Pass me the salt…or maybe not! Salt Awareness Week

The UK’s average salt intake is 8.4g/ day, when we should be consuming no more than 6g a day.

A high salt intake can be linked to high blood pressure, fluid retention and increased urinary calcium losses which may affect bone health.  However, we do need salt!  It’s a source of sodium and is required for the normal function of our muscles and nerve transmission, as well as maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, important for normal body functions.

Here are 8 ingredients to use instead of salt.

1.      Lemon & Lime

2.      Herbs (dried or fresh)

3.      Spices

4.      Garlic (fresh or dried)

5.      Vinegar (apple cider vinegar, balsamic, white/ red wine vinegar)

6.      Black Pepper

7.      Ginger

8.      Chillies

However, up to 75% of the salt we eat is from food we don’t prepare ourselves.  We need to be aware of where salt might be hiding in the foods we buy and read food packaging labels.

Below are 10 foods which are higher in salt that you may not have realised. 

1.      Cheese, including plant-based cheese alternatives.

2.      Bread and bread products like rolls and wraps.

3.      Jarred sauces.

4.      Ready meals and processed foods like chicken nuggets, plant-based meat alternatives, instant noodles and flavoured microwave rice.

5.      Tinned/ fresh soup, stock and gravy.

6.      Restaurant food and takeaways.

7.      Snack foods like crackers, crisps, biscuits.

8.      Processed meats, like bacon, ham, cured meats, pre-cooked chicken.

9.   Olives and pickles.

10.   Miso and Soy sauce.

Food labels

Look at the Nutrition Information table on the back of most pre-packed foods, which is a UK requirement.  The table will show the nutrition information per 100g or per 100ml and may also show it per portion (do be aware that the portion listed on the pack may not be the amount you actually consume as a portion). When looking at the per 100g column, consider your personal portion size for that food in relation to 100g. For example, you may only eat one biscuit which will only contribute a small amount to your overall salt intake, but if you ate 6 biscuits your salt intake would significantly increase.

Take a look at the per 100g column: 

-        High salt = more than 1.5g/ 100g

-        Moderate salt = more than 0.3g – 1.5g/ 100g

-        Low salt = 0.3g or below/ 100g

You can also look at the front of pack traffic light labelling (red = high salt, orange = moderate salt, green = low salt), which may show salt per 100g or per portion.

We need to look at the labels of the foods we buy and eat.  By being aware of the salt added to foods we buy, we can try limit certain foods we consume regularly which have high amounts of salt in them.  Cooking at home means we can be in control of how much salt is added to our meals. 

If you are a salt lover, you can gradually reduce the amount of salt in your cooking and also don’t put the salt grinder on the table, because how many times have you put salt on your food without tasting it first…? Alternatively you could go cold turkey! It takes about 2 weeks for your taste buds to adjust to your lower intake of salt.  That’s not long and after you won’t miss it!

If you want personalised help and guidance in improving your diet, with long term changes to support your general wellbeing, then contact me for a Free 30-minute Health and Energy Review call.

Prioritise yourself, for once!