CAVA Sodium Guide: The Highest and Lowest Sodium Items

Why Sodium Matters at CAVA

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300mg of sodium per day, with an ideal limit of 1,500mg. A single CAVA bowl can contain 800 to 2,000+ mg of sodium depending on your choices — potentially your entire daily budget in one meal. Understanding which items contribute the most sodium helps you make informed decisions.

Highest Sodium Items at CAVA

These items have the highest sodium per serving at CAVA:

• 1Tahini Caesar Dressing — 340mg sodium (highest dressing)
• 2Greek Vinaigrette — 330mg sodium
• 3Hot Harissa Vinaigrette — 310mg sodium
• 4Spicy Lamb Meatballs — 560mg sodium (highest protein)
• 5Braised Lamb — 390mg sodium
• 6Feta Cheese — 320mg sodium (highest topping)
• 7Pita Chips — 210mg sodium

Lowest Sodium Items at CAVA

These items add minimal sodium to your bowl:

• 1All greens bases — 5-40mg sodium
• 2Brown Rice — 5mg sodium (lowest grain base)
• 3Cucumber — 0mg sodium
• 4Tomatoes — 5mg sodium
• 5Corn — 0mg sodium
• 6Grilled Chicken — 270mg sodium (lowest protein option)
• 7Tzatziki — 120mg sodium (lowest creamy dressing)

How to Build a Lower-Sodium Bowl

To keep your CAVA bowl under 800mg sodium: start with a greens base (5-40mg) instead of grains, choose grilled chicken (270mg) as your protein, add fresh toppings like cucumber, tomatoes, and corn (0-5mg each), and finish with Tzatziki (120mg) or Skhug (150mg). This combination gives you a filling bowl with approximately 500-600mg sodium.

Curated Bowls Ranked by Sodium

CAVA's curated bowls vary significantly in sodium. The bowls with lamb or multiple dressings tend to be highest. When ordering a curated bowl, you can reduce sodium by asking for dressing on the side and using half the amount. Our Sodium Guide tool lets you sort all menu items by sodium and use an interactive daily sodium budget calculator.

Track Sodium With Our Calculator

Our CAVA Nutrition Calculator displays sodium for every ingredient and calculates your total meal sodium in real time. Use the Sodium Guide tool to see every item ranked and to track your daily sodium budget across meals.