily Limit
In ONE meal!
⚠️ 1,535mg difference - That's an entire day's sodium limit!
Common Low-Sodium Mistakes
❌ Sodium Traps to Avoid:
- • Assuming Mediterranean = low-sodium: Feta, olives, and dressings are VERY high in sodium
- • Overusing dressing: Just one serving of garlic dressing is 610mg (27% daily limit!)
- • Choosing falafel or meatballs: 620-760mg each - worse than chicken
- • Adding multiple high-sodium items: Feta + olives + pickles = 870mg in toppings alone
- • Not asking for "light dressing": Full portions are loaded with sodium
- • Thinking all veggies are low-sodium: Pickled items (onions, peppers) are HIGH in sodium
- • Ignoring dips: Hummus (290mg), Crazy Feta (400mg) add up quickly
Sodium by Daily Goals
Heart Disease / High Blood Pressure (Under 500mg/meal)
Strategy: Romaine + chicken + fresh veggies + no dressing. Total: 275-435mg
Kidney Disease (Very Strict, Under 400mg/meal)
Strategy: No dressing, no dips, fresh veggies only. Chicken is your friend. Total: 275-350mg
General Health (Under 800mg/meal)
Strategy: Can include light dressing. Avoid high-sodium proteins and toppings. Total: 435-750mg
Athletes (More Flexible, Under 1,000mg/meal)
Strategy: Higher needs due to sweat loss. Can include more sodium. Total: 600-1,000mg
How to Order Low-Sodium at CAVA
📝 Your Low-Sodium Ordering Script:
At the Counter:
"Hi! I'm watching my sodium. Can I get light dressing on the side, and can you go easy on any high-sodium toppings?"
For Proteins:
"I'll take the grilled chicken please - it's the lowest sodium option, right?"
For Dressing:
"Can I get the Yogurt Dill on the side? I'm watching sodium, so I'll use just a little."
Skip With Confidence:
"No feta, no olives, no pickled onions today - just the fresh veggies please!"
The Bottom Line
Low-sodium eating at CAVA is absolutely achievable. While typical bowls contain 900-1,500mg, you can easily build satisfying meals with under 500mg by choosing wisely and skipping high-sodium items.
🏆 Perfect Low-Sodium Formula:
- ✅ Base: Romaine or SuperGreens (5-15mg)
- ✅ Protein: Grilled Chicken (250mg) - best option
- ✅ Veggies: Load up! Tomato, cucumber, cabbage, roasted veggies (all under 40mg each)
- ✅ Healthy Fat: Avocado (5mg) - basically sodium-free
- ✅ Dressing: Skip OR Yogurt Dill on the side (160mg)
- ✅ SKIP: Feta, olives, pickled items, most dips
- ✅ Total: 275-435mg sodium (12-19% DV)
💙 Final Heart-Healthy Tip:
The American Heart Association recommends under 1,500mg sodium per day for optimal heart health. By keeping your CAVA bowl under 500mg, you're using only 33% of your daily limit in one meal—leaving plenty of room for breakfast, snacks, and dinner. Remember: fresh is best, and when in doubt, skip the dressing and let the natural flavors of Mediterranean ingredients shine through!
Track Sodium in Your CAVA Bowl
Use our calculator to build low-sodium bowls and track sodium content in real-time. Stay under your daily limit while enjoying delicious Mediterranean food!
Try the Calculator