Cream cheese is generally lower in sodium if you only consume around the two tablespoon serving size that the nutrition facts on the label are based on. We are unaware of any mainstream cream cheese brand that makes products that are specifically low sodium.
Below you will find a list of popular cream cheese products sold in U.S. grocery stores along with the sodium content in each. We listed the cream cheeses in order from least to greatest sodium content for your convenience. We hope this information helps you discover a new cream cheese that fits your dietary needs!
What is Low Sodium Cream Cheese?
As a general guide, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that foods with 5% or less daily value of sodium are considered low sodium foods. In contrast, a food containing 20% daily value or more of sodium is considered a high sodium food.
You can determine daily value percentages by looking at the nutrition label on the packaging. As you can see below, this cream cheese has 90 milligrams (mg) of sodium or 4% daily value of recommended sodium. This is a low sodium food for its 2 tablespoon serving size since its under 5% daily value of sodium at 4 %.
As you review the sodium content of the cream cheese products below, keep in mind that about 110 mg of sodium or less is within the 5% daily value of sodium to be considered low sodium. You’ll find products that are a bit above or lower than 110 mg to give readers options.
Spreadable Plain Cream Cheese Sodium Content
Here is the sodium content for popular plain soft and whipped cream cheese spreads. The sodium ranges from 70-150 milligrams for the products featured.
| Cream Cheese Product | Sodium(mg) in 2 Tbsp. |
|---|---|
| Nancy’s – Natural Spread | 40mg |
| Nancy’s – Organic Spread | 40mg |
| 365 Whole Foods – Whipped | 70mg |
| Green Valley – Lactose-Free Spread | 75mg |
| Philadelphia – Whipped | 85mg |
| Dutch Farms – Whipped | 90mg |
| Kroger – Original Whipped | 90mg |
| Good & Gather – Spread | 90mg |
| Great Value – Whipped | 90mg |
| HEB – Whipped | 90mg |
| Lucerne – Whipped | 90mg |
| Meijer – Whipped | 90mg |
| Publix – Whipped | 90mg |
| Weis Market – Whipped | 90mg |
| Challenge – Whipped | 95mg |
| Clover Sonoma – Spread | 95mg |
| Clover Sonoma – Organic Spread | 100mg |
| O Organics – Spread | 100mg |
| Simple Truth Organic – Spread | 100mg |
| Crystal Farms – Original Spread | 105mg |
| Dutch Farms – Soft | 105mg |
| HEB – Neufchatel | 105mg |
| Weis Market – Soft | 105mg |
| Kroger – Spread | 110mg |
| Lucerne – Soft | 110mg |
| Meijer – Spread | 110mg |
| Organic Valley – Spread | 110mg |
| Challenge – Spread | 120mg |
| HEB – Spread | 120mg |
| Publix – Spread | 120mg |
| Tillamook – Original Spread | 120mg |
| Philadelphia – Original Spread | 125mg |
| Meijer – Light Spread | 140mg |
| 365 Whole Foods – Spread | 150mg |
| Great Value – Spread | 150mg |
Block Cream Cheese Sodium Content
Below are plain block cream cheese products along with their sodium content. Most are low sodium if you stay within the 1 ounce or about a 2 tablespoon serving size.
| Cream Cheese Product | Sodium(mg) in 1 oz. (about 2 Tbsp.) |
|---|---|
| True Goodness- Organic | 90mg |
| 365 Whole Foods | 95mg |
| Challenge | 95mg |
| Clover Sonoma | 95mg |
| Crystal Farms – Original | 95mg |
| Good & Gather – Regular | 95mg |
| Great Value – Regular | 95mg |
| HEB – Regular | 95mg |
| Hill Country Fare – Regular | 95mg |
| Kroger – Original | 95mg |
| Lucerne – Regular | 95mg |
| O Organics – Regular | 95mg |
| Publix – Regular | 95mg |
| Simple Truth Organic | 95mg |
| Weis – Regular | 95mg |
| Weis – Neufchatel | 95mg |
| GreenWise – Organic | 100mg |
| Organic Valley – Regular | 100mg |
| Hill Country Fare – Neufchatel | 105mg |
| Kroger – Neufchatel | 105mg |
| Dutch Farms – Regular | 105mg |
| Crystal Farms – Neufchatel | 105mg |
| Lucerne – Neufchatel | 105mg |
| Publix – Neufchatel | 105mg |
| Dutch Farms – Neufchatel | 110mg |
| Philadelphia – Original | 110mg |
| Philadelphia – Neufchatel | 120mg |
Flavored Cream Cheese Sodium Content
There are several flavored cream cheese brands that have a lower sodium content as displayed below. Quite a few even have 100 mg or less of sodium per serving.
| Cream Cheese Product | Sodium(mg) in 2 Tbsp. |
|---|---|
| Meijer – Whipped Strawberry | 60mg |
| Great Value – Whipped Strawberry | 65mg |
| Nancy’s – Organic Garlic & Herb | 70mg |
| Philadelphia – Whipped Mixed Berry | 75mg |
| Great Value – Mixed Berry | 80mg |
| Good & Gather – Strawberry | 85mg |
| Great Value – Brown Sugar & Cinnamon | 85mg |
| Great Value – Strawberry | 85mg |
| HEB – Strawberry | 85mg |
| Lucerne – Strawberry | 85mg |
| Meijer – Strawberry | 85mg |
| Publix – Strawberry | 85mg |
| Dutch Farms – Strawberry | 90mg |
| Philadelphia – Whipped Chive | 95mg |
| Philadelphia – Blueberry | 100mg |
| Philadelphia – Brown Sugar & Cinnamon | 100mg |
| Philadelphia – Honey Pecan | 100mg |
| Philadelphia – Pineapple | 100mg |
| Philadelphia – Pumpkin Spice | 100mg |
| Philadelphia – Honey Butter | 110mg |
| Philadelphia – Strawberry | 105mg |
| Tillamook – Seriously Strawberry | 105mg |
| Tillamook – Chive & Onion | 120mg |
| Great Value – Chive & Onion | 140mg |
| HEB – Chive & Onion | 140mg |
| Lucerne – Chive & Onion | 140mg |
| Philadelphia – Garlic & Herb | 140mg |
| Publix – Chive & Onion | 140mg |
| Lucerne – Garden Vegetables | 150mg |
| Philadelphia – Buffalo Style | 150mg |
| Philadelphia – Chive & Onion | 150mg |
| Great Value – Garden Vegetable | 150mg |
| Meijer – Garden Vegetable | 150mg |
| Publix – Garden Vegetable | 150mg |
Recommended Sodium Per Day
Americans overconsume sodium. The FDA indicates that the average is 3,400 mg per day. However, the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults consume less than 2,300 mg per day. Your doctor may recommend even fewer milligrams of sodium based on your health circumstances.
While cream cheese is generally low in sodium if you stick to a two tablespoon serving size, it easy to get carried away. You may wish to measure out your cream cheese if you are watching your sodium intake until you can visually determine serving sizes.
Low Sodium Cream Cheese Alternative
If the above cream cheeses have too much sodium for your needs, you may consider using mascarpone cheese. Mascarpone is a type of Italian cheese that has a high-fat content, typically around 70%, but is low in sodium.
Mascarpone cheese is made from fresh cream, which is gently heated and then combined with an acid such as citric acid, tartaric acid, or lemon juice to cause it to curdle. The curds are then drained and pressed, resulting in a soft and smooth cheese with a texture similar to that of cream cheese.
Mascarpone cheese has a rich, creamy, and slightly sweet flavor with a smooth and velvety texture. Its taste is mild, with a subtle tanginess that is similar to cream cheese, but it is less tangy.
The sodium content of mascarpone cheese can vary depending on the brand and the recipe used to make it. However, in general, 2 tablespoons (about 28 grams) of mascarpone cheese typically contains around 20-30 milligrams of sodium. This is much less than the 70+ milligrams of sodium in cream cheese.
Final Thoughts
Not all cream cheese products are the same when it comes to their sodium content. You can use the above information to select a lower sodium cream cheese, however, be sure to verify its sodium content using the nutrition facts on the label. No online 3rd party source will be more accurate than what is printed on the label.
If cream cheese is too high in sodium for your diet, you may wish to consider using mascarpone cheese as an alternative. It typically has much lower sodium compared to cream cheese and is somewhat comparable in taste.